OOH Agency Today —GCG Media
by Sarah Druhan, OOH TODAY Journalist
For GCG Media Services, it’s all about the big picture. In fact, this advertising agency has spent its 13 years of operation dominating the hub of the out-of-home world: Times Square. Their specialties lie in large outdoor installations, ranging from sprawling sports facilities to everyday retail locations. With a deep-rooted foothold in the digital out-of-home business and a team dedicated to streamlining the ad installation process, GCG is a masterclass in advertising over a decade in the making. Today, we hear from GCG President Matthew Knee about the ins and outs of his digital OOH powerhouse.
How long have you been in business? Staffing? Size? Specialties? Billing? Regional Offices?
GCG Media Services was founded in 2009 as Gryphon Capital Group, LLC initially as a holding company for certain media assets. Over the past almost 14 years we have become a Media Services provider. Our clients are landlords, sign operators, maintenance companies, brands and agencies who we add a layer of versatility and expertise to for new sign builds, LED conversions, management, revenue solutions, content management, media activations and IT solutions. We have given up our NYC offices and are now headquartered on Long Island. In 2022 we billed a little over $3M. I am full-time and have several extremely talented consultants, 2023 is shaping up to be a building year and we are looking to hire 1-2 additional full-time positions.
Tell the story of your most memorable campaign. What about it made it so special to your company?
We were recently engaged to run the out of home portion for a large and iconic Times Square domination event. There was a live event component in one of the Times Square plazas which was backstopped by 9 different locations and 31 screen faces for a 1-hour synchronized roadblock. After a full week of testing and creative tweaking, it was thrilling to see everything come together so seamlessly. We are looking forward to working on more projects like this in the future.
More than just your people, what do you think sets your agency apart from all the others? Do you have a story of a certain moment or campaign that you think exemplifies this?
Coupled with the wonderful humans that we get to work with on a daily basis, I have said this before and it still holds true, versatility and adaptability are truly our secret sauce and what sets us apart. There was a November article that that really struck a chord. It was written by Sean Reilly, CEO of Lamar who said that “every organization needs to be a learning organization.” My vision for GCG Media Services has been and continues to be exactly what was outlined in that article, take chances, innovate and stay ahead of the curve. There are many agencies, project managers, etc., there is a very niche group of people who specialize as we do in the entire life cycle of a media asset. As the needs of individuals who build, own, operate and place media on these assets change, we need to change with them.
What would you like the OOH Industry to know about your shop? What is it about Out-of-Home advertising specifically that keeps you showing up and doing the work?
GCG Media Services oversees all aspects of digital and static sign projects. We work to implement procedures and platforms that allow owners to maximize returns on their signage assets. From choosing the right engineering firm, manufacturing and installation firm, to supervising the on-site installation crews, content management systems and media/brand partnerships in order to guarantee that the finished projects surpass all expectations. What keeps me showing up? First and foremost, I truly love what I do. There are a lot and I mean A LOT of unique projects out there. In the early days of GCG, it was much more difficult as a good portion of my time was spent alerting the world to our presence and trying to drum up new business. I am beyond grateful and humbled that these days folks seek us out for new projects on a fairly regular basis.
What’s next for GCG? Anything else you’d like to shout out?
We are working on several new initiatives on both the project management and on the LED side of things that we will be formally launching in 2023 and which we believe will be a catalyst for continued positive growth in the out-of-home industry.
- Advertisement -
