Business Insider: A Gas Station Ad Platform Says Its Business Is Soaring in the Pandemic As Driving Picks Up. Here’s the Pitch Deck It’s Using to Win Advertisers.
By: Patrick Coffee | Business Insider
GSTV, which runs ad-driven videos at gas stations, has grown in recent months despite the pandemic's dramatic impact on the ad industry, according to CEO Sean McCaffrey.
Its pitch deck to advertisers makes the case that they can reach people in transit at a time when they're likely to spend money.
GSTV hopes to be an alternative way for brands to boost sales now that foot traffic is down and the status of big advertising events like live sports remains unclear.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
The pandemic has people relying on their cars more than ever before — and advertisers want to reach them as they drive.
That is the central insight behind a pitch deck that GSTV used to return to growth by emphasizing the continued role that gas stations play in American life, according to CEO Sean McCaffrey.
GSTV is a private, nationwide network that provides an ad-driven video service to stations and convenience stores like Circle K and Speedway. Each day, GSTV releases an original clip of news, sports, entertainment, and ads that plays in front of drivers as they refuel.
McCaffrey said the platform, with 24,000 locations, reaches one in three American adults who are traveling by car.
GSTV is classified as out of home advertising, which accounted for $8.6 billion in spending last year. McCaffrey wouldn't share GSTV's revenue but said its clients include PepsiCo and that some brands have spent up to eight figures on the platform annually.
He said a key element of its appeal is that people spend far more money on the days they refuel, particularly at grocery stores, big box retailers, and fast food chains. And most also use their credit cards to buy gas and other items at the stations, creating anonymized first-party data that GSTV can use to target ads.
McCaffrey said the company then helps advertisers run hyper-local campaigns that promote nearby businesses or target the sort of people most likely to use a certain gas station based on both demographics and buying behaviors.
"We think of each station as an addressable household," he said.
GSTV hopes to fill a void left by the cancellation of live sports and other top ad spaces
McCaffrey said his company has weathered the effects of the pandemic and exceeded pre-coronavirus growth in recent weeks via the strategy outlined in the pitch deck GSTV has presented to media-buying agencies and brands.
"We've had more brand-direct conversations in the past six months than in the last two years," McCaffrey said. "Brands are generally taking more ownership of outreach because the market is so chaotic."
The deck also emphasizes the money left up in the air by the cancellation of major pro and college sports leagues to appeal to marketers who are under pressure to prove that their spend drives sales.
Another reason GSTV was less affected by the pandemic than some ad businesses, McCaffrey said, is that its audience included essential workers who were on the front lines in the earliest days of the quarantine.
The platform has also collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ad Council in recent months, airing public health campaigns and PSAs encouraging consumers to frequent restaurants and other businesses.
The deck claims GSTV has more locations than McDonald's or Starbucks.
Partners include the NFL, Live Nation, host Maria Menounos, and news network Cheddar.
Data from Mastercard says customers spend almost four times as much at big box stores after filling their tanks than they do on days they don't fill their tanks.
The deck says Chipotle can use GSTV data to target people who live near a restaurant or whose demographics make them likely customers.
GSTV worked with IPG's Acxiom to target those most likely to own a particular brand of car.
Affordable gas has encouraged greater mobility amid lockdowns, according to the deck.
GSTV argues advertisers can reach Americans driving over the holidays as driving replaces air travel.
Its data shows consumers on the move spend more at each stop than they did pre-pandemic.
Spending at convenience stores is up more than 100% compared to the same period in 2019, the company says.
TV viewing is also down by more than 20% among key demographics since the pandemic's peak in March.
GSTV claims it can help replace the billions lost in live sports ad deals.
Gas stations were among the businesses least affected by the pandemic, according to data from Foursquare.
LaLiga North America expands US reach with GSTV content deal
via SportBusiness
US-based national video network GSTV has signed a content deal with LaLiga North America, through which it will show short-form content from the top tier of Spanish football.
LaLiga will begin offering exclusive highlights clips for GSTV from this week and the deal has been signed ahead of the start of the new season on September 12.
