GSTV Partners with Vistar Media for Ad Serving Technology

New Tech Supports Increased GSTV Programmatic Demand

New York, New York - Vistar Media, the leading global provider of software for programmatic digital out-of-home (DOOH), and GSTV, the national video network engaging and entertaining targeted audiences at scale across tens of thousands of fuel retailers, have formed a strategic partnership for Vistar to power GSTV’s network of digital displays with ad serving software.

For the past four years, GSTV has seen massive success participating in Vistar’s programmatic marketplace through the Vistar supply-side platform (SSP). Building on that trusted partnership, support and its rapid network growth, GSTV has now transitioned its ad serving system onto Vistar’s technology. Vistar’s ad server enables GSTV to ensure reliable content and ad delivery across more than 28,000 locations nationwide.

Partnering with Vistar to streamline its business operations technology enables GSTV to focus on its core expertise of creating and delivering compelling media experiences across its network. Vistar’s software takes on the complexities of scheduling, managing and reporting on ads, while also enabling automation for GSTV’s content requirements.

“We are focused on growing our cutting-edge network along with developing meaningful media experiences that drives action and creates lasting brand impressions. To optimize the flexibility that buyers require at our scale, we knew that we needed to adopt a future-facing ad-serving solution,” said Winston Benedict, Chief Technology Officer, GSTV. “Vistar is a proven partner that combines enterprise-grade engineering with nimble innovation to meet the needs of our growing network. This partnership sets our network up for success today and in the future and ultimately to best serve our client partners.”

Working hand in hand, the Vistar and GSTV engineering teams have created a scalable solution to maintain the high-quality media experience across GSTV’s tens of thousands of locations. In the past year alone, GSTV’s programmatic business has more than doubled YOY. With the upgrade, the new Vistar ad-server unlocks additional unsold GSTV supply for programmatic monetization for the first time to meet growing demand.

“GSTV offers advertisers the ability to reach a highly engaged audience while at the pump, and we’re thrilled they have selected us as their partner to set their network up for optimal success,” said Eric Lamb, SVP, Supply at Vistar Media. “By implementing our ad serving solution, GSTV can now seamlessly manage their inventory and deliver content and advertising across a stable network.”

Vistar’s ad serving and network management technology is available to enterprise and startup networks globally. For more information about Vistar, please direct inquiries to info@vistarmedia.com. To learn more about programmatic advertising on GSTV, please visit gstv.com/programmatic.

About Vistar Media

Vistar Media is the leading global provider of programmatic technology for out-of-home, bringing enterprise-grade software that was purpose-built for the unique requirements of digital signage. Vistar provides a global demand-side platform (DSP) for buyers to activate data-driven programmatic campaigns and a supply-side platform (SSP) to connect signage operators to digital revenue. Vistar also powers some of the world’s most advanced signage networks with device & content management software (Cortex) and ad serving technology. Vistar was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in New York, NY. For more information, visit www.vistarmedia.com.

About GSTV

GSTV is a data-driven, national video network entertaining targeted audiences at scale across tens of thousands of fuel retailers. Reaching one in three American adults monthly, GSTV engages viewers with full sight, sound and motion video at an essential waypoint of their consumer journey, and GSTV is the only consolidated and scaled digital media platform in the convenience and fuel channel. Analysis of billions of consumer purchases demonstrates that GSTV viewers spend significantly more across retailers, services, consumer goods and other sectors following a fuel transaction. While offering consumers entertaining and informative content, GSTV drives immediate action and creates lasting brand impressions, delivering measurable results for the world’s largest advertisers. Visit www.gstv.com for more information.

Vistar: Media Owner of the Month: GSTV

Vistar | Media Owner of the Month

In the latest installment of our interview series, Media Owner of the Month, we spoke with David Kovall, VP of Digital Partnerships at GSTV. Have you ever checked out the screens at the pump while filling your car’s gas tank? Then you’re already familiar with this ever-expanding network. Below is our Q&A with David where we got to know a little bit more about GSTV and what makes them such an engaging location-based publisher.

