The more business we did, the more we needed to know about the people we were considering working with. This was before the internet – so you couldn’t just go online and look someone up. The investigation companies only worked with big corporations and couldn’t help us. So I found the right resource and started LCF, to investigate legal, corporate and financial affairs.
RJ Valentine, Chairman The MBA GroupHarbor Outdoor
More Reach in the Right Places
THE CONCEPT
Out-of-home (OOH) has long been considered to be a powerful medium. It’s the only advertising format that can’t be ignored. Daily impression numbers of bulletins at strategic locations, particularly in high-traffic areas, can deliver unmatched reach. The arrival of digital out-of-home (DOOH) changed the game from a single advertiser per side to 8 on each face of a sign, effectively increasing revenues fourteen-fold. In the U.S. alone, the DOOH industry generates billions and represents the lion’s share of OOH advertising. One of the other reasons this dynamic media captured our attention is that it has replaced television as the primary advertising vehicle due to commercial skipping. Digital signage is a more cost-effective and effective way to market than TV, as well as radio, print, online or other mediums.
THE MISSION
Ultimately, our focus was to become one of the preeminent independent outdoor advertising firms, specializing in DOOH. Our goal was to acquire and manage highly desirable existing assets that reach a minimum of 80,000-100,000 cars per day in the top 10 markets. Our objectives also included developing new signage through strategic real estate acquisitions and build outs. The over-arching mission was to offer clients high-profile locations in areas other outdoor resources don’t cover, as well as provide more advanced reporting and optimized inventory control through our dashboard platform technology.
THE MBA GROUP DIFFERENCES
Research – Based on the extensive OOH experience of our leadership team, we were able to identify premium signage locations and real estate properties, as well as secure permits for new builds. We tapped our considerable resources to amass an invaluable list of potential clients and advertising agencies to create a continuous sales pipeline.
Marketing – Over and above a well-designed website, marketing was centered around our veteran management team with a combined 70+ years of expertise in OOH. In addition to being seasoned pros in all aspects of the business, each had deep roots in a number of top U.S. markets, giving Harbor a competitive edge. The simultaneous emergence of 5G broadband provided the ability to deliver high definition image quality and faster digital throughput. Client testimonials, referrals, PR and social media also entered our marketing mix, as did publicized public alert campaigns, which added to the company’s growing credibility and awareness.
THE RESULTS
Today, Harbor Outdoor manages a vast portfolio of top tier digital signage locations across the country. Our DOOH campaigns have been hugely successful, earning Harbor ever-increasing budgets from some of the world’s largest brands and most prominent ad agencies.
Harbor Outdoor has carved out a significant piece of market share, and has firmly established itself as a formidable independent outdoor brand and one of the leading authorities on DOOH media.