More Evidence SeeSaw Is Done

February 14, 2012 by Dave Haynes

I’ve not had any luck working contacts and verifying the rumored demise of SeeSaw Networks, but a website that no longer works was and is a pretty strong indicator. Now Linkedin has popped up with updates on contacts, including one from SeeSaw co-founder Rocky Gunderson, who now lists himself as a Principal with SierraRock – which I assume by the lack of website is Rocky’s own boutique consulting firm.

Last fall, I popped by the company’s San Francisco offices and thought it seemed awfully quiet around there, but was told it was always like that.

The effort to roll up and represent multiple networks and profiles in one meeting and one buy always seemed to make a bunch of sense, but SeeSaw and its rival Adcentricity (also very quiet of late) were having to deal with all kinds of network operators with little or no measurement, shaky reliability and sometimes dubious media propositions.

With consolidation and larger networks gobbling up the better smaller ones, media planners can get pretty good coverage investing in just the major Digital OOH networks. Research from firms like PQ Media is showing the top 10 networks control 70% of the revenue, and that most networks out there generate less than $1 million in annual ad revenues. So commissions on the aggregates of all that would not be all that high.

I’d love to hear from people related to SeeSaw to get the story on where things are at, as well as more learned opinions than my own on the prospects for companies that are built around selling and managing the media avails for Digital OOH networks.

 

 

  1. Lyle Bunn says:

    The SeeSaw situation points to the problem of “investor fatigue,” not just with ad-based networks, but potentially with branded and corporate networks. There are 355 (by my count) ad-based Digital place-based networks currently operating in North America, all of which scramble for slices of a pie not growing at a pace consistent with the inherent capabilities of the medium. Watch for actions that address, discussions at upcoming industry gatherings – and at LyleBunn.com

  2. Lyle Bunn says:

    Sorry if that seemed like a plug Dave.. but that sound of the industry grinding its own gears in search of the next plateau of performance is painful to all ears.

  3. Sad to see this happen, but it must have been very hard to manage the aggregation of such disparate networks and sell into the maelstrom of media options in the fragmented ad space. Brands are having to suddenly manage facebook, mobile apps and sites while the traditional media they have always counted on crumbles and fails in some areas, especially print.

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