TorchMedia has started trading a number of its digital assets on Site Tour's automated trading platform which general manager Kirsty Dollisson says is opening it up to a raft of premium advertisers who wouldn’t ordinary use out of home (OOH).
The first advertiser to purchase the inventory through the system via IPG's trading desk, Cadreon, comes from outside the realm of traditional OOH advertisers: NBN Co. Its creative is currently live across Caltex StarMart digital screens in the system.
TorchMedia's Caltex StarMart digital Screens are located in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Southern Australia and Tasmania and within petrol stations are located near impulse fridges and directly above tills in petrol stations.
Dollisson told AdNews that while this make them ideal for pushing impulse purchase for items sold inside Caltex, she said there is another opportunity when it comes to 'relevance.' She said the decision to move the inventory onto the Site Tour platform was a way to build an advertiser base outside of typical OOH clients.
“For me it was a case of opening it up to other premium advertisers to use that space, that's the key driver behind it,” Dollisson said. “Otherwise it's sort of pigeon-holed into an environment buy where it's impacting people who are commuting and filling up their cars.
“So anything where there is relevance to that sort of environment and that mindset – any automotive products, car insurance but also government messaging about safe driving.
“I think the brilliance of programmatic is that it takes it to another level, so it's actually seen as another opportunity for influencing a very large audience. It opens us up to advertising that wouldn't traditionally see Caltex as a place they would advertise.”
NBN is currently in a 10 week trial period to gain additional insights before potentially rolling out additional inventory nationally.
So far, the TorchMedia inventory has seen 258 hours sold of 653 available hours, as of 18 September, equally a sell rate of 39.5%. The 258 hours equates to a display count of 6192 individual ad slots.
Dollisson said TorchMedia will be looking to expand its relationship with Site Tour by eventually adding all of its digital inventory on site.
Site Tour GM ANZ Steve Geelen, who was appointed to the post last month, said the take up of automated trading of digital out of home (DOOH) shows that the industry “isn't resting on its laurels”.
“One thing that is true I think is that the Australian market appetite for programmatic and DOOH is incredible in terms of what is happening here versus what is happening with the rest of the world. Australia seems to set the pace with programmatic in general and I think it's been proven again with the DOOH space.
“Automation is driver of growth and will help OOH clam a large share of media spend. The partnership between TorchMedia and Site Tour is proof that OOH is keen to stake that claim sooner than expected.”
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