Mike Kolker, Thijs Rotman and Mike Campbell have been pioneering the world of digital advertising since 2015. They recently received booster funding from NOM, making them all set for the next step in further conquering the Netherlands. Their product? The operation of digital screens on busy national highways. Advertisers can bring their products and brands to the attention of millions of drivers. And now they can do that even better thanks to the latest developments. Mike Kolker explains.
Ads that connect to the context of the here and now
'The goal of the investment was obviously to grow our business. We deployed that growth in two ways: technology and people. On the one hand, we invested heavily in developing software that allows ads to be adjusted to specific variables such as weather conditions. Is there high sunlight? Then our LED screen automatically displays an ad for a high factor sunscreen, for example,' says Mike. 'That software is now running and we are rolling this out to our customers in the coming months. That project is nearing completion thanks to the injection by NOM. We can really offer advertisers a better proposition, but also be more relevant to consumers. Nobody needs to see advertising these days that doesn't match the experience of that moment.'
Range expansion without additional effort
As it goes in the world of technology: developments follow each other at lightning speed. That is why Mundu is taking the next step in the area of their software. Mike: "We now have our own platform for the Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) market, but we also want to connect with existing platforms that have much more reach. They work with a marketplace system where ad spaces are automatically auctioned and factors such as relevance are also taken into account. Completely automatic or, as the media agencies call it: programmatic.
It gives us a reach that we don't have to do anything for once it's up and running. Advertisers don't even see where they're advertising, they just see the results. We connect a certain percentage of our placements to those systems, the rest we populate ourselves with our software.'
Looking for sales talent
In terms of technology, the Groningen-based company is nicely on track. However, their second growth aspect is still a bit behind expectations: people. 'We are constantly looking for sales talent, but there is a scarcity, even in the Northern Netherlands. That makes it difficult to find good sales people, especially since we also ask for knowledge of the media landscape. We really opt for quality rather than quantity in this respect," says Mike. The growth ambition in terms of manpower (or rather: sales force) remains undiminished, even though recruiting takes a lot of time. Mike: 'We are constantly on LinkedIn and approach talent that we think would be a good fit for us. We have a lot to offer them: ongoing training and coaching, but also the conviviality of a young team that celebrates every success or near-success. We are open to new ideas and really work together on Mundu. Moreover, we simply run great numbers; we more than meet our projections. So, plenty of opportunities for further development for potential employees. That is what people are looking for, we have noticed. But we have the time now that the software is running and generating turnover growth, so we will quietly continue like this.'