You might not think that old-school marketing strategies involving coffee cups and pizza boxes would appeal to social media natives like Gen Z, but that’s the essence of the new advertising marketplace for product campaigns.
New platform Anvara was founded by two Gen Z entrepreneurs who met in college and aims to simplify the media buying process for advertisers and suppliers, from campaign management to tracking physical product impressions. I am. The platform’s launch is scheduled for November and has attracted a variety of media agencies, sports teams and other brands who have expressed interest or signed up for a waiting list to join the online marketplace.
Founder Andrei Stenmark believes that Anvara offers large-scale “guerrilla marketing” in everyday products and places people are already exposed to, and this is coupled with social media and other forms of He said digital advertising is a way to stand out from the competition. Everything from shipping boxes to paper towels, sports stadium signage to branded rideshares is available and measurable on the platform. Stenmark said it will work much like other advertising marketplaces in Commerce Media and Connected TV.
“[If you want to] When you target 18-22 year olds in New York City who are interested in basketball, our platform looks at all the different listings available and automatically matches them based on their impressions of the data there. to find the most ideal listing. It’s for the target audience,” Stenmark explained.
Anvara aims to be the “Airbnb of cool advertising,” said co-founder Nick Kalili, adding that many Gen Z youth are currently “overstimulated by their phones.” added.
It can be difficult for competing calls to action to grab people’s attention on social feeds, “but not at Yankee Stadium or your favorite coffee shop,” Stenmark said.
By placing ads in these less media-saturated spaces, Anvara’s co-founders say the platform will help advertisers more effectively capture Gen Z’s attention with eye-catching products and experiential marketing. He said he believes it will help. Anvara also uses data and AI to identify campaigns and track footfall, demographics, and online engagement.
For brands, using the platform to choose from available advertising options and track revenue in real-time reduces planning time and costs, says Mitch Modell, former CEO of Modell’s Sporting Goods and current advisor to Anvara. he explains. Modell said his company is the nation’s largest retailer, purchasing millions of dollars in advertising annually and partnering with professional sports teams such as the Jets, Giants and Knicks.
“At the time, there was no easy way to measure sponsorship value or ROI, and it took our team months to plan,” says Modell. “With Anvara, you can do that in minutes, clearly see all your options, and track your earnings in real time.”
Organizations currently in the pre-release stage and on Anvara’s waiting list range from sports teams like the San Jose Sharks and Houston Astros to coffee shops, brands like Delta and Geico, and even media agencies like Spark Foundry. It’s wide-ranging. The platform’s founders say about 75 sports teams will be participating and about 100 to 125 advertisers interested in their inventory when the platform goes live next month.
Anvara’s launch comes at an opportune time in the OOH market. Programmatic digital OOH spending is expected to reach $1 billion this year, with outdoor remaining the largest venue category, accounting for 60% of spending, according to PlaceExchange. The number of programmatic OOH screens also grew by 17% in H1 2024, driven by entertainment, retail, transportation, and healthcare facilities.
OOH media company Kevani focuses on digital billboards and other advertising destinations, particularly in Los Angeles, Baltimore, and New York City, with 95% of its inventory being digital. Kebani’s clients include Google, Pepsi, and Spotify. Founder Kevin Vartanian, who is also a member of the Outdoor Advertising Association’s Innovation Committee, said OOH advertising offers a non-coercive experience and allows Gen Z consumers more flexibility in engaging with content, making it more appealing. It claims to be easy to accept. I would like to do so with these settings.
“[Gen Z] They are tired and want authentic, real-world experiences,” Vartanian said. “We don’t want to send the same message in every market. We want to have a message that’s specific to L.A. or relevant to what’s happening locally in a one-mile radius. I think those are things that really resonate with them.”
