All posts in Alternative advertising

Google Goes Lunar

by DOmedia on April 1, 2008 in Advertising, Alternative advertising, Technology with No comments

Having already taken over the Earth, it appears Google may be looking to the heavens for its next conquest. According to this Dean Whitney post that hit the cyberwaves yesterday, Google is working on a deal with Virgin Galactic that will allow it to sell (waaaayyyy) out-of-home advertising on the Moon by 2010….yes, you read that right, on the Moon. Apparently the two innovative companies plan to build a giant projection system using a number of tethered satellites that can be programmed to project an image right on the moon’s surface. The post goes on to state that,

The display area will be visible to anyone, most viewers will be able to see large objects displayed but additional information like text, URL’s and smaller graphics will be visible with the use of binoculars or telescopes. The moon inventory will be available based on regions; splitting North America into zones plus global regions including several Asia Pacific regions, Europe and the Middle East.

Looks like Google has really thought about this one. Now, I’m not sure if this is one heck of an April Fool’s Day gag or not. But then again, both Google and Virgin have a history of going beyond what anyone else thinks is possible…and then monetizing it. Maybe the brand managers at Ambien CR should keep an eye on this one…

Good News for Out-of-Home and Alternative Media

by DOmedia on March 26, 2008 in Alternative advertising, Press with No comments

It seems TV and radio’s loss is out-of-home and alternative media’s gain. The Outdoor Advertising Association of America released 2007 year-end spending numbers last week for the outdoor industry. Total sector spending was up 7% last year, hitting $7.3 billion, with 7 of the industry’s top 10 ad categories posting year-over-year spending gains.

On the heels of that announcement was today’s article in the Online Media Daily projecting alternative media spending to increase 20% this year to $88 billion. This forecast, courtesy of PQ Media Research in their first report focusing solely on the alternative media industry, is just the tip of the iceberg. By 2012, those spend numbers are expected to top the $116 billion mark, making this “alternative channel” more than 25% of the marketing mix.

While the PQ Media group’s definition of “alternative media” is admittedly pretty broad, the numbers highlight a trend we’ve been keyed into for quite some time…marketers are increasingly willing to use new forms of media to reach their ever-more-elusive target audience. As new technologies and our busy, away-from-home lives continue to erode traditional media’s reach, brands need to evolve their marketing mix or face extinction.

DOmedia & OOH Connect: Happy Together

by DOmedia on March 19, 2008 in Advertising, Alternative advertising, Events, People with No comments

Have you heard the news? Effective today, DOmedia has merged with OOH Connect (aka Out of Home Connect), an industry website with a similar vision to simplify the discovery and coordination of alternative advertising media. Managing partner, Kim Ramser, is a veteran of the outdoor advertising world, having built her career with such notable organizations as Clear Channel Outdoor and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA). She brings a wealth of experience and a well-rounded perspective to the DOmedia team. We are looking forward to working with her going forward.

Now, as excited as we are about this news (heck, we’ve been looking forward to this day for several weeks now) perhaps more surprising has been the amazing media response we’ve received following the press release (which hit the news wires this morning). Already, blue-chip publications Adweek, Mediaweek and Columbus Business Journal have covered our announcement. We also hit the Yahoo! Finance News. Given the fact that the news officially broke less than 12 hours ago, that’s not bad coverage.

We’re still working through the details of the integration, but in the short term, you will begin to notice a lot of cross-promotion between our two sites and we’ll each begin leveraging each other’s strengths (information on the OOH Connect site, marketplace tools on the DOmedia site) via cross-links to richen the experience for all of our users.

The best news out of this is the simple fact that working together will allow us to accelerate our development of a content- and feature-rich online resource that will make our customers’ lives just a little easier…and have a lot of fun getting there!

AAAA Tradeshow was a DO hit

by DOmedia on March 12, 2008 in Advertising, Agencies, Alternative advertising, Events with No comments

While we’re still a few months away from our official “coming out” party, having the chance to present the DOmedia concept and beta site to the industry’s most influential players was an opportunity too good to pass up. When we arrived in sunny Orlando, Florida on March 4, very few people attending the AAAA 2008 Media Conference and Tradeshow had heard of DOmedia (which has been by design…we wanted to develop the site further before we threw back the curtains). However, following some fast-and-furious development and design efforts, we decided now was as good a time as any to make ourselves known.

And so, through a lot of creative thinking, sweat equity and some amazingly talented Aarrow Ads sign spinners (check out the video we shot), DO was everywhere. In attendees’ hotel rooms on their “DO not disturb” doorhangers and in their special gift packages. On the floor leading from the hotel to the meeting rooms (thank you Street Blimps!). On the free pins we were passing out and on super-special, light-up bouncing balls. After two solid days of DO everywhere, we certainly got people’s attention.

But more importantly, we had a wonderful opportunity to talk to industry professionals from across the country who were equally excited about what DOmedia can do to save time (read: money), encourage creative thinking and serve up new ways to connect with others in the advertising and media biz. We’ll be spending the next few days and weeks reconnecting with everyone we had a chance to meet in Florida and refining our development to reflect the feedback we received at the show. This is when the fun begins!

Winning in New York

by DOmedia on November 16, 2007 in Advertising, Alternative advertising with No comments

Just ran across this commentary posted in Media Daily News today with tips on buying outdoor media in New York City. While the author, Van Wagner Communications Eastern Division President Robert Fauser, admittedly focuses specifically on New Yorkers — their lifestyles, media consumption habits — and how to reach them, a lot of the information applies to other markets. I especially liked the following quote:

“Consider outdoor as a primary medium…People listen to their iPods or satellite radio while commuting. They watch their TiVos when they get home, and fewer are reading the newspaper or magazines. And yet as New Yorkers move about their day, outdoor advertising is right in their face. It’s unmistakable. They can’t zap it; they can’t avoid it.”

Drop in any other city for “New Yorkers” in that quote and it’s no surprise that out-of-home advertising is the second fastest growing advertising medium out there.