Don Wright has nearly 50 years of experience in out of home advertising. He’s seen the industry as a billboard company sales rep and outdoor media buyer. Wright currently operates Billboard Consultants, an out of home buying service and space management service for independent small vendors. Today Don talks about his experiences as an out of home operator. Tomorrow Don talks about what clients look for when they buy out of home.Don, how did you get involved in the out of home business?
I started in billboard construction in 1968 during the summer with Waller-Wright Advertising; then to billposting in 1970; then to scheduling and handling national sales in 1971. Before long I was doing local sales. Much has changed through my career – poster paper to poster flex; handed painted bulletins to flex vinyl; now the LED Digitals. OAAA’s convention was almost a family reunion with many of the vendors being independent. We hosted the OAAA Convention in Nashville in 1975 and I believe had over 900 attendees – I think my Dad, Fred Wright, knew just about all of them. My father spent over 50 years in the out of home business, and now I have accomplished the same. Must have been something in the blood line.
Talk about your career
After working with Lamar in Mobile, AL; Albany, GA and Nashville, TN an opportunity opened in 1978 in Chicago with The Institute of Outdoor Advertising – the then marketing arm of OAAA. I admit after two years of Chicago’s brutal winters I was ready to move. Then I able to work with Don Burris of Donrey Media – Outdoor Division handing National Sales for their 11 offices. After a few years there Outdoor Communications ( OCI ) offered me their Tennessee State Sales Manager position as they had recently bought up numerous inventory throughout Tennessee. Later I hit that point in life wanting a change so I tried Real Estate as well as working sales for the local newspaper.
In 1987 an opportunity came up with The Buntin Agency in Nashville where my Dad, Fred Wright, asked if I wanted to try and help build Buntin Out-of-Home Media Service. With the hiring of two former Lamar Nashville employees Vivian Caldwell and Gina Body we began to place over $5 million in poster panels in the selected areas for Pinkerton Tobacco ( Red Man, Grainger Chewing tobacco ). Interesting is that we actually obtained $8 million in space due to our contacts across the nation and the demographic of the panel selections ( not rural but in mostly industrial areas were the DEC was low ).
Who’s the best out of home manager you’ve worked with and why?
Wow, you’re putting me on the spot because through the years I have dealt with many outstanding people. Back in the Buntin days I enjoyed working with Tom Pancamo, Patrick ( now Clear Channel ) of Houston, TX. He listened, he helped on rates, he made sure the job was done correctly and responded within 24 hours if an issue arose. If Tom said it was going to rain, I would get my umbrella. Tom has retired.
What trends have you seen in the business?
Today I deal with a lot of independent vendors who are so much easier to deal with than large corporations sales staff- – – biggest thing is the small vendors make you feel like they want and appreciate your business. I have bought space from independents and large firms at the same time – the small guy gets the copy up and the large company rep frequently will tell you they are so big they cannot get the copy up on time – bad answer.
While handing Luby’s I worked with so many small independent vendors in TX and OK but sadly many have sold off or are deceased – thus their names are no longer remembered. To me the hardest sell is the repeat business, not new business; reason is if you did not treat us properly, why should we pay 5% more the next year to be treated bad again. Sadly the sales reps from the large companies have no control over rates and service issues.
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