First "Smart" Grocery Stores Launch in D.C. Metro Area; TV and Marketers Sign On

ALLENDALE, N.J., June 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Automated Media Services, Inc. (AMS) (www.3gtv.com) today announces the official launch of 3GTV Networks™ in nine Bloom grocery stores in the Washington D.C. DMA.  This pilot program marks the advent of what AMS calls the "Digital Backbone," a first-of-a-kind media platform bringing power and communications throughout the retail store.  

For years, marketers have sought ways to continue their conversations with shoppers into the store aisles, but have been limited by a lack of infrastructure to support in-store video and digital communications. Over the past 10 years, AMS researched solutions to this challenge, resulting in the development of 3GTV Networks™, the first system to make the retail store a plannable media destination.  The company not only achieved the goal of extending television into the grocery store, but also launched the first and only in-store digital communications backbone supporting digital messaging at the shelf-edge, 2-way communications, shopper tracking and measurement tools, and a range of future activity anticipated by current consumer behaviors. 

"We are poised for what may arguably be one of the industry's most critical transformations as cloud-computing finally takes its place in the physical store," said Bob Wolinsky, AMS Chairman and CEO.  "Now, with the development of 3GTV™, we are transforming the way marketers connect with shoppers, enabling them to extend their campaigns to the store and capitalize on the long-awaited retail communications revolution."

The company has exceeded its primary goal, and today announces several significant developments timed to the launch, including:

• Marketer support:
  • Top household CPG's, including PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, Nestle Purina, and others have signed on for the pilot.

"We are extremely impressed with the capabilities 3GTV™ can deliver, and are anxious for 3GTV™ to build scale quickly," said Geoff Kuzio, Vice President, PepsiCo, Delhaize America Customer Team.

• 3GTV™ Networks is recognized as interoperable with other television networks:
  • WDCW, Washington D.C.'s CW affiliate, has signed on to exchange airtime with the 3GTV network on an equivalent audience delivery basis.
  • Media agencies can now purchase in-store airtime using the same metrics as in-home television.

"3GTV™ is a natural fit for us as we continue to look for effective ways to expand our numerous platforms, and diversify our station's ability to connect advertisers with the D.C. marketplace," said Glenn Coleman, General Sales Manager at WDCW.   "We see 3GTV™ as a game-changer for local broadcasters, providing an invaluable opportunity to grow our audience delivery and be in a space that we could not otherwise be."

According to recent Booz & Company studies, shopper marketing is growing exponentially, reaching $35 billion annually. A majority of CPG manufacturers rank shopper marketing as their number one investment, claiming spending increases will exceed 5 percent annually. 3GTV™ enables continued growth for this sector, by providing marketers and retailers a platform to execute new activities and improve the effectiveness of their overall marketing efforts.

About Automated Media Services, Inc.

Automated Media Services, Inc. (AMS) is a media and technology firm responsible for the development of 3GTV Networks, the first form of out-of-home television. 3GTV™ combines the power and plannability of television with the efficiency and immediacy of digital media. Located in the retail environment, 3GTV™ is supported by AMS' proprietary digital infrastructure, which enables power and connectivity throughout the store. The company's PlayScan™ (patented) and FlowScan™ services make possible the conversion of retail stores into plannable media destinations and shoppers into a measurable viewing audience. These technologies are poised to become the industry standard for accountability, compliance and measurability for out-of-home media investments. Based in Allendale, New Jersey, AMS is led and advised by a leadership team with over 150 years of collective experience in the media and advertising, consumer marketing, retail marketing, and technology professions. For more information, visit www.3gtv.com.

SOURCE Automated Media Services, Inc.