Keeping track of available outdoor ad inventory is a big part of a media buyer’s job. Combining prior knowledge, vendor research and even tools like Google Street View, DASH TWO tracks down all available options for our clients. Now we’ve expanded our capabilities by working with DOmedia’s database of out-of-home inventory to discover new locations in both urban centers and secondary markets for pinpointed outdoor ad campaigns.
Not that long ago one of the best ways to identify ideal spots for billboards in a particular area, beyond simply contacting known vendors, was to use Google Street View and identify vendors board by board. DASH TWO founder Gino Sesto describes this process as quite labor intensive but explains that it’s been the best way so far to identify just the right boards for a particular client.
For example, if a fan convention was being held in a specific location and advertisers wanted to target those fans with billboards and Posters, DASH TWO would go block by block through the area using Google Maps. As spots for billboards and posters were seen on Google, then a vendor was usually identifiable by taking a close up look at the board.
While such a practice demonstrates DASH TWO’s commitment to going above and beyond for our clients, it’s not the most time effective and it won’t capture every option. So DASH TWO is turning to DOmedia, a leader in out-of-home software and services, to close that information gap and enable us to track down even the most obscure options.
DASH TWO is already seeing a broader range of relevant inventory via DOmedia. For example, in Nashville we’ve discovered smaller vendors with which we were previous unfamiliar. We are also finding previously unknown vendors in larger markets. In addition, we expect to be able to find unique locations and special settings from local businesses with room for only a board or two that would previously go undiscovered.
Now, rather than limiting our efforts to well-known vendors and laboriously tracking down special spots on Google Maps, we have a full list of options on hand. DOmedia supports DASH TWO in focusing on the best use of inventory for our clients’ needs.