LR expands kiosk partnership
City board approves 12 more devices for downtown areas
City directors last week approved locations for 12 more “smart kiosks” loaded with local content, ads and interactive apps throughout Little Rock’s downtown.
The first 7-foot-tall, touchscreen kiosk was unveiled in front of the Statehouse Convention Center in June. Passers-by can use it like a giant smartphone to learn about nearby restaurants, deals and other information the city or advertising partners put forth.
The new kiosks will be spread throughout the downtown, River Market and South Main areas.
At the city Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola described the kiosks, branded CityPost, as “community bulletin boards” with indexes of community and cultural events, entertainment and other activities. Most of their content will come from the city’s website and the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau website. The Downtown Little Rock Partnership will also create some content for the message boards.
The kiosks are being taken to the city by a Smart City Media/Duke Energy One partnership.
Mid-January is the target for opening the new kiosks, said Lisa McCants, Smart City Media’s director of sales for the Arkansas region.
All small businesses will be allowed to be on the network for free, Mike Mainthow with Smart City Media told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in June. For example, when people click on the restaurant app, they will see all nearby restaurants.
For example, when people click on the restaurant app, they will see all nearby restaurants.
However, if a business wants guaranteed placement — such as being the first at the top of the screen, or having a 10-second ad run consistently — it will have to pay for that advertisement.
Mainthow declined to specify advertisement prices. He has assured city officials that if an area such as the River Market District wanted a rule saying competing businesses from outside that area could not advertise on the kiosk in the district, then Smart City Media would agree to such a restriction.
The company’s business model includes selling ads to corporate sponsors, area businesses and service providers.
Little Rock is the third city in the nation to get the kiosks. Kansas City, Mo., obtained them in 2016, and earlier this year the first kiosk was installed in Louisville, Ky.
Smart City Media will sell advertising and give 25 percent of its net ad revenue to the city, after the cost of installation, insurance, maintenance and ad sales commissions. The city pays nothing for the partnership, but the Board of Directors did agree to a 10-year franchise agreement for the kiosks.
Mainthow said the city could receive $100,000 from the partnership within the first year, but it depends on how many kiosks are put up and how many ads are sold.
The devices have Wi-Fi capability as well as internal cameras that provide almost a full 360-degree view. Smart City Media has said it will work with the Little Rock Police Department on its ability to use video recordings from the kiosk’s to investigate reported crimes.