Media Insights Q&A with David Leider - Charlene Weisler

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Cover image for  article: Media Insights Q&A with David Leider - Charlene Weisler

David Leider is the CEO of GSTV, also known as Gas Station TV. David has an extraordinary background in media, particularly at the agencies –both traditional and interactive – and at Yahoo!. Now, his work with away-from-home television has spawned new measurement techniques and has created more valuation opportunities for all digital out of home advertising. In this interview, David talks about GSTV, the special Nielsen-based measurement he used for valuation, how his service is unique from other digital away-from-home advertising and video content providers. He also talks about the differences in agency shops from traditional to interactive and how they are evolving as well as positing how the media landscape will look in the next five years.David+Leider

The videos in this fascinating interview cover the following topics:
Subject Length (in minutes)
Background (5:35)
GSTV & Measurement (9:04)
Future, Out of Home (6:16)
Ethnography and Environment (7:07)

Below is a short excerpt of some of the video interview. Direct links to the full interview videos can be found at WeislerMedia blog.

CW: David, you have experience in both traditional and interactive agencies. What would you say is are the major differences in the two and how do you see each type of agency evolving in this new media environment?

DL: I think one of the major differences is that traditional agencies in general have worked across multiple disciplines, whether its television buying and planning, radio buying and planning, out of home buying and planning and creative development. So they have been jack-of-all-trades. And what we have seen is a big influence from the digital buying agencies into specialization. So you are now seeing specialization in traditional agencies where you have media buying shops and you've got creative shops. Advertisers are using them for different reasons. I think the digital groups have shown that technology can bring all these things together. So standalone interactiveagencies like Organic where I worked in the past have been brought into the fold of holding companies for the traditional agencies– and they have tried to focus on integration. The holding companies that have been most successful, the ones that have broke down the walls between these different types of agencies and working holistically – the 360 degree approach - have been the most successful.

CW: Tell us a little bit about Gas Station TV.

DL: I came from a traditional agency background and then on the digital side. I found that there was a clear need to address the fact that people were not spending enough time – quality time – with advertising on television. There are a lot of reports that say that it (traditional TV viewing) is humming along, but in fact DVR penetration (especially among younger people), people watching on their computer, people multi-tasking – all those themes that people have talked about for so long are truly happening right now. So giving advertisers an outlet where their messages can be seen is very important to me. Television is great. I love watching television. But "Event television" (the Super Bowl, the Oscars, etc.) and you need to be able to take those experiences and get them in front of people where they are. People are so busy. People are running around daily, doing their errands, they are going back and forth from work. What Gas Station TV does is that it is that pause point during people's day, that 5 minutes of time where you have the opportunity to really capture someone and get them to understand the messaging. Entertain them. Inform them. And it seemed like a natural evolution for me to bring the interactive and television perspective together and help marketers achieve their goals. We do this by delivering over 26 million at the pump viewers and almost 30 million total, including our C-Store TV network.

 

CW: How is it measured?

DL: We are measured by Nielsen just like traditional television. We do monthly pocketpieces just like traditional television and we have audience breaks and demographics. It is really solid because it is tied to a universal truth and that is: A transaction is happening at that pump. It is a lot different than when you are in your living room. You might have gone up to go to the bathroom, you might have your computer in front of you, you might have your kids, and you might have your dogs. All of those different things that you are doing that happen with traditional media. More importantly there is no on or off button. You are there and you are going to be watching. No one can change the channel…..

Interview conducted by Charlene Weisler, Weisler Media LLC. She can be reached through her research blog www.WeislerMedia.blogspot.com email at WeislerMedia@yahoo.com and www.twitter.com/weislermedia

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