EL DORADO, Ark. -- Murphy Oil USA Inc. has signed a deal with Gas Station TV (GSTV). The exclusive agreement will provide full motion video and audio digital media programming for refueling consumers at Murphy USA gas stations nationwide through 20-inch high-definition LCD screens embedded within gas station pumps.
GSTV, an IP-based digital television network, will feature ABC-TV programming and original content including local news, sports, weather and traffic. GSTV has launched in Dallas after a successful pilot and will soon expand to Atlanta and [image-nocss] Houston, the company said.
The sheer size and scope of Murphy USA has uniquely positioned GSTV with the real estate to quickly share this tool nationally, said David Leider, CEO of GSTV, Detroit.
GSTV will be at 100 Murphy USA locations by September 2006, with 400 stations in the top 10 U.S. markets by Jan. 1, 2007, it said. GSTV and Murphy USA will work together in developing marketing and promotional programs designed to drive incremental retail revenue per customer visit.
GSTV provides a unique outlet to deliver entertainment and information to our customers, said Bill Deichler, manager, special services for Murphy USA, El Dorado, Ark. Consumers that have experienced GSTV enjoy being entertained and provided with news, traffic and weather updates during an otherwise uneventful four minutes.
Murphy USA operates retail gasoline stations across 21 states in the U.S. These high-volume, low-cost retail gasoline stations are located in Wal-Mart parking lots. More than 900 stations are now in operation.
GSTV's compelling, visually striking consumer entertainment gives Murphy USA something no other retailer has, said Hank Heithaus, senior vice president of Murphy USA. The GSTV experience drives customer traffic to the pumps and increases merchandise sales, allowing retailers to generate an incremental bottom line profit.
In addition to the deal with Murphy USA, GSTV has formed exclusive partnerships with several players. For content and programming, it has signed with ABC, and ABC New Media Sales for sales and marketing. GSTV has also formed a partnership with Gilbarco, the world's largest manufacturer of gasoline retailer equipment and technology, and Delphi Display Systems, the market leader in outdoor digital video display systems.
GSTV is an IP-based digital TV network offering ABC programming; local news, sports, weather and traffic; original content and advertising. GSTV also carries Amber Alerts and select public service announcements (PSAs) as part of its programming. GSTV is building a national digital media network with programming and advertising opportunities for the marketplace and a gasoline retailer consumer entertainment experience. Content programmed for a highly desirable, captive audience on the network can be specifically tailored to geography and time of day.
The value proposition of GSTV is rooted in the average length of time consumers spend fueling their vehicle. GSTV has developed a programming schedule to maximize information sharing during this four-minute time period. GSTV will feature select ABC News content, including the popular News You Can Use segments from Good Morning America; local news, weather forecasts and traffic updates from ABC-owned TV stations; and entertaining promotional material from the ABC Television Network.
ABC's New Media Sales group will support GSTV's brand reach within the advertising community, as well as the network's overall promotional initiatives. Tapping ABC New Media Sales sophisticated research, marketing and promotional resources, GSTV will have the capability to assist advertisers in shaping messages most effective for the retail-based network and its audience.
GSTV's full audio and video experience will offer a highly valuable television experience for consumers at the pump, as well as tremendous opportunities for advertisers seeking to reach this significant place-based audience, said John Watkins, president of ABC National Television Sales.
The full-motion video and stereo sound of GSTV will be broadcast throughout the gas station creating a dynamic and immersive media experience for both the consumer and the advertiser.
With a truly captive audience, GSTV removes the fear that consumers will change the channel or skip the commercials, said Jack Sullivan, senior vice president and out of home media director for Starcom USA.
GSTV has also entered into a strategic alliance with Gilbarco Veeder-Root to embed the 20-inch LCD monitors with stereo sound that carry GSTV into the dispensers at participating stations. The GSTV system will not only be embedded into new fueling dispensers, it can also be retrofitted into any Gilbarco pump. Through an exclusive co-marketing agreement, the GSTV system will be marketed through the Gilbarco sales force and made available to Gilbarco's high-volume retail customers.
The partnerships with ABC for content and advertising sales, and the alliance with Gilbarco enable GSTV to provide the equipment and service at no charge to the retailer.
Programmable on a station-by-station basis, a portion of the programming on GSTV is dedicated to delivering messages that directly promote each retailer's convenience store offerings. With up to four customized, promotional messages airing during each customer's visit, GSTV enables retailers to drive the pay-at-the pump customer back into the store. Using templates from major brands like Pepsi, Frito-Lay, US Tobacco and others, GSTV custom produces a station's ads to meet its needs.
Another key component of the agreement with Gilbarco is the development of marketing and promotional programs designed to increase incremental retail revenue at participating retailers. We believe that GSTV's digital media solution featuring ABC programming will not only enhance the customer experience, but generate profits for our gas retailers by driving more retail traffic into their stores, said Martin Gafinowitz, president of Greensboro, N.C.-based Gilbarco Veeder-Root.
The dispenser-top units used in the GSTV system will be manufactured by Costa Mesa, Calif.-based Delphi, a leading provider of sunlight-readable display technology for the quick-service restaurant drive-thru industry.
The content on GSTV will be updated several times per day so that it remains relevant each time a customer visits the station. GSTV currently features advertising from Allstate, Chevrolet, ditech.com, Goodyear, Pepsi and the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co.
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