New market
Gottesman makes a key distinction: The company is a tech firm, not an advertising firm.
CommuterAds bills itself as the world’s only GPS location-based media that allows local business to reach riders through audio and digital text scroll messaging on board buses and trains.
The concept is simple but powerful, company leaders say: Bus and train passengers hear and see commercials for schools, businesses and just about anything else as they pass key locations. A Greater Dayton RTA rider approaching Third and Ludlow downtown may be exposed, for example, to a Sinclair Community College ad on fall enrollment.
“Think of a 15-second radio commercial that comes over the (bus) speaker system,” Gottesman said. “But at the same time, you have the digital text scroll.”
Besides Milwaukee, CommuterAds Midwest has a presence in Chicago, Kansas City, Mo.; Des Moines; and Champaign, Ill.
Gottesman and his employees regularly ride buses in client cities to get a feel for how their technology is working. Nielsen said she road a bus in Toledo recently, and Gottesman rides RTA regularly.
Nielsen started with the company as a University of Dayton student and intern. She has seen the company grow from eight markets to 14. “I think we’re just going to continue to grow,” she said.
Gottesman expects future announcements, but the pace depends on overall demand and the support the company receives. He has received inquires from transit systems and interested observers in London and Israel.
“It really is limitless,” he said.