Content think tank launched with aim of boosting knowledge and work quality

September 22, 2009 by Dave Haynes

A new think tank focused on Digital Signage content, called the Digital Content Circle, was announced and launched this morning in Paris. Spending any of September in Paris just sounds awful so I stayed in my spare bedroom in Burlington, Ontario instead of attending the event.

But Denys Lavigne, one of the driving forces behind the group, gave me a look under the covers last week, so I have a strong sense of what it is about. Lavigne runs Montreal-based content creation group Arsenal Media and through his JADN events there has at various times had Olivier Debin of French firm Dagobert, Phil Lenger from NYC-based Show and Tell, and Adrian from Daily DOOH at his events. All are part of the initial organizing group of what is more casually known as the DCC.

From the press release: 

Arsenal Media and Dagobert announce the creation of the Digital Content Circle, which they invite industry players, advertisers and digital out-of home (DOOH) project leaders to join. An open forum for sharing experiences and advice, www.digitalcontentcircle.com at long last shines the spotlight on content-related issues central to digital signage project development.

A medium with undeniable impact Digital display is an exceptional medium for deploying brand strategies. It combines the accessibility of television, the interactivity of the Internet and the broad reach of outdoor advertising. Digital signage has grown at a phenomenal rate and become a key element in increasing the number of points of contact and enriching the experience between brands and audiences. Digital display technologies are instrumental in creating dynamic sales environments, reinforcing brand image, influencing point-of-purchase decisions and minimizing perceived waiting times. They bring together the convenience and efficiency of mass market coverage with the impact of a personalized approach. “As DOOH developers, strategists and content creators, we hope to be at the vanguard of this evolutionary process. And on the front line of promoting best practices for a medium that will shape the marketing environment over the next 25 years,” said Olivier Debin (Dagobert) and Denys Lavigne (Arsenal Media), the driving forces behind the Digital Content Circle. 

Content think tank

Because content has too often been relegated to a secondary role in planning and implementing digital signage projects, Arsenal Media and Dagobert are committed to finally giving it the attention it deserves. In creating the Digital Content Circle, Denys Lavigne and Olivier Debin stress that content strategy must be the starting point of any digital signage project and have a major influence over the way it is executed. “The mission of the Digital Content Circle is to contribute to the advancement of the medium, to the project development process and, above all, to the caliber of digital content output.”

The Website looks good but is still very much a work in progress in terms of its content. That will get beefed up this fall. I told Denys I was expecting a bit more from the group’s manifesto — it’s a big, weighty term — since it is a fairly brief and gentle riff on how content really does need to be king.

But these are guys whose groups produce extremely good work and are sincere in their belief that for this industry to advance, there needs to be a lot more discussion and knowledge sharing on how to conceive of and produce great creative. It will be intriguing to see how this evolves, as there really hasn’t been an online destination to celebrate and learn about this stuff. Some bloggers like Bill Gerba have done great work looking at the nuts and bolts of content development and impact, but there is nothing to my knowledge laser-focused on just content.