What do you do at an airport while waiting for your flight? Many glance groggily into their iPhone or Blackberry. Others browse through their favorite newspaper or book. Some sleep in those awkwardly uncomfortable terminal chairs.
What catches your eye as you walk among the travelers waiting for your flight?
And will you remember anything from your experience the next day?
I was traveling through Chicago’s O’Hare airport a few weeks ago and was instantly drawn to ‘the Accenture Interactive Network‘. This monstrous, interactive ad was smartly positioned at a key intersection in Terminal 3. Being involved in the technology/interactive industry my entire career, I was immediately drawn to the sheer immensity of the digital display. Graphics flashed; colors changed; text expanded — I was hooked.
Sure, I glance at the large billboards that line the terminals of many airports, but something I could interact with — now that’s cool!!
I walked gingerly to the display and started eagerly loading up the weather forecast, browsing the latest headlines, and watching a ‘dry’ corporate video about Accenture’s innovative advantage.
During my ten minutes in front of the screen, no one else gave the ad even a fleeting glance. I found this surprising. Wouldn’t something this sharp draw in some keen business travelers with time to spare?
A few Google searches later revealed my answer: this ‘ad’ has been in place since May 2006.
- First, yes, it’s been awhile since I’ve flown through Terminal 3 at O’Hare.
- Second, what’s changed since May 2006? I certainly won’t become involved with the ‘Accenture Interactive Network’ my next time through O’Hare if I can’t visibly see any changes. Perhaps the thousands of travelers are ‘blind’ to the ad after walking by it numerous times.
I have to believe that Accenture has made changes to this interaction since it’s original kick-off. Have they? If not, it’s about time.
A few suggestions for Accenture for Phase 2:
- Can I provide feedback about the ‘experience’ right there on the screen? Sure, I am writing this blog post, but I would love the immediacy of real-time feedback.
- Is there a ‘social’ aspect that could be ‘introduced? Could I join an ‘Accenture’ Facebook group on-screen? Could I share feedback on other forward-thinking ideas that are under development with Accenture? I had plenty of time and I really like brainstorming about new ideas.
- Could any kid-friendly content be incorporated on-screen? I saw a few youngsters meander towards the big board, but they quickly retreated when they saw there’s nothing for them. Nothing repels a kid like a big talking head guy in a suit on the video screen.
I am not saying play ‘Dora‘ episodes on screen, but perhaps let kids ‘play virtual leapfrog’ with frogs or get an elephant to surf. (Accenture.com features some impressive animal shots that could be presented nicely on the ‘Accenture Interactive Network’ big board.) If children are interacting with the brand, the parents are probably there as well. It’s a no-brainer.
I remembered the ‘Accenture Interactive Network’ the next day — that’s a good thing. Now, it’s time for Accenture to make its presentation even better.
Until next time,
Dan Naden
Thanks for the feedback, Dan. I was part of the original team that developed the underlying "big wall" technology in Accenture in 2004-2005. I think your suggestions for the O'Hare software application are worth considering — particularly a social network tie-in. Or how about a way to interact with the screen using a mobile phone? (Would have out of the question at the time we rolled this out.) I have forwarded your blog post in the direction of Accenture's media & branding folks, who are responsible for the airport application.
I have seen some other interactive displays at airports that are a bit more fun. I think it was the Detroit airport that uses video cameras to react to your shadow on the screen. You can wave at it and scatter the leaves (which are shaped like the company's logo). It was very kid friendly and kept me entertained as an adult for quite some time.Regarding Accenture's display, in 2006 not as many people had smart phones. Some of the information (weather, etc.) would have been a bit more useful to travelers four years ago.