Blabfeed brings cutting-edge analytics to the digital signage industry

In 2012 blabfeed started as a business plan pitched at the University of Nebraska at Omaha by Keith Fix. Soon after, the idea was discovered and funded by Ho-Chunk Inc., a $250 million economic development corporation wholly owned by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. “Keith Fix won a business plan competition at the University of…

13063911_10206851641232472_395848782_o (1)
SPN sat down with blabfeed’s Product Evangelist Andrew Maes

In 2012 blabfeed started as a business plan pitched at the University of Nebraska at Omaha by Keith Fix. Soon after, the idea was discovered and funded by Ho-Chunk Inc., a $250 million economic development corporation wholly owned by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

“Keith Fix won a business plan competition at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, some of the higher-ups at Ho-Chunk Inc. heard his idea and basically just asked him how much he needed to get the company going,” said Andrew Maes, Product Evangelist for blabfeed.

Blabfeed is a value added reseller (VAR) specializing in the procurement, installation and integration of digital signage communications and marketing technologies.

“Advertising is not necessarily our primary focus with digital signage,” said Maes. “We strive to bring out-of-home experiences into the real world using technology integration.”

Maes said that blabfeed’s digital signage is actually very broad and that the company is currently in the process of pivoting and trying to find their niche.

“We’re in a $17 billion industry that is digital signage,” said Maes. “But when your industry veterans started in the early 2000’s, there’s a lot of room to kind of shake things up.”

Whether clients are looking for a digital menu board or an interactive kiosk, blabfeed aims to offer a complete solution to digital signage.

Cutting-edge analytics

Blabfeed is currently working with local and international retailers where they will have interactive kiosks in stores that showcase a product while measuring important analytics.

“[Our client] was floored by what we had,” said Maes. “They were able to see how many people were engaging with the kiosk, where they were touching on the screen and how long they were engaging, etc.”

These analytics are the holy grail for marketers and advertisers according to Maes. He explained that with blabfeed, not only can brands see that their message is being received, but these kiosks can also tell them how it’s being received and by whom.

“We can answer who is most likely to buy a product by identifying basic demographics like gender, age range and basic facial expressions,” said Maes. “Our content is smart enough to pick these things up and then can do targeted messaging.”

Blabfeed’s kiosks are not only completely customizable, they are also more cost effective for those looking to market their products.

“These kiosks help engage consumers that are just walking past an aisle,” said Maes. “That client sold 200 percent more volume with our kiosk.”

Bigger than blabfeed

While success is important for the team, Maes also shared that their efforts and success go beyond the average startup.

“We’re not only doing this for ourselves to help grow the company,” said Maes. “We’re also doing this to help bring economic development to the Winnebago tribe.”

Maes explained that the Winnebago tribe strives to invest their money in things like innovation rather than casinos.

“The casino industry is a temporary solution and not economically sustainable for the tribe,” said Maes. “The tribe aims to invest and have their own subsidiary companies underneath Ho-Chunk Inc. that can bring in revenue in order to achieve economic sustainability for the tribe.”

The future of blabfeed

When asked about the future of the digital signage industry, Maes believes that it will be commonplace in the coming years.

“I think it will get to point where people feel very comfortable with that sort of technology being incorporated into their everyday lives,” said Maes. “Whether it’s interactive screens in a waiting room or retailers promoting products on their end caps, our goal is to figure out where we stand strongest with our clients.”

Blabfeed is based out of The Exchange in Omaha, Nebraska and is a part of the Omaha Startup Collaborative

 

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

Get the latest news and events from Nebraska’s entrepreneurship and innovation community delivered straight to your inbox every Wednesday.

One response to “Blabfeed brings cutting-edge analytics to the digital signage industry”

  1. Matt Medlock Avatar
    Matt Medlock

    Great company