PrimeNetGroup specializes in collecting media receivables. We talked with Jay Erikson, PrimeNetGroup, CEO to learn more about the company.

Tell us about your background

I come from the media and advertising world, not traditional collections. I began as an OOH broker or “placement agent” in 2000.  I had  mentors at Lamar and AK Media (later absorbed by Clear Channel) who really helped me in my first 5-10 years.  I then expanded to digital media, radio and eventually podcasting.  The best piece of advice I’ve ever received was “Sales are easy if you stop viewing it as a sale and just try to add value”. That background is foundational to PrimeNet Group. I’ve spent years working directly with media companies—understanding how advertising inventory is sold, how campaigns are structured, how billing cycles work, and where/why breakdowns in payment typically occur.

What I saw repeatedly was that media companies were being forced to use generic commercial collection firms or law firms that didn’t understand their business, their clients, or the long-term value of advertiser relationships. That disconnect often led to unnecessary write-offs, damaged relationships, and poor recovery performance.  PrimeNet Group was created to solve that exact problem by bringing media industry fluency into revenue recovery.

What is PrimeNet Group and how can it help out-of-home advertising companies?

PrimeNet Group works exclusively with media providers, including out-of-home advertising companies, billboard operators, digital signage networks, and broadcasters.  Any company that has ever sold advertising has dealt with 90+ or 180+ day late payments.  Generally, there will be a call from the accounts receivable team to the sales person- the sales person contacts the company and depending on the situation, the buyer contacts their accounts payable teams and if it isn’t resolved (for whatever reason) in-house- then the account is sent to collections or a law firm to try and recover the campaign funds.  The problem with this method is, there are many reasons on why the campaign wasn’t paid in full and on time.  There is a vast space between in-house collecting and litigation.  PrimeNet closes that gap and helps media providers hand over their hard-to-collect accounts without a fee and we get to the source of the problem without costly litigation.

How does the process work?

The process begins with a no-obligation audit and a detailed review of the past-due accounts. We evaluate account age, advertiser history, agency involvement, and the underlying media contracts or insertion orders.  We use a tiered recovery strategy that combines:

• Direct, hands-on outreach by experienced recovery specialists
• Media-aware communication that speaks the advertiser’s/agency’s language
• Technology-driven tracking, reporting, and escalation when appropriate

We also offer a Recovery Audit Report, where we provide insight into why certain accounts stalled, how future deals can be structured for better collectability, and where small operational changes can significantly improve cash flow.  Clients maintain visibility throughout the process, and strategies are adjusted based on real-world results—not rigid scripts.  Again, we act as an extension to media vendor’s accounting team.  We aren’t on payroll and we do not have retainer

How do you get paid.

We operate on a contingency-based model, meaning we only get paid when we successfully recover revenue for our clients. There are no upfront collection fees for standard recovery work.  This structure aligns our incentives directly with our clients’ outcomes. If we don’t perform, we don’t earn.  We do not have a standard “rate card” as each portfolio and accounts are different.  We charge a percentage of what we bring back for our clients.  Although our focus is on past due collections , we also can organize account receivable processes and conduct efficiency audits to help the sales-invoicing and collecting.

To learn more about PrimeNetGroup, email jay@PrimeNetGroup.com or call 727–355–2562.

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