PlaceBased

What PlaceBased does

PlaceBased Media operates a national place-based Out-of-Home (OOH) and Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising network spanning 300+ U.S. markets and 20,000+ healthcare facilities across 120 specialty types. The company places media in healthcare clinics, schools, community centers, grocery stores, gas stations, bars and restaurants, and culturally specific venues (including LGBTQ+ nightlife, senior centers, and faith-based organizations), reaching audiences considered systematically under-reached by digital-only campaigns — including teens, seniors, rural populations, and SGM communities. Its technical infrastructure includes programmatic DOOH with dayparting and weather-triggered creative, mobile device-ID capture for retargeting, geofencing for audience segment building, dynamic QR codes linking to telehealth platforms, and integrations with Foursquare and Placer.ai for foot-traffic attribution. Two consecutive Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) audits delivered 113.3% and 111% of guaranteed distribution, anchoring the company's proof-of-performance claim.

The business model combines CPM-based advertising sales across OOH and DOOH inventory with full-service media strategy, planning, creative adaptation, production, and compliance monitoring. Direct buys carry market minimums of $5,000-$25,000 with multi-year contract cadences, while programmatic DOOH buying via DSPs offers $1,000-$5,000 minimums and 24-72 hour deployment. Healthcare and educational venues command premium CPMs of approximately $15-$25, with gas station and community venues at $8-$15. The customer base is anchored by federal public health agencies (CDC, HHS, SAMHSA, FDA), pharmaceutical and healthcare brands (Johns Hopkins Medicine, United Healthcare), and select Fortune 500 advertisers (Coca-Cola), with free compliance monitoring and AAM-audited verification positioned as differentiators for MLR and grant-reporting workflows. The company is privately held with 11-50 employees and is led by Managing Director Cody Cagnina.

Name

PlaceBased

Legal name

PlaceBased Media LLC

Website

https://placebased.media

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PlaceBased Media operates a national place-based and digital out-of-home (OOH/DOOH) advertising network across 300+ U.S. markets and 20,000+ healthcare facilities, serving federal public health agencies, pharmaceutical brands, and Fortune 500 advertisers with AAM-audited distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Out-of-Home Advertising

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185), Media Buying Agencies (541830)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Place-Based / Retail & Venue Media (Malls, Gyms, Cinema, Office Buildings) (BPAFALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Place-Based / Retail Media Networks (In-Store Screens, Malls) (MPAAAKAE), Out-of-Home (OOH), DOOH & Ambient Advertising (BPAFAAAI), Out-of-Home (OOH) Media Planning & Buying (MPAAABAG)

Keywords

• Place-based advertising
• Out-of-home advertising
• Digital out-of-home
• Point-of-care advertising
• Healthcare media network

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. DOOH and OOH Advertising CPM Revenue: PlaceBased generates revenue primarily through selling CPM (cost per thousand impressions) based advertising across its place-based and digital out-of-home networks. Pricing varies by venue category, market size, format (static vs digital), and verification requirements. Healthcare and educational venues command premium CPMs ($15-$25), while gas stations and community venues typically run $8-$15. Direct buys typically have market minimums of $5,000-$25,000 per market, with programmatic campaigns starting at $1,000-$5,000.
2. Media Strategy, Planning, and Execution Services: The company offers full-service media capabilities including strategy, planning, creative formatting, production, and execution as part of their turn-key resource approach for campaign management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PlaceBased Media operates a national place-based Out-of-Home (OOH) and Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising network across 300+ U.S. markets, placing targeted media in 20,000+ healthcare facilities, schools, community centers, grocery stores, bars, restaurants, gas stations, and multicultural venues. The company sells CPM-based advertising directly to enterprise clients and provides full-service campaign support including media strategy, planning, creative production, compliance monitoring, and proof-of-performance reporting.

Product overview

PlaceBased Media operates a national place-based out-of-home (OOH) and digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising network across 300+ U.S. markets. The core offering is the Place-Based OOH & DOOH Advertising Network, which provides venue-based media placements in healthcare clinics (including the Physician Office Patient Education Program and broader Healthcare Point-of-Care Network with 20,000+ facilities), educational environments (High School Advertising and College/University Campus Advertising), retail venues (Gas Station Advertising, Grocery Store Advertising, Bar/Restaurant Media), community spaces (Community Center Advertising and Senior Education Network), and multicultural venues (Multicultural OOH Advertising and LGBTQ+ Bar Network). The platform is enhanced by a Mobile Audience Extension module for geofenced retargeting and a Comprehensive Campaign Reporting system for multi-layer measurement. PlaceBased also offers a PrEP Promotion Toolkit as a solution framework and provides AAM Audit & Compliance Verification as a service. All offerings are supported by in-house creative, production, and compliance teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LGBTQ+ Bar Network: Digital out-of-home advertising network of screens placed inside gay bars and LGBTQ+ nightlife venues across the United States.
• Senior Education Network
• Physician Office Patient Education Program

