LETTERS
Jul 1, 2006 12:00 PM
Dear Retail Traffic:
Mall TV is a nightmare that just won't go away.
The idea of satellite networking between retail stores and home offices for communications, merchandising, marketing and conferencing. That all sounds great — a twenty-first-century innovation whose time has come.
But expecting mall shoppers/wanderers/exercisers/walkers/teenagers, whoever, to stop and watch “commercials,”to tie up traffic, I don't think it will, or should, work as conceived.
Maybe as an in-store kiosk that consumers activate for “specials,” celebrity endorsements, “modeling or demonstrations of usage” might be worthwhile, but just as an attention-getter, commercial display device, I don't think so. The reason mall television networks died a necessary death in the first place is that they didn't work and they weren't cost effective.
The reason today's version might be profitable is as stated, as a networking and communications platform between companies and employees, even between mall management and store personnel. I can think of many good uses. Commercials aren't one of those.
Barry Dennis
Client Advocate
Netweb/Omni
