SignageWire

Just a few short months ago Captivate announced new content partners. Today's press release makes it clear what their intentions for those partners are:

Captivate Network, the North American digital out-of-home news and entertainment network, today announced several new additions to the management team in order to execute on its plans to extend engaging network content beyond office tower elevators and lobbies and into the viewer's daily life. Currently in beta testing, the company's brand activation programs will be rolled out next year, creating exciting new ways for viewers to interact with brands that they see on the network, as well as offer advertising partners an integrated marketing platform approach to campaigns.

Recently, Captivate brought sought-after elevator programming to the Web via six new blogs by the company's live editorial team. Under this new initiative, Captivate will continue to find and build out unique ways to boost its clients' brand awareness initiatives through a variety of channels, including Web, mobile and events, increasing audience engagement among affluent consumers. To help execute the new strategy, Captivate has made three new hires that will strengthen the company's leadership position in the media and advertising space and steer the direction of the company during a time of growth. Scott Lyon joined the company as vice president of marketing, Deanna Murray has joined the digital network as director of content, and Heather Frugoli has joined as brand activation manager.

Our take:

Captivate is working hard to differentiate themselves from other out-of-home media providers.  Instead of merely trying to build a bigger or "better" network than competitors, though, they've chosen to stick with their core market of elevators in highly leveraged office buildings, and focused on what other things they might try to wring more value out of such venues.  Content, while so often talked about as the essential foundation for any good digital signage network, is still frequently ignored in favor of more attractive-looking expansion options, so it was especially refreshing to see Captivate not fall for that trap.  While we've yet to come across any Captivate elevators running the company's new content loops, their focus on editorial and venue-appropriate content seems very encouraging.