With new LCD technology hitting the fast lane lately, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to see the technology turning up in some unusual places. Enter Westinghouse Digital Electronics, the fourth largest manufacturer of LCD TVs in the U.S., and their recent announcement of an exclusive arrangement with AdtekMedia, Inc. to significantly accelerate the national expansion of “PumpTop TV,” AdtekMedia’s premier digital media network. Westinghouse Digital will build and install turnkey display systems for fuel pumps serviced by AdtekMedia’s narrowcast network, which will deliver news content and advertising to gas station consumers as they fuel their vehicles. The Westinghouse commitment involves supplying complete systems to be installed onto thousands of gas station pumps in each of sixty of the largest U.S. markets, thus creating one of the largest Out-of-Home Digital Media networks in the U.S., reaching more than 100 million drivers each month.
Westinghouse Digital explains that, “PumpTop TV brings the power of television to the gas pump and captures the attention of consumers in an engaging five-minute program of news, sports, entertainment, weather and traffic interspersed with advertising.” Using both audio and video, advertisers reach a captive audience of adults during a natural dwell time out of the home, where nearly 75% of purchase decisions are made.
Out-of-Home Digital Media networks are rapidly emerging as key marketing and communications channels, and advertisers are now incorporating such networks into their marketing plans and media buys. Cinemas, grocery stores, shopping malls, retail stores and other “captive environment” venues are already delivering advertising and programming to consumers via networked digital displays. With nearly 170,000 locations in the U.S., Westinghouse Digital told us that gas stations represent one of the best Out-of-Home Digital Media venue opportunities.
“Westinghouse Digital’s technology expertise in displays allows development of next generation, fully integrated systems for gas station narrowcasting. The system includes dual 19” widescreen high-resolution displays (on both sides of the pump), computer, and networking components with wireless delivery along with a server backbone,” the company said in a statement.
PumpTop TV is currently evaluating national and regional content providers for its network. The near term roll out plan for PumpTop TV calls for expedited completion of the current build-out of the Los Angeles market, quickly followed by full entry into other key U.S. demographic markets including San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, San Diego, Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston.
