Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard Adopts Digital Signage Managed by Mirada Media to aid in its Information Distribution

Using Mirada Media’s ChannelView digital signage solution the Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard integrates dynamic messaging with its signage to inform and educate its members, visitors and staff.

CSCR & Ville de Montreal Logos

Using Mirada Media’s ChannelView digital signage solution the Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard integrates dynamic messaging with its signage to inform and educate its members, visitors and staff.

Montréal, July 30th 2008 – In an effort to modernize its signage and increase the effectiveness of its communications, the Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard, a world-class sports facility run by the City of Montréal, called upon Mirada Media to provide a complete digital signage solution including hardware, project management and support that would act as an integral part of their extensive signage modernization project.

Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard was looking for an effective and modern way to disseminate information on the facility opening hours, activity subscription, important dates, news, and to promote the many provincial, national and international sporting and athletic events they host weekly.

“We wanted to make our signage more dynamic and more attractive for our clients and employees,” says Réal Travers, Division chief for the management of installations at Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard.

To achieve this, six commercial-grade high-definition Samsung 46” LCD’s were installed in high-traffic areas on four floors of the complexe’s main building, powered by a Mirada Media ChannelView media appliance and a video-over-CAT6 distribution system. The screens and hardware can be fully remote controlled from Mirada Media offices without the need for staff intervention.

“The screens are installed in strategic areas throughout the Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard that facilitate a uniform distribution of information practically in real-time!” explains Mr. Travers of the new digital signage system.

The “real-time” aspect is one of the main benefits of digital signage. It is achieved by a service contract that provides on-going scheduling and design support as well as a custom content management system designed by Mirada Media’s programming team. City employees can access the latter from their desktop browsers to easily make changes to visual templates. In addition, Mirada Media monitors the health of their network and can diagnose and resolve issues remotely via the ChannelView Player software that is loaded on Claude-Robillard’s media appliance. The software also allows Mirada Media to distribute content to Claude Robillard’s digital signage network remotely on demand.

CSCR Install - Reception area screen

Digital information board in the reception area at the CSCR

“Among other advantages, the screens allow us to offer complementary information, such as the time, weather, bus schedules and eventually we’ll use them for advertising,” says Mr. Travers. “Since we’ve installed the screens the comments have been positive and unanimous and our users seem to really appreciate the information we’re providing them,” adds Mr. Travers.

Mirada Media’s ChannelView Solution provides many templates and plugins to display live information sources (news, weather, etc. from RSS feeds) that are updated instantaneously to complement the main content. “It’s these little extras that keep your audience coming back for more,” says Eric Morello, Director of Marketing at Mirada Media, Inc.

“When people are asked about digital signage they more often than not think about out-of-home advertising, in-store TV or other commercial applications, but it has uses in the public sector as a powerful communications tool”, explains Mr. Morello. “As an integrator, our goal is to find the digital signage solution that meets the client’s specfic needs and goals, whether it’s for a shoe store, museum or corporate office,” concluded Mr. Morello.

Digital board displaying a upcoming event

Digital signage displaying an upcoming sports event at the CSCR

Digital signage projects failing? You need an integrator!

A study conducted by Futuresource Consulting of 100 digital signage projects in Europe found that almost 10% of them failed while another 10% were only partially successful. So what does this say about digital signage, the product Mirada Media’s pushing? Should we give up and our clients stop their digital signage initiatives? The answer is a big, emphatic NO!

I can’t help but say “I told you so” in regards to the role of digital signage integrators when reading that Futuresource Consulting’s research found that poorly-implemented digital sigange initiatives were : 1) too complex, 2) didn’t have clear goals, and 3) didn’t know how content and the mix could achieve their goals.

The managers of failing digital signage initiatives were dealing with up to 8 individual parties to get their project off the ground and keep it running. After hearing that its easy to see why an integrator can simplify and straighten that mess by being the main party to deal with whether its for dealing with software support, hardware warranties or network management. In our French blog post on the three rules to a success digital signage deployment, we stress that a digital signage vendor should be a digital signage partner. Technologies and your communication goals may change but a partner will always remain to take care of your needs.

Digital signage can be a great communications tool as long as you know what you want to do with it and how you’re going to do it. The number one pitfall when starting a digital signage project is neglecting to set clear goals. Developing a detailed communication plan, goals and ROI will help keep you focused and allow you to evaluate your actions and results.

Closely related to your communication goal is the content. The phrase “content is king” became popular with the internet explosion and Google’s search engine dominance. When the content is relevant, well written and popular, your website shows up in the listings. The same is true with digital signage. What one must remember is that every medium has its method. Ads for print are different than those on billboards. One of the first rules of digital signage ads is the KISS approach: Keep it simple stupid. Keep your eye on the prize when designing content; focus on the message you want your audience to receive. Sure, you want your ads to look nice and take advantage of the benefits of digital, but your audience is usually fleeting so you have to strike a balance between getting your message across and shifting eyeballs towards the screen.