LaLiga becomes the first professional football league to offer content on GSTV, which also provides National Football League and Major League Baseball coverage.
GSTV reaches 92 million unique viewers a month.
Boris Gartner, chief executive of LaLiga North America, said: “We want to deliver LaLiga content to our fans wherever they are and partnering with GSTV adds yet another touchpoint with our US audience as we build on that strategy. We are excited to bring the action of the best soccer league in the world to one in three American adults across the country.”
LaLiga North America is a joint venture between LaLiga and Relevent Sports Group, and serves as the exclusive representation of the competition in the US and Canada for all business and development activities.
In June, LaLiga North America teamed up with global sportsbook operator PointsBet to create a new slate of gambling-focused digital programming to coincide with the league’s return to action.
Martech Zone: GSTV: Target Consumers at the Pump with Location-Based Video Experiences
By: Douglass Karr | Martech Zone
Every day, millions of Americans get in their vehicles and go. Fueling up drives commutes, commerce, and connection; and that’s when GSTV has their undivided attention.
Daily, at tens of thousands of locations, their national video network owns a unique moment that matters, when consumers are engaged, receptive, spending more today and influenced for tomorrow and beyond. In fact, GSTV reaches 1 in 3 American adults monthly, engaging viewers with full sight, sound, and motion video at an essential waypoint on their consumer journey.
GSTV Overview
Case studies of GSTV include social engagement, retail sales lift, increasing ad effectiveness, store and dealership visitation, lift in consumer spending, building viewer awareness and tune-in, and lifts in website visitation.
GSTV Short Form Video Example
Chances are that you’ve seen and responded to these short form videos that drive a call-to-action. Here’s a great example for retail establishments to get someone who is pumping gas to walk into the store and make a purchase:
GSTV Reach
GSTV engages adults with hundreds of millions of individual 1-to-1 interactions to entertain, inform, connect, and deliver a moment that moves today and matters tomorrow. Benefits of their target audiences include:
Spending – A young, active, affluent audience, who spends +1.7x more following a fuel transaction
Real People – A Nielsen audited network, with no bots, no fraud and no DVRing
Brand Safe – Premium content curated for a general audience
Engagement – Traveling, dining, listening, shopping, spending, and more while engaging at a pause point in their journey
Capabilities through GSTV’s 95 million unique visitors includes the ability to target first party audiences based on their demographic, geographic, and behavioral data.
GSTV helps marketers achieve quantifiable business results and maximize their ad spend. GSTV has delivered double-digit increases in retail visitation, millions of dollars in sales lift, and significant increases in brand metrics for some of the world’s largest advertisers.
GSTV Extends Content with Loop Media
Loop Media, a streaming media company focused exclusively on premium short-form video, announced a content partnership with GSTV to produce and share short-form music videos, top new music videos, movie trailers for new releases, and top movie trailer compilations.
This short form streaming content provides opportunities for brands and marketers to effectively target consumers outside the home.
C-store Industry Unites to Honor Frontline Heroes on 24/7 Day
NATIONAL REPORT — Convenience store and fuel retailers are joining together to honor first responders, medical personnel and American Red Cross volunteers who work around the clock for this year's 24/7 Day, scheduled for July 24.
The annual event — which started in 2019 — helps raise awareness and donations for the urgent humanitarian needs of the American Red Cross, and spotlights the c-store industry's critical role in supporting local heroes and the communities they serve.
More than 30,000 convenience and fuel retailer locations are participating in the 2020 celebration. Brands that are joining together with the NACS Foundation and participating in all or most of their locations include ampm, BP and Amoco, California Fuels and Convenience Alliance (CFCA), ExtraMile, High's, Huck’s, JJ's, Kwik Chek, Loop Neighborhood Market, Pilot Co., Rapid Refill & Garrett's Family Market, Rutter's, Sheetz (Community Leader Sponsor), Shell, The Market, Thorntons, Wawa and Yesway.
Each participating retailer is supporting 24/7 Day in its own way, including offering free in-store items to first responders, medical personnel and Red Cross volunteers on July 24 to thank them for their work in local communities.
