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MediaPost: Starcom MediaVest Taps DOmedia For OOH Buys

by Faraz Khan on September 26, 2011 in DOmedia, Press with No comments

Originally posted by Erik Sass on MediaPost.com

Starcom MediaVest Group Exchange, which aims to make media buying more efficient with greater use of automated tools, announced that it is expanding its relationship with DOmedia to include out-of-home media buying services — making it the first major agency to partner with DOmedia for OOH transactions.

The announcement follows a year of consultation and cooperation between StarCom MediaVest and DOmedia, during which DOmedia built its automated media buying platform with extensive input from StarCom MediaVest and their clients.

The new DOmedia OOH buying platform is now integrated across all parts of SMG’s media buying divisions, including Starcom, MediaVest and Spark Communications.

Previously SMG had signed up for DOmedia’s “free to post, free to search” service — a forerunner to the OOH media buying exchange, which allows OOH vendors large and small to post available inventory in markets across the country, and OOH buyers to browse that inventory and research OOH assets.

Search results are filtered by various criteria, as part of their campaign planning.

To date DOmedia has signed up approximately 500 OOH vendors and a similar number of buyers for the “free to post, free to search” service, which is still active and growing. They include most of the national OOH companies, as well as local and regional competitors. However, SMG is the first agency to integrate DOmedia’s new platform for conducting actual transactions.

DOmedia CEO Rich Langdale expressed hope that the new media planning and buying platform might become a standard tool for the media industry, due to the efficiencies offered by aggregating OOH vendors, some of which might otherwise fly under the radar.

“We have hyper-local buying tools that allow them to reach audiences at a national — but localized — level,” he said. (DOmedia was originally founded with the mission of aggregating the numerous digital out-of-home media networks, but has since expanded to include static inventory.)

Indeed, both partners said that widespread adoption of a standardized, automated platform for buying and selling OOH inventory could boost investment in the medium, whose fragmentation and diversity have previously presented significant barriers to large-scale spending.

John Muszynski, chief investment officer for the StarCom MediaVest Group Exchange, said: “We are equipping our associates with the best analytical tools to make intelligent media buying decisions for our clients.”

Muszynski added that handing logistical and transactional responsibilities to DOmedia would leave SMG buyers and planners free to focus on the more strategic aspects of media buying, thereby delivering greater value to SMG clients: “Everyone’s busy and everyone’s trying to do more with less. This allows us to streamline the RFP process, the vendor gathering and data gathering parts of the process, and allows us to think more strategically.”

Langdale agreed: “The ‘secret sauce’ of buying media has nothing to do with aggregating all the media vendors. We simply corral all the data together in one place — then the media companies can put their secret sauce in.”

Learn more about the Starcom MediaVest Group and DOmedia partnership »

NEC’S VUKUNET AND DOMEDIA ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

by Faraz Khan on April 7, 2011 in DOmedia, DOOH, Press, Technology with No comments

Partnership Aims to Create End-to-End Solution to Propel Digital Out-of-Home Industry Growth

CHICAGO and COLUMBUS, Ohio – April 7, 2011 – NEC Display Solutions and DOmedia announced today the formation of a strategic partnership that creates an end-to-end solution for the challenges related to the buying and selling of digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising.

DOmedia^TM Powered by VUKUNET allows for the efficient planning, buying, management and measurement of large DOOH advertising campaigns across many different DOOH networks. This new ability to scale and measure effectiveness of DOOH advertising during the life of a campaign addresses two of the last remaining obstacles to the widespread adoption of DOOH advertising.

According to PQ Media, the digital out-of-home ad medium is one of the fastest growing media in North America, with 18.1 percent compounded annual growth projected for the next four years. Advertising agencies have indicated a willingness to invest more money in DOOH, but first require the industry’s adoption of standards in the areas of creative, ad serving, audience measurement and performance reporting.

DOmedia^TM Powered by VUKUNET allows for the seamless integration of advertising agency and DOOH network activities from campaign planning through execution. The solution incorporates DOmedia’s web-based, front-end media search, planning and buying tools with NEC’s back-end VUKUNET technology, which provides comprehensive ad inventory management, ad campaign placement, tracking, measurement and reporting capabilities to display to media buyers. The combined solution is aimed at resolving issues with technology fragmentation by creating a standards-based solution that will benefit the entire DOOH market.

