Mediaweek: SeeSaw Sees Success With Digital Sign Net
This article originally was posted on February 26, 2007 at Mediaweek.
by Katy Bachman
A new out-of-home digital media company is hoping to simplify and optimize the buying of place-based digital signage with the industry’s first unwired network of digital signs.
Launched a year ago, SeeSaw Networks earlier this month signed its first six “affiliate” companies: Captive Media, Ecast, DVD Play, MJM Sports and Media, The University Network and Zilo. This week at the American Association of Advertising Agencies annual media conference in Las Vegas, SeeSaw will launch SeeSawads.com, an online platform through which advertisers can customize digital buys by demographic, geography or venue.
This comes as out-of-home digital signage is popping up in airports, banks, retailers, gyms, bars, restaurants and malls. The highly fragmented marketplace is made up of more than 700 digital networks, making a national buy the cause of more than one headache for buyers.
“It threads together common target audiences across various digital components of the outdoor world, making for a more cohesive buy. Before we had to buy piecemeal,” said Jack Sullivan, Executive VP of out-of-home media for Starcom, who joked that SeeSaw stole his idea.
SeeSaw’s six affiliates allow advertisers to aggregate digital sign inventory from more than 10,000 lifestyle venues across 205 markets. The company’s current affiliate roster skews towards younger demos in health clubs, sports bars and universities, but SeeSaw also has substantial avails in grocery stores, retailers and travel centers. Plans call for expanding to target Hispanic and business demographics.
“We give buyers one point of contact, one bill. It’s an easy way for agencies to wrap their arms around a space that’s becoming more complicated,” said SeeSaw CEO Peter Bowen. “Our network can deliver over 20 million gross impressions weekly, on par with some top-rated TV shows, at significantly less cost.”
