Watchfire and Blip Partner on Billboard Content Scheduling

Danville, Illinois-based LED sign maker Watchfire Signs announces a partnership with Blip, a Provo, Utah-based  company that allows brief snippets-“blips,” about 7 ½­-10 seconds each-of advertising to be shown at the time of the customers’ choosing on billboards in the U.S. that are part of the Blip network.

According to the two companies, this integration will enable Watchfire customers to use its inventory management system-Ignite OA-as usual, but now also to further maximize revenue by seamlessly enabling sales through the Blip marketplace.

“This is a release our customers have been asking for,” says Watchfire’s vice president, digital billboard division, Darrin Friskney. “Billboard operators love our software, Ignite OA, and they love the revenue Blip delivers; but they wanted them both in one easy-to-use platform. This is it. The day-to-day use of Ignite remains, and to enable Blip, our customers flip a switch to make their inventory part of the program. It’s easy and will increase revenue.”

For Vince Miller, president of St. Louis-based DDI Media, he says he believes the deal will appeal to a whole new audience that previously may have been unable to consider billboard advertising.

“(Working with Blip,) we’re now connecting with smaller businesses who wouldn’t normally have the budget or scale to buy OOH advertising,” Miller says. “Blip has brought us incremental revenue from new customers, without competing against our sales team or targeting our existing client base. There have even been months where Blip has been my number one or number two salesperson for their allocated inventory.”

Adds Blip president and co-founder, James Munnerlyn, “It requires technology and intelligent automation to service small- and medium-sized businesses in a profitable manner. By integrating Blip into Ignite, Watchfire users get a push-button solution to profitably gain access to Blip revenue from net-new audiences.”