Additionally, GSTV, the national video network entertaining targeted audience, was named the official 2020 media partner of the NACS Foundation. The company will support the association via video content at fuel dispensers across the United States at more than 24,000 locations, reaching 95 million unique viewers.
GSTV has also created a charitable match program with partners joining the NACS Foundation.
"We know more and more consumers are seeking out positive, uplifting content, and for millions of Americans filling up their vehicles every day, GSTV has become a bright spot for entertaining and informing those communities," said Sean McCaffrey, president and CEO of GSTV. "We're thrilled to partner with the NACS Foundation to support their important community-based initiatives and share with our viewers how they can participate."
Convenience stores support local organizations and charities, contributing and collecting more than $1 billion annually to charities. The NACS Foundation unifies and builds on NACS members' charitable efforts — amplifying the industry's power to positively impact the lives of individuals and families of all ages, in neighborhoods of all sizes, across America and beyond, according to the association.
"We're excited to work with GSTV to keep consumers up to date with the latest developments and achievements in our mission to propel brighter futures," said Stephanie Sikorski, executive director of the NACS Foundation.
The NACS Foundation invites the convenience industry and the public to take part in 24/7 Day by:
Donating to support the American Red Cross' work in communities around the country;
Learning more about disaster response, relief and preparedness in communities and the American Red Cross’ work year-round; and
Sharing stories to celebrate and honor lifesaving work of front-line heroes on social media using the hashtags #247Day, #WeHeartHeroes and #conveniencecares.
GIVING BACK
Here's how some of the NACS Foundation's c-store partners are participating in 24/7 Day and its cause:
Rutter's
York, Pa.-based Rutter's is teaming up with some of its top vendors for "Feeding the Frontline," where front-line workers will receive a free meal at the c-store retailer's locations across Pennsylvania, Maryland or West Virginia as a thank you for their hard work and dedication.
The meal will consist of a grab-and-go sandwich or wrap, a bag of chips and a regular fountain drink. The offer is available to First Responders in uniform, medical or active duty military with ID and Rutter's store employees.
The free meal is available to the first eligible 200 customers per store. Limit one per customer.
Rutter's has also partnered with the American Red Cross for the month of July and will be collecting money through their monthly Charity Canister program to help support local Red Cross initiatives. Customers will be able to make monetary donations to the organization at any Rutter's location.
"Rutter's is proud to support our front-line workers, including our fantastic store employees, during these challenging times," said Scott Hartman, Rutter's president and CEO. "Being able to support the front-line and give back to our communities, through the Red Cross and Rutter's Children's Charities, is needed right now and we're happy we can help."
Additionally, from July 18-23, Rutter's plans to give away $1,000 a day to different local charities supporting first responders. On July 24, the retailer will donate $5,000.
Yesway
Des Moines, Iowa-based Yesway is supporting 24/7 Day by offering a free fountain, frozen or coffee beverage of any size to police, fire, EMTs, doctors, nurses, health practitioners, 911 dispatchers and American Red Cross volunteers who visit any of its Yesway or Allsup's store locations on July 24.
"At Yesway, we believe that we have a duty to support the communities we serve. We are proud to join with the NACS Foundation and all of our c-store industry colleagues to celebrate 24/7 Day and are grateful for the first responders, police, fire, medical personnel, and American Red Cross volunteers who work tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of our fellow citizens and communities every day," said Tom Trkla, chairman and CEO of Yesway. "Every community has its share of these true difference makers, and we want to acknowledge and support them and the terrific work they are doing. On behalf of everyone at Yesway and Allsup's, we would like to thank our hometown heroes on 24/7 Day 2020."
The c-store retailer is also using the occasion to show its appreciation to thousands of Yesway and Allsup's front-line heroes by rewarding them with free dispensed beverages throughout the week of July 24-31.
Kwik Chek
Spicewood, Texas-based Kwik Chek is supporting this year's 24/7 Day by offering a free breakfast — including a fountain drink or coffee — and breakfast biscuit sandwich, taco or pastry to any doctor, nurse, EMT, law enforcement/police, county sheriff, highway patrol, firefighter, border patrol, 911 dispatcher and American Red Cross volunteer.
