• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, September 9, 2011

Politics seems to permeate all areas of American life, and now that's even more true thanks to Access1 Media, a Fort Worth, Tex.-based digital out-of-home media company which is bringing political polling and messaging to kiosks around the country. The Access1 kiosks will help disseminate a candidate's message as well as capture real-time accurate poll results during political campaigns.

Access1's "Audience Measurement Platform" (AMP1) operates through kiosks featuring an interactive touch screen and onboard camera. Proprietary (patent-pending) audience recognition software allows political campaign managers to collect demographic information about poll respondents while preserving participants' anonymity. The kiosk camera determines age, gender and dwell time while participants answer questions on the touch screen.

Candidates can use video, audio, graphical and written messages to communicate with their audience. Access1's wireless network uploads touch screen metrics, viewer information and polling results to the company's secure server on a minute-by-minute basis, delivering poll results and viewer demographics in real time to a secure client login area on the Access1 website. Campaign managers can view the data on iPhones, iPads or smartphones, as well as via traditional Internet connections.

Access1 cites the advantages of reaching potential voters outside traditional channels, for example when they're on the go visiting malls, sports venues or public events. The AMP1 platform offers SMS, MMS and email capabilities along with an onboard keyboard, which allows the public to enter contact information if they want to receive additional campaign material. The system also features on-screen Facebook and Twitter feeds, and, like other DOOH networks, digital content can be updated remotely. Finally, donations to campaigns can be made via an onboard credit card processor.