Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
In the 12 months since Ströer SE & Co. KGaA and Ayuda Media Systems first announced their partnership, much progress has been made towards updating and modernising Ströer’s bespoke software ecosystem to lay the foundation for future programmatic innovation.
The migration of almost 3,500 screens to the Ayuda Platform was completed earlier this year with practically no downtime or disruption to the network. This is no small feat considering that the transition process involved remotely converting the player Operating System from Windows to Linux to reduce operating costs; physically swapping out older hardware devices to enable enhanced hardware acceleration features; and installing and configuring over 350 local Ayuda Cloud Extenders – software that minimizes the need for network bandwidth in malls and train stations throughout Germany.
Leveraging this updated software foundation, Ströer and Ayuda continue to push forward with innovative new features and technology on the Public Video network such as real-time Twitter and social feeds integration, deployment of state-of-the-art roadside digital billboards, and a dynamic, impression-based booking and playout system.
The innovation and progress that Ayuda has enabled at Ströer doesn’t stop with the digital technology landscape either. Working with Ströer’s local and regional sales force teams, Ayuda has deployed a tailor-made Local Sales app which is currently being rolled out across Germany to several hundred local sales reps. Developed as both a native iOS app, as well as a responsive HTML app, the Ayuda Juice app enables local sales teams to track leads and contacts for local business accounts and obtain a 360° view of the activities against those accounts. Future enhancements will include availability checking, proposal generation, and booking confirmations – all while on the go from a salesperson’s mobile device.
We are told that one of the cornerstones of the Ströer / Ayuda partnership is the shared vision of a programmatic future for OOH. Both companies firmly believe that the only way to exponentially grow OOH revenue is to enable programmatic initiatives that tap into new online/digital revenue streams. With that goal in mind, rather than introducing disruptive, new, OOH-specific programmatic solutions, Ayuda has integrated their OOH ad-tech platform with industry-leading online Demand Side Platforms (DSPs) by leveraging initiatives such as the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)’s OpenRTB and VAST industry standards.
Christian von den Brincken, Head of Business Development, Strategy and Innovation at Ströer and the chief driver of Ströer’s programmatic initiatives told us “When an online buying agency can use their existing demand-side tools to instantly purchase Public Video inventory alongside YouTube pre-roll video ads and mobile ads, we have successfully opened up new channels of revenue that we would never have seen. This dream is now a reality in our Public Video network”.
With several DSP integrations already completed and running pilot programmatic campaigns, interest from other leading DSPs has surged. “We are in contact with many of the largest online ad-tech suppliers in Germany and across the world,” says Bruno Guerrero, Director, Programmatic Products at Ayuda. “Our mission is to integrate our OOH ad-tech platform with as many online DSPs as possible in the coming months”.
With the partnership already bearing fruit in the form of a modernized digital infrastructure and enhanced sales tools, both companies are looking ahead to the coming years with the goal of extending the reach of OOH into the online programmatic ecosystem.
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