Tag: cbs

CBS Outdoor to Buy Van Wagner Billboards

Posted on by Lab Team

News broke today that CBS Outdoor is acquiring outdoor advertising businesses, including over 1,100 billboards in 11 major domestic markets, from Van Wagner Communications for $690 million. As the former CBS Corp. unit continues to broaden its reach, the fairly fractured OOH advertising market remains a dynamic place, with JCDecaux, Clear Channel Outdoor and Lamar Advertising all rivaling CBS Outdoor for the eyeballs.

While OOH advertising, especially the billboards, has been notoriously difficult to measure, a lot of exciting new technology has emerged in this regard to help quantify and maximize its efforts (many featured in our Virtual Lab). Clear Channel, for one, has been reportedly experimenting with location-based interactive outdoor platform. In this digital age, regardless of the amount of good ol’ billboards one might own, all marketers should be looking into the new out-of-home technology, especially the mobile ones, to really drive the message home.

More Reality TV To Incorporate Activity Tracker FitBit

Posted on by Lab Team

CBS is integrating Fitbit Flex activity trackers into this season of “Big Brother,” letting viewers track the contestants’ indoor movement and other physical data. Although this is the first time a wearable technology will be incorporated into prime-time TV, several other reality shows, as suggested by the source, also seem eager to jump on the tracking bandwagon as well (curiously absent from the list, however, is CBS’s Emmy-winning global traveling competition show The Amazing Race). The jury is still out on whether, or rather, how fast would our voyeuristic demand of documenting surveillance in reality entertainment overflow into our personal daily life. Nonetheless, reality TV might just very well become the foreground for normalizing consumer wearable tech.

CBS Superbowl Stream

Posted on by Lab Team

The Super Bowl is all about the first screen as viewers look for the most monstrous display to take in the action, but CBS also considered PC and tablet use this year providing a free stream of the game. Additionally, viewers could toggle camera angles, rewatch plays and receive web-exclusive ads. While twitter was likely the main second screen, CBS was able to extended their reach and interactivity online.

CNET Withdraws Direct TV Hopper ‘Best In Show’ Award Amidst CBS Lawsuit

Posted on by Lab Team

Direct TV’s Hopper DVR is a disruptive force in the living room. For starters, it allows simultaneous recording of six channels, mobile remote integration and an app ecosystem. But most disruptive of all is its ability to skip primetime commercials, which has caused CNET to withdraw its Best In Show CES honor awarded to the device following litigation from parent company, CBS. If that’s not proof enough that the Hopper is a gamechanger, I don’t know what is.