New Interactive Marketing Solution Being Rolled Out Across Hotel and Resort Network in Canada to Increase Customer Engagement, Advertising Revenues
RTown Communications (“RTown”) has partnered with iSIGN Media Solutions Inc. (“iSIGN”), to install their Interactive Marketing Solution (“IMS”) 3.1 software into RTown’s network in 346 locations.
Testing and trial installations are scheduled to commence in June 2011. Upon the successful completion of the trial, installation of iSIGN’s IMS 3.1 software will commence into RTown’s network in 346 locations, including hotels, resorts and retail outlets consisting of 27,000 rooms across Canada and their existing Digital Out Of Home (“DOOH) network in Vancouver, Whistler and Kelowna and will allow advertisers on the RTown’s Hotel TV network to deliver branded content, special offers and coupons, discounts, loyalty program messages and other rich-media offerings of guests’ choosing directly to their mobile devices. iSIGN’s IMS 3.1 software will provide measurement and metrics to existing advertisers and attract others who will want accountability and measurement of their advertisements in real-time.
“With the largest digital signage and in-house TV network for hotels and resorts in Canada, we are very excited to enhance our offering by teaming with iSIGN Media. Through our agreement with iSIGN, we’re now able to give our advertisers the ability of communicating with millions of hotel guests every month via their mobile phones, as well as capture and measure meaningful data. Our digital signage and TV network, combined with iSIGN’s IMS Bluetooth proximity messaging solution can reach hotel guests wherever they are – in the room, lobby, restaurant, bar or even out on the slopes. It’s the most powerful way for our advertisers to engage with hotel guests yet,” said Don McQuaid, Founder of RTown Communications.
Smartphone Surge Highlights the Always Connected Hotel Guest
The surge in smartphone ownership in North America (69.5 million current smartphone owners according to latest data from comScore) highlights the increasingly connected and “always on” hotel guest. The joint RTown and iSIGN offering enables advertisers to reach these connected hotel guests at maximum moments of influence:
- 98% of hotel guests turn on their television set within 5 minutes of entering their hotel rooms (Hilton Hotels Corp), and;
- 74% of visitors tune into Resort TV on average 2.3 times per day (CustomFit Communications).
“Over the past 12 months, we have seen the demand for in-room television and signage networks promoting hotel services and activities grow significantly,” said Don McQuaid, RTown’s founder. “Our agreement with iSIGN enables our participating hotels to send their guests targeted, destination-relevant offerings and event announcements directly to their mobile devices from our TV network in each room, hotel commerce areas, or even outdoors.”
Both companies and participating hotel and resorts within the network anticipate increased advertiser participation and revenue as the networks are converted and activated with iSIGN’s IMS 3.1 software.
Anticipated Advertising Revenues, Increased Engagement
“Advertising budgets are increasingly turning to mobile and digital-out-of-home channels as they are proving to be so effective. iSIGN’s patent-pending Bluetooth ™proximity marketing solution avoids privacy issues or carrier costs that are frequently associated with traditional SMS marketing campaigns, while giving advertisers the ability to capture and measure data in real-time to improve campaign effectiveness and higher ROI. There are massive opportunities for both companies, and the advertisers on the RTown network to connect with guests quickly, cheaply and effectively,” said Alex Romanov, iSIGN’s Chief Executive Officer.
With a potential reach of more than 4.5 million guests and consumers per month, RTown expects to increase revenue by at least 50% during the 3-year agreement with iSIGN as advertisers and hotel guests benefit from the convenience, relevancy, information and greater interaction throughout each location, at many different touchpoints.
About RTown Communications
RTown is a Canadian multimedia digital broadcast network operating in leading markets across the country, while delivering advertisers’ messages through a variety of cutting edge, leading technology platforms, including television, digital signage, web, mobile marketing networks and in-theatre advertising. For more information, visit RTown’s web site at www.rtowncommunications.com
About iSIGN Media
iSIGN is a leading developer of location-based interactive proximity advertising solutions that deliver rich media, permission based messages, free of charge to cell phones using Bluetooth® connectivity, while providing Business Intelligence to the client. The Company’s patent-pending advertising platform combines the precision of direct marketing and the tracking potential of the Web to deliver more cost effective and ROI-driven advertising than is possible via print, radio and television. iSIGN is based in Richmond Hill, Ontario with R&D and customer support operations in Vancouver, BC. iSIGN is a business partner of AOpen America Inc., having an OEM agreement for the embedding of its IMS software in AOpen’s digital media players and IBM, as their Solution Provider, POS All Models. iSIGN’s software solutions are also distributed by BlueStar Inc. to their network of Value Added Resellers. iSIGN is publicly traded in Toronto (TSX.V) under the symbol “ISD”. Additional information about iSIGN Media can be found at www.isignmedia.com.
For more information contact:
RTown Communications
Don McQuaid, Founder
(604) 836-8675
www.rtown.ca
don [at] rtown.ca
iSIGN Media
Alex Romanov, Chief Executive Officer
(905) 780-6200, ext 1
www.isignmedia.com
alex [at] isignmedia.com
Source: Isign Media Solutions