"At Kwik Chek, we understand the importance and dedication it takes to serve our communities around the clock, and we can’t think of anyone who deserves recognition more than first responders, medical personnel and volunteers," said Kevin Smartt, CEO of Kwik Chek. "We are honored to take part in this year's 24/7 Day and we will continue to serve the needs of our local heroes by offering fresh food and essentials that get communities by, especially during tough times."
Tiger Fuel Co.
The Markets of Tiger Fuel Co. will also honor first responders, healthcare providers, military personnel and disaster relief volunteers who work around the clock to support our communities.
All nine c-store locations will recognize paramedics, EMTs, police officers, firefighters and medical professionals who present a valid I.D. with a complimentary fountain drink or hot coffee (any size) as a way of saying "thank you."
The gourmet-to-go deli stores will express appreciation to police officers and firefighters on July 24 with a special meal delivered to a number of police and fire stations located in Charlottesville City, Albemarle County, Greene County and Locust Grove, Va.
"The first responders and medical personnel are truly inspiring to us and continue to fight through this pandemic, working non-stop to keep our communities safe," said Gordon Sutton, president of Charlottesville, Va.-based Tiger Fuel Co. "We'd like to express our appreciation to all of them on 24/7 Day and hope that this small gesture will help fuel these first responders as they work through this challenging time. It is our privilege to take some time out of our day to thank these local heroes."
The Markets also hosted a number of giveaways on their Facebook page throughout the week, encouraging customers to share stories about local first responders and hometown heroes who are deserving of a catered meal or bagged lunch.
Pilot Co.
On July 24, as part of NACS Foundation 24/7 Day, Knoxville, Tenn.-based Pilot Company is recognizing doctors, nurses, paramedics, EMTs, police, fire and American Red Cross volunteers for their work around the clock to serve our communities.
As a thank you for their service, emergency personnel are eligible to receive one free Pilot fountain drink or Pilot coffee, any size, at participating Pilot and Flying J travel centers, Pilot c-stores, and owned and operated One9 Fuel Network locations.
For Brands Seeking True Attention, Perceptions of DOOH and Place-Based Must Change
By: Sean McCaffrey, President and CEO, GSTV | via OAAA
We’re in the thick of IAB’s NewFronts week, when brands tune in to presentations from Snap, TikTok, YouTube, Roku, GSTV, and others. Presenting alongside notable digital and video platforms, OTT and CTV newcomers, and others across the media and entertainment landscape, how does a platform like ours — rooted in legacy “placed-based” association, yet boasting video partner-like capabilities — fit in?
Historically, it wouldn’t. Part of our reason for being here is to continue shifting the narrative around what that means, because for us and others, it has evolved dramatically and demands a closer look. There is significant opportunity for brands seeking real attention and engagement and the ability to reach consumers at scale to deliver meaningful business outcomes.
Media buyers are tearing up playbooks and focusing on proving to clients that their investment drove sales lift and ROI, creating massive opportunity for DOOH publishers to change perceptions and refocus marketers’ thinking on what true scale, attention and impact can mean. Why? Because efficiency and impact are more important than ever to earn a place in media strategies.
We need to move beyond screens and towards obsessing over audiences, behaviors and impact — and how DOOH has a valuable place in media plans to deliver on those outcomes.
The OOH industry classically prioritizes the physical nature of billboards and screens — geographic location; proximity to destinations; display and resolution; one-to-many audience ratios — context and cost. Location is important, however, marketers miss a bigger POV by not investing in DOOH. The DOOH industry has rapidly evolved from static environments into dynamic, engaging, attributable video platforms with similar, and sometimes larger, audience scale and measurable returns than other household name video publishers.
Consider how DOOH platforms fit consumers’ state of mind, the place in their journeys before and after as behavior shifts, and how we connect, amplify and impact the entire comms planning strategy and media mix.
Video buyers are aware that DOOH platforms have become dynamic and share traits of traditional video platforms they love, but perceptions are hard to change. In a recent OAAA Lunch Break, Essence Global Chief Media Officer Adam Gerber shared that while both watching a show on the couch or scrolling through the phone and seeing a billboard are valuable from the POV of agencies and marketers, those experiences aren’t equally weighed.
