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.
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.
