GSTV operates a national network of digital screens at gas stations that reach millions of Americans every day. We spoke with David Kovall, VP of Digital Media Partnerships at GSTV.
What’s your role at GSTV?
At GSTV, I oversee the Programmatic practice as well as our Digital Extensions solutions. As programmatic demand for GSTV continues to grow, my goal is to make it easy for advertisers to access our supply through their preferred DSP. As programmatic capabilities evolve, we want to empower our clients to take advantage of these advanced solutions to help achieve their business goals.
What are some recent company milestones?
Most recently, GSTV announced a new partnership with Comscore where Comscore will provide independent, third-party audience measurement for GSTV. Comscore will report on network-level reach, frequency, and impressions by demo and market, facilitating the planning of campaigns including GSTV. This will provide our advertisers the accuracy, transparency, and accountability that they expect from major sources of video inventory. In addition, Comscore will integrate GSTV audience data into its cross-media planning tools, including Comscore Plan Metrix Multi-Platform, providing visibility into the incremental reach of omni-channel media plans including GSTV.
GSTV is also a network that is actively growing. We are currently at 26,000 fuel retailer sites and reach more than 96 million unique monthly viewers every month. For perspective, we can be viewed at more locations than the top two U.S. coffee retailers combined.
Which verticals/brands do you work with most?
Some of our top verticals include QSR, CPG, financial services, automotive, and telcom. I’m also proud to be part of a company that leverages our network for good. GSTV has an ongoing partnership with the Ad Council and we also partner with the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children where posters of missing children air on our network, in locations where they are most likely to be found.
What differentiates GSTV inventory?
Unlike most OOH that is static, GSTV broadcasts premium video with sound during a 1 to 1 transaction. Perhaps the most important differentiator is the context of where and when we deliver ads. Our audience spends 3.9x more at big box stores within the first three hours after fueling up, and on average consumers spend 1.7x more after fueling up. These insights are extremely important because it allows advertisers to reach an audience in the purchase mindset and right before they are going to spend more than others who didn’t just fuel up.
What do you know about the GSTV audience?
In addition to some of the insights just shared, we know our audience is engaged and real. This means we can guarantee that GSTV viewers will have a guaranteed 1:1, fraud-free engagement with the content shown on our screens. In addition, because we reach more than 1 in 3 U.S. adults 18+ and 93% of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a GSTV station, we reach a wide swath of the country. For a targeted audience, each of our sites acts like an addressable household. We can use digital audiences derived from 1st and 3rd party data combined with location data to help advertisers reach their desired audience target. For example, we can help advertisers reach home DIY enthusiasts, soda drinkers, or visitors of a particular grocery chain.
In addition, because most of our audience owns a car, we also know that we are reaching a young and affluent audience that is 75% 18-49 year olds, 38% with a household income of $100K or more, and 62% with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
How has COVID-19 changed your outlook on OOH?
As we lived through (and continue to navigate) Covid-19, GSTV was in a unique position. Through our network partnership with fuel retailers who were deemed essential businesses, our network became an important source of food, fuel, and information. We partnered with the CDC to share important educational PSAs about Covid-19 and with organizations like Dining at a Distance, the Red Cross and others who needed to communicate about their own important community and health initiatives. I’ve always known the power of our network to reach consumers, and we saw that magnified with the pandemic.
What do you value most in your partnership with Place Exchange?
Place Exchange has enabled GSTV to win business that we otherwise would not have crossed paths with. I really like that Place Exchange has a collaborative sales team that evangelizes our unique inventory. The Place Exchange team is building something attractive for media owners and DSPs, and I look forward to continued growth between us.
What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not at work?
I’m a big fan of travel, outdoor activities like hiking and skiing, and eating excellent food with my family. While the pandemic has been a nightmare, we did make the best of it by moving to Park City, Utah for three months this past winter. Remote working and skiing go well together!