What differentiates them is the notion of attention. While TV and walled gardens may be the de facto buy for premium experiences and captive environments, what marketers forget is consumers are screen surfing and likely to see both while not paying attention to either.
We hear this regularly from buyers new to GSTV who are surprised to learn that we are more than our 24,000 locations, and more than just video: Our platform engages a captive audience surrounded by important purchase decisions, during a moment when consumer attention and engagement is at the forefront.
The renewed interest in DOOH, and its rapidly evolving definition, has opened the window for companies like ours and others to make these points clear. We should embrace disruption and seize opportunities to accelerate the pace of change. “Place-based” is an oversimplified idea that fails to capture the depth and evolution of DOOH, and reconsidering the DOOH opportunity for consumer attention, engagement and action are in the best interest of every ROI-focused brand.
Convenience Store News: Make Converts Out of Gas-Only Customers
By: Tammy Mastroberte | Convenience Store News
In the June issue of Convenience Store News, GSTV’s Eric Sherman, SVP, Insights & Analytics, and Dan Trotzer, EVP, Industry speak to the challenge fuel retailers face in pump-to-store conversions, and showcase how GSTV has become a valuable asset for capturing consumer attention and driving foot traffic.
Read the article HERE.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children & MUH-TAY-ZIK / HOF-FER Enhance Runaway Train 25 with Customization Technology on National Missing Children's Day
Verizon Supports Effort with Donated Digital Media
By: The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children | PR Newswire
ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and ad agency MUH-TAY-ZIK / HOF-FER announced a second phase of the successful, ongoing Runaway Train 25 initiative that will empower local communities to find missing children in their neighborhoods. The added personalization tool will now enable the user to select the exact child they would like to see in their music video. By creating a dynamic, customized video, the search efforts for a missing child will be more hyper-local than ever before.
Since its launch on National Missing Children's Day 2019, Runaway Train 25 has assisted in the recovery of more than 20 missing children. NCMEC has also reported an increase of 60% in leads in the fight to bring missing children home since the video was released. Runaway Train 25, which reinterprets the award-winning Soul Asylum song "Runaway Train" with musical artists Jamie N Commons and Skylar Grey featuring Gallant, showcased the profiles of missing children from the NCMEC database based on a viewer's location.
"When we launched last year, it was about getting local. This year we're getting to a more personal level, where people can search for loved ones or someone they know," said Adam Ledbury, Creative Director at MUH-TAY-ZIK / HOF-FER.
The new technology allows people to easily search the NCMEC database and create a customized video featuring a specific child or children. Users can add up to six missing children from the database into their own version of the Runaway Train 25 music video. The system generates links for Facebook and Twitter so the video can be shared on social media with one click.
"61% of kids recovered are found in the state in which they went missing," said John Matejczyk, Chief Creative Officer/Co-Founder, at MUH-TAY-ZIK / HOF-FER. "The ability to customize a music video about a kid in your neighborhood means that an entire community can rally their support behind the family and help increase the chances that more people will see that child's face. We are giving them the tools they need and the power they feel they so often lack in these difficult situations. Using technology and music, we are able to go far beyond the poster and the milk carton to improve our recovery rates, to empower communities to advocate for their kids."
To increase awareness of the new Runaway Train 25 video, and to recognize National Missing Children's Day, Verizon has donated the advertising space on its Yahoo and AOL mail sign in pages to NCMEC. These pages will display the Runaway Train video to millions of Yahoo and AOL users on National Missing Children's Day.
"In our efforts, we've seen that a small tip can have a big impact on a missing child's life," said John Clark, NCMEC President and CEO. "Every day people can become heroes by providing a tip that leads to the recovery of a missing child. We are grateful to all of our partners who have used their voice to help bring home missing children."
NCMEC has again partnered with GSTV, the national video network reaching targeted audiences at scale across tens of thousands of fuel retailers, which includes a two-phase media donation. In Phase 1, GSTV will air NCMEC creative across 48 states. Phase 2 will incorporate targeted, regional campaigns featuring missing children by state and specifically tailored campaigns for Hispanic and African American communities. Since partnering with GSTV in the initial launch of Runaway Train 25, NCMEC reported that 8 of the 16 total missing children featured in ads that ran exclusively on GSTV's video platform were successfully recovered.
