• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, April 28, 2009

Danoo has been testing Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies on high-definition (HD) screens throughout its digital "play-space" networks. The screens are in coffeehouses and airports across the U.S.

Four advertisers have been trying out the system on 40 screens in Los Angeles since March 1. Danoo plans to add about 160 screens and expand the campaign into New York.

Declining to provide names, Doug Scott, VP of marketing and business development at Danoo, San Francisco, said the four companies that are testing the technology focus on broadcast and cable television, concert promotion and video game publishing.

"Imagine walking into your local coffee shop and seeing a movie trailer up on the screen," Scott said. "Words on the screen would instruct you to turn on your Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to download content from the movie. If your Bluetooth is discoverable, a message would pop up on your phone asking if you would like to download the content."

The HD screens act as a computer connected to the Internet through an IP address. From a central location, Danoo can push custom messages to each screen. The network lets brands strike up a direct conversation with consumers, according to Scott, who said Danoo could soon test two-dimensional (2D) bar codes, too.

Today, the focus has been on installing the digital ad network in coffeehouses and airports. The Danoo City Network is being installed in about 1,000 coffeehouses throughout major cities such as Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Boston. Doug Scott, VP of marketing and business development at Danoo, believes these locations are the perfect place for brands to start a conversation with consumers.

Cuppees (pronounced cup-eze) -- coffeehouse urban professionals, as Scott calls them -- tend to hang out on average 14 minutes while sipping coffee. Many also fiddle with their cell phone while waiting for the cappuccino or latte. "They have more money than time, and tend to spend the money on things they care about, which makes them attractive to advertisers," he said. "They tend to be receptive of the messages that come through this market."

In January, Danoo started rolling out a traveler's network geared toward newsstands and gift stores in airports throughout the top 40 U.S. airports such as Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco to reach travelers and frequent flyers.