Trio Of Digital Signage Veterans Form High-level Industry Consultancy

Sept. 14, 2009 - PRLog -- MINNEAPOLIS (September 14) – A trio of well-known and deeply experienced veterans of the digital signage industry have formed a new consultancy, The Preset Group (http://www.presetgroup.com), to help established companies, media start-ups and investment groups plan and launch successful digital  media networks.

The three principal partners -- Paul Flanigan, Dave Haynes and Pat Hellberg –- together offer decades of diverse, directly relevant experience and insight to clients who are trying to put together and execute plans in what is a fast emerging, rapidly evolving industry. Preset is bolstered by a global roster of specialists in specific knowledge areas, such as retail strategy, retail anthropology, audience measurement, IT network design, and business best practices.

“The technical term “preset” really speaks to what we’re doing with our clients,” says Flanigan, a respected industry writer and speaker whose  background includes running the vast Best Buy in-store digital media network. “Presets are used to ensure something works well right out of the box. We’re helping companies do the analysis, strategy and planning – establishing those presets – so their screen networks work on all levels, right from the start.”
“We're being very straight and blunt with our clients,” says Haynes, whose background includes launching and operating ad-based networks and developing business for some of the industry’s largest software companies. “We don't blow smoke. We won’t shake pom-poms. We tell people their  ideas are sound, or what they need to do to make them sound. None of us are afraid to tell clients, ‘Don’t do it. You’re not ready.’”

The third partner, Hellberg, created and directed Nike’s in-store digital screen network and the creative team behind it, before leaving to start his own consultancy. “A huge concern is content,” says Hellberg. “What are you going to put on those screens, day in and day out, that will make your customer watch and take notice? Preset has the experience and expertise to help clients create a sustainable content strategy before the network is launched.  If the network launches before that strategy is in place,  it’s too late and the chances for success are slim.”

The Preset Group’s goal is to partner with each client, educate them on what will work, help them find the right solution, define the process, and show them how to succeed. The group will take a necessarily neutral position on things such as technology and services options, intending instead to find the best fits for clients.

“I could not be luckier to partner with Dave and Pat, two of the most respected voices in the industry,” says Flanigan. “They bring to this an unequalled depth of knowledge and insight that comes from years in the trenches, working through the challenges of successful network creation and execution.”

Haynes says he and Hellberg had been discussing the Preset concept, “and we were really happy to see Paul come available. He’s done a fabulous job of getting us quickly to a point that we’re hanging out a shingle, and ready to go.”

Preset will initially have offices in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Portland, Oregon and Toronto, as well as associates in several other locations.

Contact Preset
Paul Flanigan
Partner
(612) 309-7042
paul.flanigan@presetgroup.com
http://www.presetgroup.com


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Partner Bios
Paul Flanigan
Paul Flanigan's passion for the customer experience grew from working in baseball. Most recently, Paul developed, managed, and deployed Best Buy’s in-store network to over 1,000 stores around the world. When he arrived in 2005, he proved the network’s value to the brand, not just in selling the products it played on, but as a customer engagement experience for the entire store. Prior to Best Buy, Paul spent seven years in professional sports, managing video boards and marketing departments for professional and college sports. Paul often speaks at conferences and writes his own blog about digital signage, shopper marketing, and customer experience at Experiate. Having managed content creation, technical deployment, measurement, and business models, Paul’s experience gives him deep insight and a unique perspective on the industry.

Dave Haynes
Dave Haynes is one of the most experienced people in the still-nascent digital signage industry. He has held senior management and business development positions with some of the biggest names in the industry. He's also well-known and respected as one of the most widely-read industry authorities through his blogs, Sixteen:Nine and Buzz, Not Buzzwords.This is the second time around for Dave as new media pioneer, having been one of the first large daily newspaper editors in North America to put his paper online. Haynes brings a strong technical and operational perspective on the industry, as well as communications skills developed over 20 years working in print journalism.

Pat Hellberg
Pat Hellberg has a resume that few in the digital signage business can match. Eight years ago, Hellberg conceived of and launched Nike’s in-store digital communications program, taking the Nike Retail Network from a four-store pilot to more than 300 locations. As director of the network, he ran the network and led a creative team that produced award-winning content. After 19 years at Nike, Hellberg left the company to launch a digital signage consultancy. Using his experience and expertise, he has helped clients, large and small, plan, launch and grow their digital communications programs. A former film director/producer and TV journalist, Hellberg focuses on the message and how the audience engages with that message. He is passionate about this emerging industry and strongly believes the right content at the right time in the right place is critical.

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The Preset Group is a high-level consultancy run by some of the most well-known and respected names in the fast-emerging digital signage industry.