Lots of comments on yesterday’s story asking if out of home agencies, buying services and OOH operators are allies or competitors. Here’s a sample.
One reader says agencies, buying services and OOH operators are all on the same team.
I think that we both can co-exist and increase revenue for our business as well as the vendors and clients. We both have the same goals. Increase the utilization of out of home and the success of our clients. I don’t think we need to be battling one another. I do understand when a OOH buying service starts representing a current client of a vendor and then the OOH service wants discounts or bonus inventory. Why would the vendor be providing that when they already have the client. However, in some cases the OOH buying service may be bringing more dollars to the table or generating more revenue for out of home and the vendor. I think a key is treating each other with mutual respect and understanding we are all on the same team. I worked with a billboard company for 16 years and now with an OOH buying service and try to maintain a positive relationship and grow OOH!
Another reader says there’s a place for media buyers and agencies in a fragmented OOH world.
OOH owners have been trying to make thing difficult for media buyers and agencies for a while now. This is not new. Automation may intensify that effect, but businesses still like to use a media buyer for several reasons…not the least of which is that the industry is still extremely fragmented. Many cities of even moderate size still have over a dozen different billboard companies, not to mention the vendors of other OOH media such as transit, mobile, malls and other placed based OOH.
An out of home operator says there aren’t always common interests
The Buying Services I encounter are promoting their abilities to clients based on pitting suppliers against one another, in a game of who can sell the cheapest rate. They devalue the OOH Industry rather than promote it’s strengths. If OOH holds rate integrity, the Buying Service will advise the client they can get radio or tv to sell cheaper than OOH. I personally would like to see OOH Suppliers band together to eradicate these buying services, or have some type of agreement that works better than current.
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