Products and services

• Place-Based OOH & DOOH Advertising Network

Quantifiable outcome

• 113.3% and 111% of guaranteed distribution delivered across two consecutive AAM audits
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal public health agency partner for campaigns including overdose prevention, tobacco control, substance use prevention, and health education. The CDC's accountability requirements drive demand for AAM-audited distribution verification, making this a strategically important partnership for demonstrating the company's ability to meet government reporting standards.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal health agency partner for public health initiatives and health awareness campaigns across the company's venue networks. HHS partnership provides access to major federal health programs and establishes credibility for government-focused campaigns.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency partner for substance use prevention and mental health awareness campaigns. SAMHSA grants (such as Strategic Prevention Framework) require defensible campaign reporting, creating alignment with PlaceBased's AAM-audited verification capabilities.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal regulatory agency partner for public health regulatory campaigns including tobacco and vaping prevention initiatives. FDA's oversight role in tobacco regulation creates demand for verified campaign distribution in youth-focused venues like schools.
• Johns Hopkins MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic medical center partner for healthcare education and patient awareness campaigns. Johns Hopkins' research-driven approach aligns with data-driven campaign measurement requirements.
• Coca-ColacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFortune 500 brand partner for consumer advertising and multicultural marketing campaigns. Coca-Cola's global brand standards and multicultural marketing expertise create opportunities for PlaceBased's specialized venue networks.
• United HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare insurance provider using PlaceBased's network for healthcare brand advertising and awareness campaigns in clinical and point-of-care environments.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PatientPoint: PatientPoint is the largest U.S. point-of-care health media company, placing educational and advertising content in physician offices and exam rooms. It is the most direct peer to PlaceBased's Healthcare Point-of-Care Network and Physician Office Patient Education Program, competing for the same pharma brand and federal health budgets.
• Outcome Health: Outcome Health delivers point-of-care health education and advertising across physician waiting rooms and exam rooms nationwide. Like PlaceBased, it sells to pharma brands seeking MLR-compliant, contextually relevant healthcare media and competes head-to-head for the same end advertisers and venue footprint.
• Health Media Network: Health Media Network operates a national place-based health media network in physician offices, hospitals, and pharmacies. It mirrors PlaceBased's model of selling healthcare-environment inventory to pharma and government health advertisers and competes in the same point-of-care category.
• Mesmerize: Mesmerize provides point-of-care and DOOH advertising in pharmacies, healthcare offices, and high-traffic retail venues. Its venue mix and advertiser base (pharma, CPG, government health) closely overlap with PlaceBased's healthcare and pharmacy networks.
• Firefly: Firefly operates a place-based DOOH network mounted on rideshare and taxi vehicles in major U.S. markets. It competes with PlaceBased for brand budgets seeking mobile, location-targeted DOOH impressions and shares PlaceBased's programmatic DSP-enabled buying experience.
• GSTV (Gas Station TV): GSTV delivers video advertising at the fuel pump across a national network of gas stations. PlaceBased's Gas Station Advertising product competes with GSTV for the same CPG, travel, and public-safety (e.g., impaired driving) advertiser dollars.
• Captivate: Captivate operates a DOOH network in elevator and office-building locations across the U.S. While its venue type differs, it competes with PlaceBased's Urban Panels and venue-DOOH offering for similar midday professional audience budgets.

Broad incumbents

• Lamar Advertising: Lamar Advertising is one of the largest U.S. outdoor advertising companies with a national billboard and DOOH portfolio. It competes with PlaceBased for general-market OOH/DOOH budgets and is increasingly pushing into place-based and digital inventory, representing a broad incumbent threat.
• Outfront Media: Outfront Media is a major U.S. OOH operator spanning transit, billboards, and place-based formats. Its broad portfolio and national sales force position it as a scaled incumbent competing for the same advertiser dollars that PlaceBased addresses.
• JCDecaux: JCDecaux is a global leader in street furniture and transit-based OOH, with a strong U.S. presence. It is a broad incumbent competitor to PlaceBased, particularly around urban and transit-adjacent place-based inventory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/placebased_
• Facebookfacebook.com/placebased
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/placebased

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PlaceBased