PRN gets digital signage showcase in IPG’s Emerging Media Lab

October 15, 2010 by Dave Haynes

Why do I think there is more to this story …

MediaPost is reporting that Interpublic Group’s Emerging Media Lab has done a deal to showcase Premier Retail Networks‘ bells and whistles at its New York digs.

PRN’s new EML showcase features demonstrations of PRN’s Checkout TV Network, which enables marketers to engage shoppers about products and services while they wait in line at supermarket and retail locations; Product TV, an interactive point-of-purchase merchandising solution for single or select products; and an associated mobile marketing solution, jointly presented by Jagtag and PRN. Together with Jagtag, the Product TV screen allows shoppers to download a mobile coupon after texting an embedded Jagtag from their MMS-enabled mobile device. The showcase also includes a demonstration of PRN’s interactive endcap triggering content on Cabco’s TV Kart digital shopping carts.

It’s not clear whether PRN’s new EML showcase will include any demonstrations of the purported special capabilities of Wal-Mart’s new Smart Network, the result of collaboration between PRN and analytics firm DS-IQ. The Smart Network is currently deployed to 1,200 Wal-Mart stores around the country, out of a total 2,700, according to Ad Age. PRN’s various in-store networks reach 206 million consumers a month.

As the writer notes, PRN is rumored to be up for sale. It is in fact a lot more than a rumor, but no deal has been worked with anyone as of yet.

Great profile for the PRN guys, but slightly odd. I doubt many industry observers would equate PRN with the buzz phrase “leading edge”.

Hmmmm.