My thoughts on the recent OOH industry event – Apparatix Unleashed ‘24
by Cynthia Beiler, Managing Director, Consulting Services & Associate Broker at Williamson and Associates
The Revenue Revolution
Recently, I had the privilege of attending the Apparatix Unleashed Thought Leadership conference in Denver, and I must say, it exceeded expectations in every way.
Hosted in a stunning venue, the atmosphere fostered meaningful connections with both familiar faces and new industry professionals. The sessions were packed with thought-provoking insights that ignited fresh ideas for growth and innovation. What I found particularly compelling was the opportunity to engage in dynamic discussions, exchanging knowledge and experiences with like-minded peers.
The feedback I heard from independent operators was that Apparatix Unleashed delivered exactly what they needed: inspiration, actionable strategies, and a strong sense of community.
One of the amazing speakers at this year’s conference was Mike Cooper, CEO of DoMedia, who shared invaluable insights for billboard operators to significantly increase their revenue from national agencies. It doesn’t matter how much or little you are getting from national advertising today–the message was clear: the key to competing on a national level lies in a combination of automation and scale.
As the billboard industry continues to evolve, independent operators have a unique chance to overcome these two critical challenges to capture a much larger share of national revenue.
The Power of Automation
Mike stressed that one of the biggest challenges for independent operators is keeping up with ever-evolving automation. National advertisers are increasingly turning to automated platforms for media buying as they seek efficiency and ease of use.
When agencies talk about automation, they are not talking about easier manual processes. They are referring to direct planning, buying, and reporting without the inefficiencies of interaction with operators–a lot like programmatic and other online media such as social media.
Larger billboard operators already invest heavily in automation to meet this demand. Without this type of automation, independent operators risk being left out of the conversation entirely, as agencies and advertisers look for the fastest, simplest solutions to their campaign planning and buying needs.
The Power of Scale
In addition to the power of automation, Mike noted that the other major challenge for independent operators is scale (or size of the inventory pool). When it comes to scale, all operators are competing against the “big three” billboard companies, which dominate the national advertising space with its massive revenue spend. These large operators are often the first choice for national campaigns, leaving smaller operators to fill in the gaps (basically the scraps at the end of the line). However, this doesn’t have to be the case.
For independents, gaining the power of scale comes from combining inventory into a single supply platform where agencies can access real-time availability, real-time pricing decisions, real-time buying, and real-time reporting. That is the only way to have a true seat at the table and command the largest revenue share possible. It’s the only way to change our place in line, and the only way to capture revenue from other media such as online advertising.
Seems like a dream, but something awesome is happening that can make this power of scale a reality.
The Game Changer
For the first time in our industry’s history, Mike sees a real opportunity for the convergence of both scale and automation. He realizes that many platforms have tried in the past to aggregate lots of inventory together, but none have been able to provide usable scale with true automation.
He says that Apparatix, with nearly 550 operators, powering sales for over 60% of the independent billboards in the U.S., has an unprecedented opportunity to change the industry. The opportunity for their billboard operators is to become first in line with unparalleled power of automation and scale.
This combined scale and automation positions these operators to compete head-to-head with the largest billboard companies and online media options, dramatically increasing their visibility in national campaigns.
The Opportunity Is Now
Mike Cooper’s insights at the conference couldn’t have been timelier. Agencies are demanding automation, large players are working to accommodate, and independent operators have an unprecedented opportunity to be at the table and seize a much larger share of national revenue. By joining forces to create the necessary scale and adopting automation, they can position themselves as a viable, competitive option for national advertisers.
About the author…
Cynthia Beiler – Managing Director, Consulting Services & Associate Broker at Williamson and Associates – She has over 25 years of Sales and Marketing leadership in media, finance, and technology industries. The last 15 years has been with the OOH industry, including key leadership roles at Adams Outdoor Advertising. Her subsequent venture, Leveraged Mind Consulting, founded seven years ago, demonstrated her prowess in providing growth solutions to OOH operators, agencies, and tech companies. This wealth of experience, combined with her background in consulting for operational efficiency, finance, and marketing, positions her as an asset independent operators and the industry at large.
About Unleashed ‘24
Unleashed ’24 was Apparatix’s second annual thought leadership and user conference, bringing together the brightest minds in the industry. Attendees experienced groundbreaking sessions on the newest opportunities in the industry to grow revenue, innovative software solutions, and networked with industry leaders.
The opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author and/or subject(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of OOH Today, William Board, management or associated writers.
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