SignStorey In-Store Media Engages and Influences consumers According to Nielsen Media Research Study

08/28/2006

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – August 2006 – SignStorey, a leading provider of in-store media networks to the grocery industry, today announced the results of a new study by Nielsen Media Research that confirms consumers are engaged and influenced by its in-store content and advertising. This is the first time that Nielsen, the leading media measurement company, has provided an audience measurement service for a supermarket-based, in-store media network.

According to the Nielsen study, SignStorey’s 1,124 grocery store network (the network today consists of 1,350 stores) attracted a gross potential audience of 57,050,000 adult shoppers over the course of a 28-day flight, spending an average of almost 24 minutes shopping. More than three-quarters (76 percent) of those people shopped or walked through the meat and/or produce sections, specifically where the SignStorey screens were placed, and spent an average of nine minutes there.

Importantly, nearly 22 million shoppers (38 percent) actively looked at, watched or listened to SignStorey screens. Nielsen also reported that SignStorey provides an unduplicated audience of nearly 9.5 million individuals who see a SignStorey screen an average of 2.3 times over the course of four weeks.

“This research is very exciting, confirming active shopper engagement and providing the advertising community with the metrics they have needed to effectively utilize in-store media,” said Jim Spaeth, founding partner, Sequent Partners, a brand and media metric consultantcy, and immediate past president of the Advertising Research Foundation. “As an established player with a large network of grocers, SignStorey is a pioneer in measuring in-store media and helping advertisers better understand and quantify the opportunity to reach target demographics.”

Additional study highlights include:
• More than three-quarters (77 percent) of all the viewers agreed that SignStorey was an easy way to learn about new product
• Two-thirds (68 percent) agreed that SignStorey would influence their decision to buy the advertised product in the future
• Nearly half (44 percent) agreed the advertising on SignStorey would influence them to buy the advertised product instead of one they planned to buy
• Sixty-six percent agreed it would make them think more positively about the product advertised

“This study for SignStorey sets today’s standard for in-store audience measurement in the grocery environment,” said Beth Corbett, vice president of New Media Services for Nielsen Media Research. “In-store television is maturing as an advertising medium and getting more widespread attention than ever before, and we are pleased to be part of SignStorey’s proactive effort to provide agencies and advertisers with metrics that compliment the traditional media planning process.”

SignStorey’s in-store media network offers consumers fresh programming content that is relevant and interesting given the context of their visit to the grocer, serving to inform and entertain. For retailers, SignStorey offers an expressive and dynamic channel through which to engage consumers, building greater loyalty. For advertisers, SignStorey delivers the best brand-building messages to their most targeted audience at precisely the right time, influencing and ultimately helping to sell more products.

“The results of the Nielsen study support what we have known all along through our own proprietary research – that consumers are engaged and energized by the content in our network,” said Virginia Cargill, president and CEO of SignStorey. “Surely, these numbers are proof that consumers watch, listen and retain this information, making in-store media a natural choice for grocers looking to augment existing customer loyalty programs, and providing a fool-proof method for advertisers looking to reach and influence shoppers.”

Please visit [INSERT URL] for a copy of the study findings, additional facts about the SignStorey in-store media network, images of the screens and stores, and video samples of SignStorey content.

About the Study
Nielsen Media Research’s New Media Services fielded intercept interviews and enumeration counts for a statistical probability sample of affiliated SignStorey stores, dates, dayparts, exits and visitors. During a 28-day measurement interval of April 24-May 21, 2006, traffic counts were conducted at 40 stores and intercept interviews were conducted at 29 of those stores installed with the planned SignStorey configuration. Interviews were completed with 1,072 store visitors 18 years of age or older as they exited the store. Study results assume 100 percent media compliance. Weighted estimates in this report were calculated based on the planned SignStorey configuration.


About Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is the world’s leading provider of television audience measurement and advertising information services. In the United States, Nielsen’s National People Meter service provides audience estimates for all national programming sources, including broadcast networks, cable networks, Spanish language networks, and national syndicators. Local ratings estimates are produced for television stations, regional cable networks, MSOs, cable interconnects, and Spanish language stations in each of the 210 television markets in the U.S., including electronic metered service in 56 markets. Nielsen Media Research is part of VNU Media Measurement & Information, a global leader in information services for the media and entertainment industries. VNU is active in more than 100 countries. For more information, please visit the VNU website at www.vnu.com.

About SignStorey
SignStorey is a leading provider of in-store media networks for grocery retailers, installed in more than 1,300 stores and six retail chains nationwide. The company’s approach enables grocers, advertisers and content providers to capture the interest of an increasingly difficult-to-reach audience, combining brand marketing with relevant content that consumers want, to reach grocery shoppers at the point of decision. SignStorey delivers valuable information to shoppers within the supermarket perimeter, where 98 percent of consumers shop, through key partnerships with content providers like CBS, Epicurious.com and Meredith Publishing, publisher of well-known titles like Better Homes & Gardens and American Baby. Leading brands rely on the SignStorey network, which is proven and tested to be effective at helping consumers make more informed decisions about the products they buy. Visit www.signstorey.com.