Dirk Hülsermann, Manager of VUKUNET DOOH Solutions at NEC Display Solutions Europe, is preparing his plans to reach the European market, catering of course for the different ways in which each country operates.
Dirk Hülsermann, NEC Display Solutions Europe
Freshly back from a trip to the US, where he had an in-depth look at how VUKUNET has worked in its first year of life in this market, Hülsermann told me “There are quite a few differences between the US and Europe as territories. In Europe, each country has its own billing systems, different taxation and specific legal requirements. VUKUNET will have to comply with the needs of each individual country.”
Aside from these types of country differences, he noted that there are also subdivisions within the territories, which are not necessarily based on geography.
“In Germany, for instance, the media is divided into seven regions (which are not necessarily linked with the country’s provinces). For planning and booking reasons we need to localize the system to cater for these regions. But it will also have to offer Pan European solutions,” he comments.
His plans for Europe will most likely start with the UK and German markets. Two of the strongest countries in this sector.
“VUKUNET consists of two platforms; one for the media agencies and the other for the network operator,” explains Hülsermann. “In the US, VUKUNET already has 800 network operators signed up and the company is now focusing on media agencies. In my visit to my colleagues in Chicago we created a simulation of how a DOOH campaign will work across different networks and how the performance will be reported. The results are amazing. The time and money that companies, agencies and networks can save by using the system, which can automate a whole DOOH campaign from planning and booking to flighting a whole campaign is a no brainer. There are a lot of DOOH Planning and Booking-Tools in the market, but none of them is able to automatically deliver a campaign, provide a realtime Proof-of-Performance report, regardless of the CMS and this is what the NEC technology can do”.
Hülsermann knows already who are the main European players. He has been working in this sector for the past six years. His experience dates back to when he was working with Mitsui as Business Development Manager EMEA, managing the strategic investments of the Japanese conglomerate in the Digital Signage and New Media sector. After this Hülsermann joined Digital Out of Home company Neo Advertising. Now, leading VUKUNET in Europe he will be able to use the knowledge acquired to expand the company.
However, the former venture capitalist, said that he is not planning any acquisitions for VUKUNET at the moment. “What we are looking for is strategic partners that will use VUKUNET, such as media agencies or DOOH network operators,” he said.
Hülsermann is glad to be working for a Japanese company like NEC, which allows the different sectors around the world to operate autonomously. He said, “NEC and Mitsui are both Japanese companies, but there are not the traditional type where decisions are taken in Japan irrespective of the territory. Decisions about what happens in Europe are taken by NEC Display Solutions Europe. It was the president of NEC Display Solutions Europe that decided to launch VUKUNET in this territory. This is a great combination. Japanese companies don’t shoot and run, they have a very strategic mind and make middle and long term plans. If you combine this with trust in your experts and local knowledge, you get a win-win situation.”
In the next couple of weeks Hülsermann will be laying down his ‘grand design’ to hit the target in the European market.
Dirk will be at the NEC Annual Showcase Event in Battersea in the UK April 6th. Dirk is also of course the President OVAB Europe.
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