Why Talon was a match made in heaven

“I spent over a decade building one of the most successful Out-of-Home companies in the United States and sold in over a couple months to the perfect partner.” 

Aaron Gaeir, Chief Revenue Officer at Talon Outdoor.

From Startup to $47 Million: Grandesign’s OOH Journey

In 2008, Grandesign was born-my third startup as founder and fifth as a founding member-in San Diego as strictly an OOH business. I have four kids of my own and it’s not an exaggeration when I say that Grandesign was my fifth child. In just ten years, the company blossomed into a $47 million-per-year business with 132 clients and 55 full-time staffers spread across regional offices.

By 2018 Grandesign had it all – innovative and sexy campaigns, big name clients like Wendy’s and Chick-fil-A and a powerhouse and irreplaceable team that I attribute all this success to. When the time came to find an institutional partner (or someone with big shoulders and the tools to help us get to the next level), I wanted the following things:

  • Team and the brains to take OOH to the next level
  • Likeminded company culture
  • A true partnership with a bright, successful future

Talon checked all those boxes, and then some.

Bringing Smarter as Standard to the States 

Total OOH advertising spend in the U.S. is five percent. The U.K. has 10 percent. These European markets are far more sophisticated in providing clients and partners with data and numbers to showcase ROI and a campaign’s success. Anyone can say they have the best technology in the world, but not many have the big shoulders, buying power, technology and data tracking that Talon has. OOH will never go away. We want to roll with the winners, and with Talon, that is just what we’re doing.

Work culture 

Studies have shown that in the next couple of years most of the workforce is going to be independent contractors. As a founder of multiple businesses, it’s always been important to me to create an entrepreneurial environment within a big company. Having an entrepreneurial environment is the secret sauce to employee retention and recruitment and we want the best of the best. Talon has multiple recognitions and awards under its belt for its impeccable work culture and we’ve been recognized by Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work. There is no doubt in my mind that we will build the unstoppable empire in the U.S. that Talon has built in the U.K. and is building around the globe.

Future of Talon

It feels like yesterday, but it’s been over three months since Talon purchased Grandesign and began its aggressive global expansion. Since then, we’ve launched Plexus and Latitude in New York City, flown to Dubai to participate in the FEPE conference and launched a handful of campaigns out of our San Diego and New York offices. It’s been a fun ride so far with the Talon team as we dive into the innovative OOH technology Talon is leading and, very soon, launching in the U.S. We’re building a team of winners and will continue to grow in the U.S. rapidly and push that five percent OOH spend to 10 percent and continue to build our clients’ credibility and brand awareness.

Cheers to our new extended family and many, many years of success!