Ripple, the first nationwide out-of-home lifestyle digital media company today announced a partnership that will allow company-operated Jack in the Box(R) restaurants to broadcast entertainment, breaking news and sports, and relevant local information to its customers. Additionally, Ripple today announced it has secured $10 million Round B funding in a separate news release.
Already reaching nearly 10 million individuals a month in more than 600 retail locations throughout California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington and Hawaii, The Ripple Network will grow substantially through this partnership with Jack in the Box. Ripple and Jack in the Box have created a custom network to serve top branded news, entertainment, weather and sports content tailored specifically for Jack in the Box customers across different locales. The program will include two high-definition LCD screens in each restaurant to entertain and inform customers.
"As a consumer-oriented media technology company that puts the consumer experience above everything else, we are thrilled to help Jack in the Box better serve their loyal customers with a useful local community media product," said Ali Diab, Ripple Co-Founder and President of Products and Technology. He added, "Jack in the Box is staying ahead of the curve by catering to its customers' need for relevant, local and community oriented media and entertainment on-the-go throughout their day, and we at Ripple are extremely proud to be able to help Jack in the Box fulfill its customer mission."
Fast Food, Better Service, Fresh News
Enhancing the Jack in the Box restaurant environment is an important part of the quick-serve chain's strategic initiative to reinvent the Jack in the Box brand. This effort has already produced major improvements to the Jack in the Box menu with the addition of high-quality ingredients like artisan ciabatta bread and new products like the industry's first 100% sirloin burger. Now the chain is rolling out a comprehensive restaurant re-imaging program that includes a complete redesign of the dining room and common areas. With all Jack in the Box locations expected to be re-imaged in the next four to five years, the chain is raising the level of its facilities to that of its innovative menu and to better reflect the personality of its fictional founder and popular advertising spokesman, Jack.
"Re-imaging our restaurants further differentiates the Jack in the Box brand from our competitors," said Greg Joumas, Division Vice President of Advertising and Marketing Communications for Jack in the Box. "Along with new flooring, furnishings, lighting and Jack-inspired decorative elements, adding amenities like music, flat-screen TVs and an in-store network is key to creating an inviting dining destination for our guests."
"When considering an in-store network, we put our guests first. We have a vision for this network to be truly entertaining and consistent with our brand. Ripple provides a diverse range of content partnerships, experience in building consumer facing products, and the expertise and understanding in delivering a reliable 24/7 network."
Partnering with Ripple to deliver geographically and demographically targeted news and entertainment to each participating restaurant enables Jack in the Box to give local regular customers customized entertainment and news that's informative, engaging and relevant. Unlike a regular cable or satellite content feed, the Ripple Network consolidates top-rated television and web programming alongside selected advertising according to each individual retail partner's preferences throughout the day.
In-Store Digital Entertainment: A Growing Business
"Jack in the Box, in re-designing their restaurant environment so that it serves customers' desire to be entertained and informed while dining out, starts solving a problem many retailers face in trying to stay in touch with consumers in an increasingly competitive media arena," said Alex Nocifera, Ripple Founder and President of Sales and Distribution. "Needless to say, retailers have a strategy in mind to constantly improve the dynamic with their customers' experience, and we're very excited to be elemental in the formula for success."
The Jack in the Box and Ripple partnership is one of the largest location partnerships announced in the out-of-home advertising category, which is one of the fastest growing media segments. Growth in the out-of-home category is predicted to increase by double digits in the next five years, according to PQ Media's Alternative Out-of-Home Media Forecast 2007-2011.