Please describe your business - types of screens, regions, and venues in which you operate etc. - and what your network offers brands.

GSTV is a cutting-edge, national video platform, reaching over 93 million unique adults each month across 200+ DMAs.

Using physical screens imbedded in fuel dispensers at 21,000+ retailers, our full sight, sound, motion video network entertains and informs consumers during a natural pause point in their day – while they are fueling up their vehicles. GSTV creates original content as well as partners with leading publishers such as Cheddar, So Yummy, Blossom, The Chive, NFL, NHL, CNet and more. While consumers fuel up, they can watch and listen to our programming  which offers a unique opportunity for brands to engage with a captive audience in a verified, viewable, 1:1 environment. In addition to premium video engagement, GSTV’s audience is highly correlated to much higher consumer spending in grocery, big box retail, QSR and other channels -- a fuel up is a surrogate for errands day, the weekly shopping trip, stocking up for the tailgate and so on.

Brands working with GSTV’s robust data capabilities can understand what happens before, during and after someone sees an ad on our network -- did they visit a store, make a purchase, or tune in after seeing a spot. The national digital video network provides access to viewers who are in a buying mindset, and is capable of validating the ROI on media spend. As a result, we see that our ad campaigns deliver meaningful business outcomes like increasing store foot traffic, viewership, sales lift, transaction, and more.

GSTV is redefining the creative and contextual capabilities of one of the fastest growing areas in media alongside leading brand, creative and publisher partners.

Where do you see the digital out-of-home industry moving in the next 12 months?

In addition to delivering on standard media KPIs and objectives, GSTV continues to focus on client outcomes and I think this will be a trend that we will see with DOOH more broadly as the industry evolves. It is one thing to check the box on media objectives like viewability, brand safety, ad completions, etc., but what is more important is driving those business outcomes like visitation lift, more sales and customer acquisitions. GSTV, like all DOOH at its best, combines contextually relevant messaging to consumer’s daily lives, digital-level targeting and attribution approaches through robust data, and collectively offers a massive creative and performance platform for brands to drive real results.

What has been Vistar’s most valuable contribution to your business?

Simply put, Vistar Media has enabled GSTV to be bought and sold programmatically -- just another solution for our clients to work with and buy us. Buyers can easily use Vistar’s DSP and bid on our supply in their open exchange or we can setup preferred PMP deals that give buyers full transparency, priority access to supply and fixed rates. Vistar also powers our programmatic direct/guaranteed solution where we schedule campaigns to run off their ad server. This gives buyers the benefits of a programmatic activation with guaranteed impressions and white-glove service.

What Vistar software capabilities do you find most useful?

Vistar’s planning tools are easy for self-serve buyers. They are also very helpful for GSTV to use when generating a plan around given parameters. If a client wants to see what is potentially available near their retailers and with a specific audience target, we can quickly generate a plan to show estimated impressions. On the reporting side, buyers can easily see impressions delivery down to the zip code and hour. Every day millions of live consumers are viewing GSTV in a 1-to-1 engagement and Vistar’s tools for buyers make it easy to understand campaign delivery.

What is the one thing that you wish more digital buyers knew about out-of-home?

I think many digital buyers may have a dated perception of out-of-home, as synonymous with static signage becoming digital screens and still largely thinking about the screen. The earliest innovations in DOOH were about multiple messages in the same location, weather triggered messages for a sunny day and so on. Those capabilities are correct,  but the real power of DOOH is captured by bringing digital strategy to OOH - where is my audience, what is their mindset, how can I reach them in the most relevant and engaging moment to provide some value and how can I measure campaign success? GSTV and other DOOH networks now have true broadcast-level scale, so even with any measure of targeting there is significant audience delivery to generate business impact.  For OOH, these once static environments are now digital, attractive, and engaging. Some publishers, like GSTV, are more akin to mobile video or OTT when leveraging audience and creative addressability. DOOH takes the centuries old power of OOH, massive creative canvases and physical context, and combines it with the best of contemporary digital strategy and creativity.