Captivate Network
Encyclopedia
Captivate Network is the digital out-of-home advertising
network unit of Gannett Company
(NYSE: GCI). It delivers digital news and advertising to nearly 3 million consumers on high-resolution, flat-panel television
screens mounted in elevator
s and lobbies of large urban office
buildings and suburban office campuses. Captivate has approximately 10,000 screens in nearly 1,000 buildings in 24 of the top major metro areas or Designated Market Area (DMAs) of North America, delivering 50 million advertising impressions per month.
The Chelmsford, MA-based company serves corporate, advertising, and real estate customers. It streams news and entertainment content from over 100 major media outlets – such as The Associated Press, USA Today
, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times
, WebMD
, Wired
and Yahoo – as well as its own original content, simultaneously with advertising in a split screen format. Because of its focus on major metropolitan office towers, advertisers use the Captivate network in an attempt to reach business professionals at their workplace. Similarly, office building owners and managers install Captivate screens to offer their tenants and visitors a premium building amenity.
Unlike most digital news and advertising networks, which rely on RSS feeds from external news sources, Captivate employs a team of professional editors who customize its news and entertainment content in real time for a local audience and the short format of its digital screens.
Captivate’s Canadian network is operated out of Toronto.
, Michael DiFranza, saw an opportunity to make people’s uneasiness in crowded elevators more comfortable by providing video media for them to watch. DiFranza launched the company with co-founders Todd Newville and Ray Pineau in October 1997, with its first installation at Boston’s Seaport Hotel.
In March 2001, Captivate merged with its competitor – Toronto, Ontario-based Elevator News Network (ENN) – to form the largest elevator media network company. ENN continued to operate in Canada under its own name until November 2001, when it changed its name to Captivate to establish a unified brand
across North America.
Gannett Co., Inc. acquired the assets of Captivate Network in April 2004.
In July 2008, Captivate launched a family of blog
s based on the topics most popular amongst viewers. And in May 2009, Captivate added online and live event programs to extend advertising programs beyond elevator screens.
and ambient ad platforms – was a $2.43 billion in 2008, with the video advertising segment comprising approximately $1 billion. DOOH also comprises 29.1% of overall out-of-home advertising
.
Out-of-Home Video Advertising Bureau (OVAB), the not-for-profit
pro-industry association formed in early 2007 in order to promote the advancement of out of home video and digital advertising networks.
Out-of-Home Marketing Association of Canada (OMAC)
.
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
network unit of Gannett Company
Gannett Company
Gannett Company, Inc. is a publicly-traded media holding company headquartered in Tysons Corner, Virginia, United States, near McLean. It is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher as measured by total daily circulation. Its assets include the national newspaper USA Today and the weekly USA Weekend...
(NYSE: GCI). It delivers digital news and advertising to nearly 3 million consumers on high-resolution, flat-panel television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
screens mounted in elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
s and lobbies of large urban office
Office
An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
buildings and suburban office campuses. Captivate has approximately 10,000 screens in nearly 1,000 buildings in 24 of the top major metro areas or Designated Market Area (DMAs) of North America, delivering 50 million advertising impressions per month.
The Chelmsford, MA-based company serves corporate, advertising, and real estate customers. It streams news and entertainment content from over 100 major media outlets – such as The Associated Press, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, WebMD
WebMD
WebMD is an American corporation which provides health information services. It was founded in 1996 by Jim Clark and Pavan Nigam as Healthscape, later Healtheon, and then acquired WebMD in 1999 to form Healtheon/WebMD...
, Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
and Yahoo – as well as its own original content, simultaneously with advertising in a split screen format. Because of its focus on major metropolitan office towers, advertisers use the Captivate network in an attempt to reach business professionals at their workplace. Similarly, office building owners and managers install Captivate screens to offer their tenants and visitors a premium building amenity.
Unlike most digital news and advertising networks, which rely on RSS feeds from external news sources, Captivate employs a team of professional editors who customize its news and entertainment content in real time for a local audience and the short format of its digital screens.
Captivate’s Canadian network is operated out of Toronto.
History
The idea for Captivate Network came during an elevator ride when Captivate co-founder and CEOChief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
, Michael DiFranza, saw an opportunity to make people’s uneasiness in crowded elevators more comfortable by providing video media for them to watch. DiFranza launched the company with co-founders Todd Newville and Ray Pineau in October 1997, with its first installation at Boston’s Seaport Hotel.
In March 2001, Captivate merged with its competitor – Toronto, Ontario-based Elevator News Network (ENN) – to form the largest elevator media network company. ENN continued to operate in Canada under its own name until November 2001, when it changed its name to Captivate to establish a unified brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
across North America.
Gannett Co., Inc. acquired the assets of Captivate Network in April 2004.
In July 2008, Captivate launched a family of blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s based on the topics most popular amongst viewers. And in May 2009, Captivate added online and live event programs to extend advertising programs beyond elevator screens.
Market
Captivate Network’s at-work news and advertising network is a segment of the digital out-of-home (DOOH) market, which is essentially any type of digital advertising that reaches the consumer while he or she is outside the home. According to the Digital Out-of-Home Media Forecast 2008-2012 from PQ Media, the U.S. DOOH media industry – which includes video ad networks, digital signageDigital signage
Digital signage is a form of electronic display that shows television programming, menus, information, advertising and other messages. Digital signs can be found in public and private environments, such as retail stores, hotels, restaurants and corporate buildings.Digital signage Displays are most...
and ambient ad platforms – was a $2.43 billion in 2008, with the video advertising segment comprising approximately $1 billion. DOOH also comprises 29.1% of overall out-of-home advertising
Out-of-home advertising
Out-of-home advertising is made up of more than 100 different formats, totaling $6.99 billion in annual revenues in 2008 in the USA. Outdoor advertising is essentially any type of advertising that reaches the consumer while he or she is outside the home...
.
Membership'
Captivate Network is a member of:Out-of-Home Video Advertising Bureau (OVAB), the not-for-profit
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
pro-industry association formed in early 2007 in order to promote the advancement of out of home video and digital advertising networks.
Out-of-Home Marketing Association of Canada (OMAC)
Competitors
Office Media Network, the creator of The Wall Street Journal Office Network in partnership with Dow Jones & CompanyDow Jones & Company
Dow Jones & Company is an American publishing and financial information firm.The company was founded in 1882 by three reporters: Charles Dow, Edward Jones, and Charles Bergstresser. Like The New York Times and the Washington Post, the company was in recent years publicly traded but privately...
.