“The partnership with DOmedia will be the industry standard that will generate incredible growth in the DOOH industry,” said Pierre Richer, President and COO, NEC Display Solutions. “While the market matures, an open end-to-end solution will create value for both buyers and sellers by lowering operating expenses, increasing transparency and creating innovation like we’ve seen in the online and mobile advertising industries.”

Sue Danaher, President of the Digital Place-based Advertising Association (DPAA), said: “Companies like DOmedia and NEC coming together help to propel the overall industry and bring innovative products to market for buyers and sellers to choose from. The investment from companies like these is a true testament to the exciting future opportunities for the digital place-based industry.”

Among the benefits to media agencies and advertisers include an easier way to purchase and track DOOH media and a lower operational cost attributed to the buying process. DOOH network operators will benefit from technology integration through inventory management, ad delivery, collaboration with agencies, and increased revenue potential. VUKUNET’s unique approach allows the technology to work across many software platforms currently being used by network operators.

“One end-to-end solution from planning to execution for digital out of home advertising campaigns will enable advertising agencies to buy the medium on a larger scale more efficiently,” said John Muszynski, Chief Investment Officer, Starcom Mediavest Group. “This kind of technology innovation ultimately helps agencies effectively service clients and puts them at a competitive advantage in the marketplace.”

Rich Langdale, CEO of DOmedia, said: “The DOOH industry has a need for technology to solve a lot of problems with inefficiencies and standardization, and we are taking a step in the right direction. The open, end-to-end approach we are building with NEC will ultimately benefit both the media buyers and sellers. Everybody wins.”

# # #

About NEC Display Solutions of America, Inc.

Headquartered in Itasca, Ill., NEC Display Solutions of America, Inc., is a leading designer and provider of innovative desktop LCD monitors, commercial- and professional-grade large-screen LCD displays, a diverse line of multimedia and digital cinema projectors, and integrated display solutions. NEC Display Solutions develops leading-edge visual technology and customer-focused solutions for a wide variety of markets, including enterprise, healthcare, education and digital signage. For additional information about NEC Display Solutions of America monitors, consumers can call (866) NEC-MORE, or visit the website at www.necdisplay.com. For digital images, please visit http://necdisplay.com/digital-media-library.

About VUKUNET

VUKUNET, from NEC Display Solutions of America, is the engine that powers the digital out-of-home advertising business. VUKUNET is the only universal ad serving platform that drives ads to any digital out-of-home network, regardless of content management system. VUKUNET makes the buying, flighting and reporting of digital out-of-home ad campaigns easy. For additional information about VUKUNET, visit http://www.vukunet.com or call (877) 805-VUKU. For VUKUNET logos and digital images, please visit http://www.vukunet.com/pressresources.aspx.

About DOmedia

DOmedia is the Out-of-Home Advertising Marketplace that simplifies the process of buying and selling media. Through its online platform, buyers and sellers can connect and do business more efficiently. The company product suite also includes a web-based planning and proposal platform for advertising agencies to efficiently plan and buy large out-of-home media campaigns. The company is privately funded and based in Columbus, Ohio. For more information and to do a free search, visit www.DOmedia.com.

Media Contact:

Philip Anast

Tech Image (for NEC Display Solutions)

(847) 279-0022, x238

philip.anast@techimage.com

Faraz Khan

Director of Marketing, DOmedia

614-324-2927

faraz.khan@domedia.com

by Faraz Khan on February 22, 2011 in DOmedia, DOOH, Press with No comments

Original post: MediaPost Publications Place-based Marketing Reaches Elusive Demographic by David Rowley on Feb 22, 2011.

When Syfy scored record-breaking ratings in the 18-34 demo with its new series “Being Human,” it made me sit up and take notice. There was an important contributing factor to that success: the use of place-based media as part of the program’s marketing campaign. Dana Ortiz, Syfy’s vice president of brand marketing, explained: “Being Human had a big, robust campaign, but it included a pretty big place-based promotion.” She was referring to seven weeks of advertising on more than 5,000 cinema screens as well as theater lobby promotions, done in partnership with Screenvision.

Ortiz said that’s a significant reason why the premiere episode on Jan. 17 scored the largest female audience in the 18-34 demo for any Syfy scripted original series in over three years and the third-highest in that category for the network’s entire history.

Many have noted the importance of place-based media in reaching that all-important age group for both men and women.

For example, Lauren Barbara, SVP and managing director of Chrysalis, an out-of-home unit within MPG, shared some proprietary research from a recent Posterscope OCS survey. Among the survey’s findings: adults 18-34 spend more time traveling out of home than they spend watching television, listening to the radio, reading magazines and newspapers and using their mobile phones.