About The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
Since 1984, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® has served as the leading private, nonprofit organization helping to find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation and prevent future victimization. As part of its work as the clearinghouse and resource center on issues relating to missing and exploited children, NCMEC operates a hot-line, 1-800-THE-LOST® (1-800-843-5678), and has assisted in the recovery of more than 319,000 missing children. NCMEC also operates the CyberTipline®, a mechanism for reporting suspected child sexual exploitation, which has received more than 65 million reports. https://www.missingkids.org
About MUH-TAY-ZIK / HOF-FER
MUH-TAY-ZIK / HOF-FER is a creatively driven, strategically focused agency with offices in San Francisco and NYC. As a part of London-based VCCP, we are a formidable combination helping the world's most ambitious brands to get chased. With over 1,000 employees in 8 locations, we are a global full-service alternative to small independent agencies and holding companies. https://mtzhf.com/
About Runaway Train 25
Founded on May 22, 2019, Runaway Train 25 is a cross-industry initiative led by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and MUH-TAY-ZIK / HOF-FER to reinvent the search for missing children. The music video reinterprets the award-winning Soul Asylum song "Runaway Train" with musical artists Jamie N Commons and Skylar Grey featuring Gallant. Since its release, Runaway Train 25 has assisted in the recovery of more than 20 missing children and increased search leads by 60 percent, according to NCMEC. www.runawaytrain25.com
Adweek: MoonPie Finally Has a National Super Bowl Ad, But Only at Gas Stations
The snack cake brand and agency Tombras teamed up with GSTV
By David Cohen | Adweek
This year’s Super Bowl ad from MoonPie was a real gas because, other than Twitter, the only place where they can be viewed is the gas station.
Chattanooga Bakery’s snack cake brand teamed up with agency of record Tombras on the next step in its #TheBigThing campaign, bringing its Big Game ad to screens on fuel pumps at gas stations worldwide via GSTV.
MoonPie and Tombras kicked off #TheBigThing in 2018, publishing nine absurd scripts for television spots that they would have produced and aired if the budget permitted.
The brand and the agency took things one step further last year, actually filming spots, although they only ran online.
This year, they took #TheBigThing national, or at least to thousands of screens at gas stations nationally via GSTV, which said its video network reaches one out of three Americans every month at over 22,000 fuel retailers across the country.
The video had nearly 155,000 views at the time of this post, and MoonPie said that according to the USA Today Ad Meter, that total topped those of brands including Little Caesars, Verizon, Tide, Reese’s, Toyota, Snickers, Procter & Gamble, Porsche, Disney’s Mulan and Rocket Mortgage.
MoonPie added that it has tallied roughly 4.3 million organic impressions thus far, and it shared some positive reaction to its tweets.
Tombras president Dooley Tombras said in a release, “This would seem like a crazy idea for most brands, but it’s perfect for MoonPie because it’s an ‘Outta This World’ creative idea and media placement. Millions of consumers stop by gas station convenience stores on their way to parties or to stock up for their own gatherings. So, not only did we finally make a TV spot for MoonPie, but we did it while making sure we were in the right place at the right time with a spot worthy of advertising’s biggest day.”
Tombras chief creative officer Jeff Benjamin added, “Living in New York City for nine years where they have these baby gas stations, it had been a while since I’d been to a real, American fuel stop. The innovation that’s taken place fueled our thinking and made GSTV the perfect ‘Outta This World’ platform for our trilogy. What a fun way to keep this campaign running. I’m pumped.”
And GSTV president and CEO Sean McCaffrey said, “When Tombras approached us, we immediately realized their idea was a stroke of genius—and not just because of the spot’s creative vision. Brands today know that it’s increasingly difficult to find moments when consumer attention is truly focused, so with an unavoidably attention-grabbing spot and a media buy that leverages the full scale and capabilities of GSTV, it’s the perfect way to stand out.”