In our latest Media Owner of the Month profile, we sat down with Eli Chmouni, CEO and Founder of Surf Media, Inc. As ridesharing continues to grow in popularity, businesses such as Surf have emerged, bringing digital signage to these mobile venues. Below is our Q&A with Eli where we learned more about the Surf network and their innovative approach to digital out-of-home media.
Could you describe your business – the types of screens in your inventory, where you can find SURF's screens, regions in which you operate, etc. – and what your network offers brands?
“Surf places interactive tablets in rideshare cars to entertain passengers and to promote businesses and brands. Think in-flight entertainment, but in your next Uber or Lyft ride.
With an average trip duration of 17 minutes, Surf offers advertisers the opportunity to connect with a captive, engaged audience among additional high-quality entertainment content. Surf’s platform features videos from top content creators including Paramount, So Yummy, CHIVE TV and many more. This month Surf announced an exclusive partnership with iHeartRadio to bring music streaming and live radio to its platform as well.
Surf can be found in Uber and Lyft cars across Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Denver, Chicago, Miami and Las Vegas. Each month over 3 million passengers connect with a Surf tablet.”
Where do you see the digital out-of-home industry moving in the next 12 months?
“Digital out-of-home is undoubtedly on the rise, with the market expected to shoot from 12 billion in 2016, to 26 billion by 2023. Advertisers are taking notice as DOOH continues to outperform its traditional counterparts.
The potential to reach consumers outside of their homes is at an all time high and will only continue to grow as we become a more mobile society. Pair that with the fact that the average American consumes 2.8 hours of video content each day, and you get an opportunity to connect that mobility with our desire for quality content. At Surf we help advertisers to leverage these trends in the DOOH industry while providing the consumer with a valuable entertainment outlet.”
What has been Vistar’s most valuable contribution to your business? / What Vistar software capabilities do you find most useful?
“Vistar is a powerful tool for advertisers to connect with platforms that provide brand value and reach. Advertisers can rest assured that the impressions served are legitimate and verified. This enables innovative, new platforms like Surf to connect with buyers and gain traction, and to be part of a larger ecosystem of out-of-home advertisers.
With Surf ads playing in rideshare cars across the country, Vistar’s geo-targeting capabilities are also hugely important to serving our advertisers’ campaigns. With these tools we can geo-fence a businesses’ location, run promotions during a local event and even pinpoint ads by time of day.”
What is the one thing that you wish more digital buyers knew about out-of-home?
“Out-of-home is much more than just billboards. There are many different mediums, screens and opportunities for brands to communicate their message. In addition, out-of-home is one of the only advertising options where impressions can be verified with zero fraud. Unlike online clicks or views, a tangible display such as those in retail stores, airports (or in our case, rideshare cars) cannot be faked. These venues have a real, proven physical presence.”
Ready to find out how you can buy premium inventory from networks like Surf?
Or do you want to learn more about how Vistar can support your digital signage network?
Click here to read our other Media Owner of the Month posts.
