Company: Signal Outdoor
Markets: Nationwide.
Headquarters: 200 Mansell Court East, Suite 325, Building 200, Roswell, Georgia 30076
Phone: 678-906-2960
Email: rickn@signaloutdoor.com
Signal Outdoor operates a plant of approximately 10,500 advertising displays on bus benches, bus shelters, and transit sides in over 100 municipalities. The company was established in 1989. In 2013, Signal was purchased by MSouth Equity Partners. Ray Moyers is Signal’s CEO. Rick Newcomer is EVP Sales and Marketing. Insider talked with Ray and Rick.
How did you get into the out of home business?
Ray – I had a good friend working for Whiteco in Dallas and he recruited me to come to work there as a leasing agent. That was in 1970 and it proved to be the start of a long OOH career. I was with Whiteco for 10 years in 6 different offices, most notably Brussels, Belgium. Some 47 years and 9 different OOH companies later, I am still enjoying my passion for the industry. I have been fortunate to travel extensively and work with some terrific people over the years.
Rick – I was fortunate to answer an ad for an account executive position with POA Acquisition Corporation in Myrtle Beach, SC in 1989. Prior to entering the billboard business, I had sold newspaper. I could not believe how easy and fun it was to sell outdoor.
Tell us about your plant.
Signal is an OOH media company focused on transit advertising. We sell advertising on street furniture and buses. We are blessed to have a great group of people who are dedicated to making Signal the best we can be. Division managers, sales people, administrative and operations personnel contribute to our success. But, we are also a service company working with numerous transit authorities on the east coast. We provide amenities such as bus shelters and benches for the transit operators. We also service and maintain the amenities, which can be demanding at times. But, we have some outstanding operations people who work very hard at keeping the shelters safe and clean for the bus riders.
Why has transit advertising been growing so much faster than the out of home industry as a whole?
I think the growth of mass transit has contributed to the growth of the transit advertising business. This creates more opportunities to place advertising in places that are seen in areas where traditional billboards are prohibited, such as residential areas, office parks and medical care complexes. New developments in advertising materials such as polyethylene film allow ads to stay up longer without losing their shape and color as happens with traditional paper.
Are digital signs a big part of the transit advertising future or will they be used only in the largest municipalities like New York City?
I tend to think that digital displays will stay in the large metro areas where there is significant pedestrian traffic in addition to the vehicle traffic moving at slower speeds. Both sides of the display can be seen effectively and this improves the number of impressions. Thus, better rates can be achieved to give good returns on the investment. And, the shelters are better insulated from vandalism where there is 24-hour activity.
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