Jack Sullivan, VP and OOH activation director at Starcom USA, adds: “The 18-34 demo is very active. There’s a lot more busy-ness in their day – and the demo is more social than it was years ago. Place-based screens give us the wherewithal to target them while they’re carrying on with their lifestyles.”

A Mediamark Research & Intelligence survey released in spring 2010 shows that respondents in the 18-34 bracket substantially over-indexed adults in general when asked if they’d seen video advertising in gyms or health clubs over the last 30 days. They had an average index score of 145, compared with 100 for all adults. And the same demo had an average index of 166 when asked if they had interest in the ads they saw in gyms and health clubs.

The latest Nielsen Co. survey of people who are members of HCMN health clubs adds further proof. Some 66% of the respondents agreed with the statement: “I feel good about brands advertising in my club because I know they are supporting my active, healthy lifestyle.” And 62% responded favorably to: “I’m more likely to pay attention to advertisements on the digital screens at the health club than an ad on my TV at home.”

Little wonder that Sullivan said that Starcom’s digital place-based billings have grown at an annual 50% to 60% clip over the last few years.

As for overall sector, Patrick Quinn, president and CEO of the research firm PQ Media, recently estimated that place-based revenue increased 14% in 2010 — one of the top-ranked media categories when judged by percentage growth.

While that data is not demo-specific, Quinn noted that a large share of place-based advertising is targeted to young adults. Despite all that vitality, place-based is still a fairly young advertising sector, and with that comes the inevitable room-to-grow challenges. It needs better measurement and a larger footprint of available opportunities.

As an industry, we’re very conscious that agencies are also looking for more efficient planning and buying tools. Although, as Quinn has noted, improved tools from companies like DOmedia are steps in the right direction.

Despite those hurdles, place-based advertising links young consumers to advertisers in an environment they enjoy, and where they’re receptive to fresh messages. Marketers get tremendous value when they include place-based vehicles in their media mix — especially when going after critical demos no longer linked to yesterday’s mass-media habits.

Startup Q&A with Rich Langdale – IT Martini

by Faraz Khan on February 3, 2011 in DOmedia, People, Press with No comments

Rich Langdale, CEO, DOmedia

…Posted by Angela Gonzalez in IT Martini on Feb 2, 2011.

This IT Martini Media Correspondent can barely spell “entrepreneurship” while Rich Langdale lives and breathes the word. So much, in fact, that he helped found the Center for Entrepreneurship at The Ohio State University. Langdale’s newest business venture, DOmedia, is a 2010 TechColumbus Innovation Award semi-finalist for Outstanding Product.

DOmedia is a database of over 200,000 traditional, alternative and digital media properties. From highway billboards to digital signage networks, DOmedia provides one centralized location for media planners to search for, assess and contact available media properties throughout the US.

IT Martini asked Langdale how he felt about DOmedia being nominated for a 2010 TechColumbus Innovation Award.

“It’s a great honor,” he replied. He went on to say that the awards are a great program for Columbus. The awards provide “well-deserved recognition” for Columbus outside of its geographical boundaries. TechColumbus is providing a showcase for the exciting innovation occurring in Columbus.

Why DOmedia? Why create a database of media properties?

Langdale answered that he has a strong background in marketing and logistics, so he cares a lot about this area. When looking at marketplaces for investment, Langdale looks for growth markets with great inefficiencies, high fragmentation and lack of transparency.

IT Martini asked what Langdale meant by “lack of transparency” and how that applied to the media properties market. He responded that advertisers don’t buy as much as they’d like because they are simply “not able to see all that is out there.” DOmedia was of interest because of the shift in marketing dollars to on-line and out-of-home advertising. DOmedia is able to compile the opportunities and place that information directly in front media planners, who need to understand the many channels available when planning a multi-million dollar marketing campaign.

IT Martini wanted to know what advice Langdale has for those wanting to invest in or launch a start-up company. Langdale emphasized that having a great idea in a great market is core, but not enough. It is critical to “build out a vision, a mission, a strategy and a financial plan.” Get your ducks in a row, in other words. Langdale added that one of the key items of a strategic plan is getting key personnel in place.

How do you gather key personnel?

