Distress Rate Media

Buying unsold advertising space at lower rates

Operating from South Melbourne, Distress Rate Media buys advertising space for clients at discounted rates. Its pitch rests on the fact that media owners often have advertising slots they fail to sell, and that they would rather release those slots at a discount than give them away. The agency says it has built a hub that gives advertisers access to much lower rates from large media networks across Australia.

Outdoor advertising across cities and regions

Outdoor advertising covers billboards, bus and tram stops, transit sites, airport and train station advertising, street furniture and shopper panels, as well as mobile billboards. The firm says it can find deals in Melbourne, Sydney and other major cities, and it can also place outdoor campaigns across rural and regional Australia.

Radio and television

Radio work centres on short-lead slots, which the firm favours when a discounted rate becomes available. On television the agency handles live and on-demand channels, streaming and smart TV placements, segment sponsorships and broadcast integration, with discounted stock offered through the agency.

Real-time bidding for last-minute space

The firm's platform uses automated bidding to match spare ad space with advertisers who fit it, in real time. The firm says this is what makes last-minute deals possible, and that it gives reporting and analytics so a client can see how a placement performed. It describes the approach as using premium demand sources and optimised real-time bidding.

Creative and production support

Clients without an advertisement can get one made. The agency offers design, branding, content creation, audio work, video production and influencer marketing, and it describes its design and marketing experts as skilled teams working across the whole process.

What the firm says about wasted inventory

The firm says that media organisations often leave a share of their advertising inventory unsold, and that this is poor business for them. It argues that an advertiser who takes that spare space can reach national audiences on a tighter budget, and that out-of-home advertising, used alongside other channels, can lift return on investment by a figure it puts at about thirty percent based on audience reach.

Who the agency works with

The agency serves brands that want national exposure without the full cost of the big networks, from campaigns in cities to campaigns in regional areas. Advertisers register with the agency to see its discounted stock, and the firm presents its work as a way of making a marketing budget go further.