Photos for Headline Surfer® / DAYTONA BEACH -- No matter where you drive along the major roadways in the county, invariably you are going to see more than a few of those eye-catching park bench ads.
Such is the successful advertising medium of Waverly Media, which literally has hundreds of benches dotting the landscape that is home to the world's most famous beach, the Daytona 500 and Florida's first 24/7 internet newspaper, HeadlineSurfer.com.
And the types of businesses advertising on these benches runs the gamut -- doctors, lawyers, restaurants, real estate agents -- you name it.
Despite incessant news coverage by the Daytona Beach News-Journal for investigations into in-kind political advertising by the State Attorney's Office, and more recently the Volusia County Council, the latter seen as politically motivated, Waverly goes about its business. And it's customers couldn't be more happy.
"My bus benches have been a great part of our advertising program," said Diane Freeman, a State Farm agent.
"Waverly does a quality job." Dr. Joe Battaglia, of Battaglia Chiropractic Health Centre, said his patients comment on his bench signs all the time, adding, "It sells."
And Pat Snead of Pat's Riverfront Cafe, added, "Bench Advertising really helps people find our business"
Eagle Eye Dental in Edgewater and Fox Mattress in Holly Hill are just a couple of examples of diverse local companies advertising on the hundreds of park benches throughout Volusia County with Port Orange-based Waverly Media.
And while the cost of large outdoor billboards and TV advertising is prohibitive for many small business owners is prohibitive, and with print newspapers continuing to see rapid declines in readership and line ads, more and more of these small business owners are finding ways to market their businesses and products where the price is right and an audience is paying attention: Park benches and internet news.
Ramara Garrett, an owner of Waverly Media, answered without hesitation: "People driving in their cars see the benches -- the eye-catching ads. And a lot of people are turning to the internet and HeadlineSurfer.com headlines and images are very much eye catchers. I love the hard-hitting news that Headline Surfer® is not afraid to report on greater Daytona Beach and throughout Central Florida."
Ramara Garrett, an owner of Waverly Media, answered without hesitation: "People driving in their cars see the benches -- the eye-catching ads. And a lot of people are turning to the internet and HeadlineSurfer.com headlines and images are very much eye catchers. I love the hard-hitting news that Headline Surfer® is not afraid to report on in greater Daytona Beach and throughout Central Florida."
In the 2012 election cycle, the two advertising venues that had the lion's share of political advertising in Volusia County were Waverly Media and Headline Surfer®, said Justin Kennedy of Edgewater who ran for a County Council seat.
"The two main reasons I advertised with both Waverly and Headline Surfer® was visibility and affordability," said Kennedy, who like other local Democratic candidates, had the misfortune of voter backlash at the polls in response to Obamacare.
"I'll probably run again for something and when I do, I know my advertising dollars will be best spent with the park benches and internet news," Kennedy said, "because these are what the public is looking at while going about their daily routines. People drive and they surf the web."
"I'll probably run again for something and when I do, I know my advertising dollars will be best spent with the park benches and internet news," Kennedy said, "because these are what the public is looking at while going about their daily routines. People drive and they surf the web."
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