This story originally appeared on https://rjionline.org/
If your audience won’t come to you, maybe it’s time to think about going to your audience. That’s one of the guiding principles for a new pilot project from RJI, Dynasty Media and Minnesota Digital.
The project, which builds on a successful experiment at the Minneapolis Spokesman-Recorder last year, involves using digital screens strategically located throughout St. Louis that will offer news and information along with advertising messages.
“Our goal is to give Black media a bigger voice and some type of competitive advantage in the larger mass communication landscape,” said David Beckford, Creative Director, and Founder of Dynasty Media.
As the audience for printed products continues to slowly decline, black-owned newspaper publishers have struggled to transition their readers to digital products, Beckford said. Trying a different strategy just makes sense, he added.
That different approach worked well for The Spokesman-Recorder, which used 10 screens throughout the city to display news, event information and advertising. The project generated more than $65,000 in advertising and sponsorship revenue in the first six months.
St. Louis will have at least a dozen screens in restaurants, office buildings and coffee shops. Harris Stowe University, the well-known Annie Malone Children’s Home and two NAACP offices have also requested to join the network.
The monthly combined in-person audience is projected to exceed 100,000 visitors in various building lobbies, offices, and other locations where screens will be operating up to 16 hours daily, Beckford said.
That’s not all: Instead of limiting the content to one publisher, as was the case with the Spokesman-Recorder’s successful effort, Dynasty Media is also creating a coalition of area publishers who can supply unique content and benefit from the revenue generated.
Installation of the screens is under way and the network is expected to go live in June.
Walter Pritchard is a communications specialist and accomplished writer with more than 35 years of
experience in journalism, public relations, advertising, nonprofit and sports marketing, and public
elementary education as a teacher.
Dynasty Media Agency connects the all-important digital revenue dots between BIPOC
Publishers and the audiences they serve with various cutting-edge opportunities including
media buys over 10 to 25 publishing platforms that feature direct lead generation on a national
scale. Learn more: https://youtu.be/vTO1dgHIZ70 Visit: dynastymediaagency.com
Minnesota Digital, a technology-forward company, based in Minneapolis, that is the nation’s
leader in creating ad-supported indoor digital newsboard networks.
