Zany, Zany Simage Network
Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
The Chicago-based Simage Network is a weird one. We are not saying it is a bad network but we don’t quite get it. From the outside they look very much to us like a content producer who installed a few dozen screens in Chicago bars and then realised that they didn’t actually want to run an advertising supported network!
Occasionally we will get an email blast from them and we of course take a look – always being interested in knowing what’s out there and what’s going on.
The CEO, Thomas Simonds is obviously a bright guy (a BA from Yale in 1992 and an MBA from Kellogg in 2008) and a good businessman (he founded InterAccess, a Chicago Internet Service Provider in April 1993 and sold it to Dallas-based Allegiance Telecom in June of 2000) and the network seems to have some good executives on board as well BUT the web site and the email blasts are as zany as hell.
With their latest email out exclaiming “Free Beer For A Year! Play Charades!” and “Calling All Artists! Simage Network Wants You!” we still don’t know what to make of them.
Best guess at the moment is that they are some sort of a hybrid content-oriented network in bars but you wouldn’t necessarily know that from their web site and whilst the 21-30 crowd is no doubt an important demographic found in bars I am not sure that if I were a national advertiser I would necessarily be convinced to advertise with them in their current guise.
August 27th, 2010 at 15:35 @691
Adrian,
Thanks for the write up, but you are obviously missing the point, along with the rest of the industry. Which to me is what is making us successful. We are the only network that is producing it’s own original HD content and mini-television programs.
While the other companies in our industry are buying recycled content from the same providers, we have stepped up to the plate to hire producers, animators and directors of photography to produce the footage and interactive entertainment that not only has national brands excited, but the media and the Emmy awards.
Your definition of “zany” is what big advertisers look at as creative and original.
Here are a few articles written by the mainstream media, who have noticed us and are applauding our efforts.
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/thats-awesome/2010/06/lets-play-charades-for-free-beer-for-a-year.html
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-food-snob/2010/07/the-john-daly.html
I invite you to put down the poison pen and re-visit our web site, under national advertisers you will see that the proof is in the pudding. Under Charades, you will see that we have our viewers interacting with the screens in an entertaining way and not just asking people to “text to see another tired video of people jumping out of a plane.”
As a journalist, I make it a point to call up the people I am writing about and ask them questions before I write about them. I checked around our office and nobody got that call from you.
You are right, Tom Simonds is a smart guy, and knows how to build a business. I invite you to give him a call and learn more about how we are changing the industry.
Thanks again for the write up.
David Wallach
Executive Producer
The Simage Network