• by Charlene Weisler , Op-Ed Contributor, September 3, 2014

Barry Frey, president and CEO of the Digital Place-Based Advertising Association (DPAA), has always enjoyed observing how technology has changed consumer media habits, and then acting upon his observations by spearheading a variety of successful business initiatives for advertisers and media owners. Since joining DPAA in May 2013, Frey has helped elevate digital place-based media's profile in today's Video Everywhere ecosystem.

Given his background, it’s no surprise that Frey has enjoyed great success at DPAA. He helped grow Turner Broadcasting's ad sales division, worked at USA Networks in both business development and in its international division, managed media and marketing partnerships at the NBA and, most recently, built Cablevision's digital platform for mobile, Internet and advanced advertising.

CW: What is the DPAA, and what does it do?

BF:  The DPAA has been around for about eight years under varied monikers. We are the trade association for all of the network companies that have screens across the country that you see in your everyday life and travels. Specifically, the screens you see in office elevators, doctors' offices, bars, taxi cabs, malls, gyms, retail space, airlines, airports and so on.  Our association helps advertisers and agencies plan, set guidelines and execute buys across these digital networks.

CW: How is place-based media measured?

BF: Nielsen is the dominant measurement for DPB's video networks. This currency enables TV advertisers to increasingly make demo impression-based buys across our medium.

CW: Tell me about some of your recent initiatives.

BF: Our big tentpole marketing campaign is Video Everywhere. Video Everywhere speaks to the fact that video today is being consumed everywhere -- over a litany of devices, a plethora of platforms from mobile to screens to tablets to phablets, over the top television and VOD. And the same consumption patterns that used to exist in the living room and the family room with television are now being spread out over a multitude of screens.

So the challenge for advertisers is how they can capture all video impressions, generate reach and speak to light TV viewers. The beauty of our industry's screens, now that video is everywhere, is that advertisers can target consumers by geography, mindset, daypart, the day's weather and so on. They can reach people on the go in the correct contextual environment, maybe on the way to make a purchase or throughout their day where they are thinking about brands.  Our Video Everywhere campaign will now be adding the subtexts of Digital Drivers and Media Matters,   because we are connecting to mobile and to digital in a big way.