I apologize for being a bit negligent in maintaining this blog. My New Year's resolution is to fully embrace the social media oeuvre through a disciplined regimen of blogging, tweeting and LinkedIn-ing (?). I hope my thumbs are up to it.

Current status for our Vertigo Re-launch is that we are pulling out all the stops in 2010 to expand awareness for the business as well as to broaden our customer base and target markets. We've re-positioned our products to try and capture more opportunities with fewer products in order to reduce costs and become more price competitive. We are already very competitive, but in the world of customized DOOH displays, everything is relative.

We were recently asked to bid for a project where the customer had speced in a new outdoor display with integrated PC and touch screen for a ridiculously low price. Surprise-surprise, for some reason the manufacturer just could seem to ship the product and came back to the integrator for more time and more money. When we quoted a price that was far more than the original supplier's quote, we didn't expect to win the business (and so far we haven't) but at least we are setting realistic expectations for value in the marketplace.

It seems to me that this is something of an issue for the DS industry in general. Setting realistic price and value expectations in a market where software companies are offering their products for free and where network operators and some new media companies expect the hardware companies to provide their very expensive gear in return for the marketing value of exposing their brand, is a challenge. There's a real disconnect regarding value.

The established media companies, like Clear Channel, Lamar, Titan and JC Decaux (et al) get it - they budget millions each year to support and deploy new digital technology and, while hard negotiators, are willing to pay for reliability and quality. These are the kinds of customers we want. Their business models are as challenged as anyone's in this economy, but at least they aren't expecting us to give them our stuff for free.

So, as we charge into the new year, let's all work together to sell more or our stuff for more money while delivering such value and reliability that our customers will be thankful they have found us. Not exactly a strategy, but a fine aspiration. Cheers & happy New Year.

Brad