OCEAN CITY – Officials say digital tram displays will be installed ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
Transit Manager Rob Shearman told members of the Ocean City Transportation Committee last week officials continue to work with Gateway Outdoor Advertising, the town’s new advertising contractor, on bus and tram sales. He said the company is also on track to install digital advertising signs on the back of Boardwalk trams by Memorial Day weekend.
“We’re just waiting for the boards themselves to arrive,” he said. “And we are expecting to have them installed between now and Memorial Day.”
Last fall, the Town of Ocean City hired Gateway Outdoor Advertising to replace Vector Media as its new advertising contractor. The company has been tasked with overseeing advertising on the town’s bus and tram fleets, as well as digital advertising that will be placed on the back of the Boardwalk trams.
In recent months, however, officials have expressed concerns over advertising sales. And in April, Gateway President and CEO Craig Heard came before the transportation committee to review the company’s progress. The meeting also included an update on digital tram advertising. While the company has ordered the signs, it has yet to push digital advertising sales.
Back on the agenda for discussion this week, Shearman said the digital displays were being shipped from overseas and would arrive in the coming weeks.
“Once they get here, we have been told it will be one to two days to get them all installed,” he told the committee.
Councilman Tony DeLuca questioned if Gateway had sold any digital advertising.
“On the digital tram [ads], how many are sold and how many are available?” he asked.
Shearman noted that the company had not started selling digital ads.
“Their take is they weren’t going to start selling until they were physically installed and ready to go,” he said.
City Manager Terry McGean agreed, noting that while the company had considered taking pre-orders it had decided against it.
“They didn’t want to sell until they had something to sell,” he said.
Mayor Rick Meehan questioned if there was a website businesses could visit to place a digital ad. Shearman replied, “Our transportation website does include in the menu board a link to the advertisers.”
Meehan encouraged the town’s tourism department to push digital advertising opportunities through its social media accounts. He also addressed officials’ concerns regarding the company’s digital advertising sales.
“That’s their job to perform, and we’ve given them everything they need to perform,” he said. “So the ball is now in their court.”
