PressDOOH communications firm launched to support digital signage with press, media materials

TORONTO, Ontario — A new media communications firm called pressDOOH has launched to help companies in the fast-evolving digital signage and digital out of home (DOOH) industries break out from a highly competitive pack.

pressDOOH is positioned to help established and start-up companies develop effective communications material, such as press releases, white papers and case studies, to help build market awareness and drive new business.

The founder and principal of pressDOOH, Dave Haynes, is a well-known industry pioneer who made the leap from mainstream print journalism to new media in the mid-’90s and has been involved in the digital signage and DOOH sectors for more than a decade. Haynes is the writer behind Sixteen:Nine, one of the nascent industry’s most widely-read and respected blogs.

“Writing is in my DNA, and this is really just a return to my roots,” said Haynes, who for the past few years has done senior-level business development for two of the biggest names in the software side of the industry. “I have watched the industry evolve and mature for years now, and I’ve noticed a clear need for a communications company that can help a lot of CEOs and presidents build awareness and profile.”

Haynes suggests only a handful of companies are engaging formal PR firms to drive communications, using people who typically have little or no idea about this industry and its many dynamics. The rest either go without any press or other communications, or develop and send out missives only sporadically, at best.

“I’ve been reading press releases and white papers for years now, because of my blogging work,” said Haynes, “and I’m amazed by how much ill-conceived or misleading material gets sent out in an attempt to get attention from blogs, news portals and trade publications. What these companies don’t realize is how damaging that can be in an industry that is so tight-knit and scrutinized. I’ve read all kids of announcements that probably seemed like good ideas, but show a real lack of perspective on the part of whoever is doing the media. Handled well, though, things like press releases and papers are a hugely cost-effective way to make noise in the market.”

With low overheads and little or no learning curve to climb with customers, Haynes says pressDOOH’s fees should typically land well below PR industry norms. The work will also automatically get filtered and spun by someone who knows what matters, and what the trade wants to see.