Imperative launches the Network Development Blueprint: optimising early stage thinking to help businesses generate value from digital media The Network Development Blueprint exposes a customers’ digital out of home media options (digital screens, interactive displays, mobile and social media), uncovers the true value of adopting the media and generates development plans quickly and cost effectively London, UK, 10th February 2010 -- The Imperative Group (Imperative), independent digital out of home development and execution specialists, announce a new entry level product designed to help retailers, landlords, corporations, media agencies, investors and hardware providers accelerate and optimise early stage thinking relating to the use and value generated by digital out of home media. The Network Development Blueprint (NDB) complements Imperatives’ existing education and orientation programmes and acts as a lighter version of the viability analysis product which provides customers with a complete business case for digital media. Through a process of market research, stakeholder workshops and development of a bespoke management report, the NDB process will expose a customers’ media, content, marketing and commercial options by providing expert digital network development guidance in order to clarify the quickest and most effective routes to market for an idea or a project. Ultimately the programme delivers a development action plan which can be used to underpin additional strategies or be used to seek internal or external funding to secure a project development phase. A standard NDB is made up of two key stages: Part one consists of a one day workshop between key stakeholders and our independent experts to enable participants to identify the network’s key performance criteria, internal requirements and external partners; explore the media, marketing and operational value a network could deliver; exploit the commercial opportunity and operational efficiencies and define an efficient route to market. Part two provides a summary management report containing key aims, objectives, KPI’s, recommendations, actions and deliverables which can be used to support an internal business case. The NDB process: identifies the opportunity: identifies where brand or operational value can be extracted and communicated to customers and staff via digital media. reduces development costs: subject matter experts provide knowledge and experience to build an implementation plan based on best practice to avoid costly pitfalls. is commercially driven: prioritises commercial deliverables first (what it needs to do), and recognises technology as an enabler of the strategy (how it is done). establishes benchmarks: compares performance indicators for similar networks to develop appropriate measures for business modelling and planning. With a basic NDB starting at 5,000 GBP or local equivalent (exc sales taxes & expenses) and taking between 4-6 weeks to complete, this product is designed to help customers make more informed decisions and accelerate the development of a digital out of home network quickly and without incurring significant management costs. The composition of the NDB is flexible and the scope can be adjusted from standard to meet the requirements of any brief which is subject to flexible pricing. The NDB is offered as an Imperative branded or ‘white label’ product. The latter is offered to third parties and intermediaries who wish to add this value into their business development process but who do not have the personnel or experience in-house. Chris Heap, Managing Director of the Imperative Group commented, “Customers are now looking for high value help without high management costs or waiting for months for an answer. In today’s economic climate, marketers, buyers and investors need to validate the opportunity and secure funding to take the thinking process into a test and learn phase.” He continued, “They can either do it themselves or find experts like Imperative to accelerate and optimise this process. I believe adopting our approach will improve the decision making process and reduces the time and investment required to deliver the right outcome for the client”. Further product information can be viewed here: www.imperativegroup.com/news/NDB.pdf Ends ### Notes to editors About the Imperative Group The Imperative Group (Imperative) are independent digital out of home development, communication and execution specialists. We are a ‘pure-play’ agency with a specific focus on developing, delivering and promoting digital media networks and associated products & services that engage people when they’re out of the home travelling, working, shopping and relaxing. Imperative draws on many years of practical experience gained specifically in retail & out of home media networks relating to network development, network operations, project management and insight management. To maintain our independence, Imperative is completely technology, process and vendor agnostic, enabling us to offer high quality value to our customers. This value is based on a cocktail of primary knowledge, experience, connections, method and approach gained from working within relevant & specific areas of retail, marketing, communications, broadcast television and technology sectors in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific territories. The group itself comprises a core team plus subject matter experts located in these regions. This experience has been applied to a wide range of retail and out of home media network brands in the UK, US and Continental Europe including Beyond Digital Systems, BP, BTiNET, Cable & Wireless, Invidis Consulting GmbH, Jewson, Kroger, Dynamax Technologies, Harris Broadcasting, Meteor Mobile Communications (part of Eire Telecom), Minicom Digital Signage, POPAIdigital (UK & Ireland), Premier Retail Networks (Thomson PRN), ROI Team, Safeway, Scala, Screenmedia expo, Shaws, Shell, Sony Professional, Tesco and Telenor. Imperative is a member of the Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI) association (UK & Ireland), is an active member on POPAIdigital’s management forum for digital media and contributes to the POPAI US Advocacy committee. Press contact: Chris Heap Managing Director Imperative Group chris.heap@imperativegroup.com www.imperativegroup.com