OOH Today’s Champion -Ray Rotolo
A career from Wall Street to the music industry to OOH
Ray Rotolo OOH Today Champion
OOH Today features women and men who Champion and define Outdoor Advertising. Sharing the faces and stories behind the names who add a personal dimension to Out Of Home (OOH). Relationships are still an important part of OOH and is an Industry where the people behind the company, are as important as the company itself.
Today, we are visiting with Ray Rotolo, SVP, GM Channel Partnerships, Gimbal, Inc. New York City. A Graduate of St. John’s University and MIT’s data/computer science program, Ray has 15 years in OOH and 20+ in media (OOH, TV). He is a proud husband and dad and music aficionado.
Ray’s history in OOH, has been mostly on the agency-side. Started at Mindshare as part of The WOW
Factory, then part of the founding Kinetic team as one of the original Managing Directors,
founder of Target Health (OOH for healthcare brands), a co-founder of Chrysalis for Havas
and then COO/CEO for Posterscope. Today, he helps the OOH industry leverage mobile and
data to amplify their business.
Here is OOH Today’s Conversaton with OOH Champion Ray Rotolo
Bill Board: How did you find your way into the OOH business?
Ray Rotolo: I’ve had an interesting ride in my career from Wall Street to the music industry, but back in
2004, I was looking to leave NBC TV network. Connie Garrido, who has been a friend for years, thought it would be a good fit and asked me to join The Wow Factory. And the rest is history, as they say. Connie has been a great friend and business partner.
Bill: You have been in advertising over 20+ years and 14 of those years in OOH. What has kept you
there? What is it about OOH you enjoy?
Ray: I really enjoy OOH’s ability to surprise, delight and inform consumers all at the same time. It’s
not just an ad medium, it’s an art form. To me, it’s the one medium that sits directly in the fabric of people’s everyday journey seamlessly.
it’s the one medium that sits directly in the fabric of people’s everyday journey seamlessly.
Bill: You have seen a great deal in your various roles in OOH, what surprises you the most?
Ray: OOH’s resiliency in the face of a fragmented media landscape. It works. It works in its basic
form, a sign and it really works in its evolving form as a connector of advertiser/consumer.
Bill: Any advice to others contemplating getting into OOH?
.
Ray: Don’t think just billboards, it’s so much more
Bill: To what do you attribute to your personal success OOH?
Ray: Great people around me. I have always been part of great teams from the very beginning.
And having fun, always. Never taking myself to seriously. I have tried to treat everyone with
respect always.
Bill: What have you done for OOH and you are most proud of?
Ray: I think being part of the founding of three agencies and the reinvention of a fourth. And now,
helping guide Gimbal out of Qualcomm into a success enterprise.
Bill: Do you have a prediction for the future of OOH? It can pertain to you sector of the business or any
OOH prediction in general.
Ray: Mobile, data, programmatic will truly transform this industry. We are just scratching the
surface. We will witness the birth of an entirely new media format. How’s that for dramatic!
Mobile, data, programmatic will truly transform this industry.
Bill: We love drama and passion. You are obviously very passionate about OOH. Is there anyone you most admire or credit to providing significant influence in your Outdoor career?
Ray: So many people are pioneers in this business that I admire. David Zaslav (who is now the CEO
of Discovery Networks) was my first mentor in the media business when I worked for him at
NBC. I also mentioned Connie, but also, Rick Del Mastro, Richard Schaps, Jack Sullivan,
Nancy Fletcher, so, so many more.
Ray Rotolo
Gimbal
Gimbal
SVP, GM Channel Partnerships
12 E. 49th St.
11th Floor
New York, NY 10017
