Startup Vibenomics Gets $5M Raise For Audio-Driven Digital OOH Network

November 25, 2019 by Dave Haynes

I’d imagine most ad media people think of digital out of home being a visual medium, but there’s a venture-funded start-up suggesting it can do targeted digital advertising at dispersed venues via audio.

Vibenomics, based in Indiana, has closed $5 million in new funding from a range of backers, to run what it calls its Audio Experience Solution.

The company uses curated playlists and professionally voiced promotional announcements in an audio service in some 4,000 locations in 45 states.

Vibenomics says its ad marketplace locations report consistently positive results, and that one retail chain partner achieved 42% sales lift and $1.9 million incremental revenue for an entertainment category advertiser.

“The new funding will be used primarily to expand the advertising marketplace by increasing the number of participating locations and building out the ad sales team,” says Brent Oakley, founder and CEO of Vibenomics. “We will focus on real-time custom branded and curated content, dynamic music and programmatic advertising across strategic marketing verticals and categories.”

Fully managed online, the company says, the platform “is easy to use for businesses or connected cities with a single location, yet powerful enough for larger, multi-site organizations. Clients work with Vibenomics Audio Experience Managers who control music, messaging, and advertising to customize the vibe in each location. Professional voice talent produces location-based messages that can be ready for play within hours of client requests.”

Interesting. In-store audio is definitely nothing new, nor is in-store shopper messaging or what sometimes gets called in-store radio. The idea of booked, non-endemic audio messaging that can be targeted from a central platform would have an attraction, though I am probably not the only one who enjoys a good music playlist but not the interstitial audio ads that interject between sets of tunes.

You would imagine someone, at some point, will ask if there are APIs to pair and sync these audio ads with corresponding or brand-aligned video ads – which right now would come off separate systems.