“Networking,” was the answer. Networking venues for Langdale include NCT Ventures, Ohio State University, TechColumbus and our own IT Martini events. Jeff Lamb, DOmedia’s Chief Technology Officer, for instance, is someone Langdale worked with previously. Once Lamb was on board, Lamb was able to recruit and build the core technology team behind DOmedia. Langdale emphasized that DOmedia had a “dramatic need for sophisticated database expertise.”

Langdale had additional advice for those thinking of investing in or launching a start-up. He stated that after getting the right team together and developing the financial plan, a business model is essential. Entrepreneurs should “spend a lot of time thinking about how long it will take to get a customer.” How long it takes to acquire customers is how long it takes to recoup the dollars invested. That means, on the flip side, planning in advance how long you can sustain the business prior to acquiring a strong customer base.

Langdale is a deep business thinker who develops clear goals and invests time crunching the numbers prior to investing in a start-up company. It must be the correct formula, for Langdale has done this “a couple dozen times.” IT Martini hopes to enlist Langdale in 2011 IT Martini panel discussions and tech talks so that he can share his expertise with IT Pros and budding entrepreneurs.

DOmedia’s Stats Confirm: Digital-out-of-home (DOOH) Market Expands Rapidly in 2010

by Faraz Khan on February 1, 2011 in DOmedia, Press, Trends with No comments

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 1, 2011 – Digital-out-of-home advertising (DOOH) is the fastest growing segment in the out-of-home market with no signs of slowing down. According to preliminary numbers reported by PQ Media, a leading provider of alternative advertising and marketing research, the digital out-of-home market was expected to grow 15% for 2010, to $2.07 billion. This trend is consistent with patterns seen by DOmedia, (www.domedia.com), the Out-of-Home Advertising Marketplace and leading provider of planning and buying tools for alternative, traditional and digital out-of-home media. DOmedia has seen continuous double-digit growth since its founding in 2007.

In 2010, DOmedia experienced a 30 percent growth in DOOH searches. “There is considerable momentum in the marketplace for DOOH,” noted Rich Langdale, interim CEO of DOmedia. “For example in 2010 alone, the number of total searchable companies in the DOmedia marketplace increased 18 percent to over 460 companies, but the number of digital companies nearly doubled, increasing 92 percent, to over 100.” The number of agency and advertiser users also grew dramatically in 2010, almost doubling the amount of buying users compared to 2009.

There are a number of reasons for increased interest in DOOH advertising. According to DOmedia, consumers are spending more time out of the home than ever; two times more today than 30 years ago. And when consumers are out of their home, they are increasingly likely to see DOOH advertising, from screens at the gas pump to ads in their local mall. Consumer researcher Arbitron found in a 2010 Digital Place-Based Video Study that more than two-thirds of teens and adults have seen a digital video display in a public venue in the past month.

Marketers are finding a much more receptive audience when they reach consumers while they are out than when they are at home on the couch. According to Mr. Langdale, “When a consumer is at home watching television, the commercial is an interruption and TV watchers often use this time to get up and do something else. Contrast this to advertising at a gas pump or when waiting in line; these ads are often seen as a welcomed distraction.”

Additionally, with reduced ad budgets due to the recession, marketers are finding that digital-out-of-home advertising is one of the most efficient ways to reach consumers cost-effectively. For example, during the elections this past November, DOmedia showed campaign media buyers how they could target their political ads to one particular precinct or zip code enabling them to target their messages more effectively. The company expects that this targeted use of DOOH will only increase as more election campaigns become aware of this tool.

Retailers are also finding value in reaching a targeted audience. According to Mr. Langdale, DOmedia saw a spike in searches in the fourth quarter for last minute Christmas advertising campaigns targeted to shoppers.

Technologies such as those offered by DOmedia are expected to reduce the cost of DOOH media in the marketplace. The use of technology creates increased efficiency that lowers the cost and increases the scale by which DOOH media can be planned and bought.

Limited advertising budgets, decreasing costs in DOOH due to market efficiencies and better advertising targeting will all lead to continued DOOH growth in the coming years. “We are on target to grow dramatically in 2011, with no signs of slowing down,” Langdale said.

For more information, an online demo, or to do a free search, visit www.
DOmedia.com.

About DOmedia
DOmedia is the Out-of-Home advertising marketplace that simplifies the process of buying and selling media. Through its online platform and product suite, buyers and sellers connect and DO business more efficiently. The company is privately funded and based in Columbus, Ohio. For more information and to do a free search, visit www.domedia.com.

SOURCE DOmedia