Today we’d like to introduce you to Ray Sheehan.
Ray, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m a proud graduate of Temple University, so having the opportunity to share my story with a Pennsylvania audience makes this especially meaningful.
My career has taken a few interesting turns. Before Old City Media became what it is today, a big part of our world was producing large-scale, world-class events at Major League Baseball ballparks and other venues around the country. We had built some incredible relationships with brands and partners, and I really thought I knew where the business was headed.
Then COVID arrived.
Like so many people in the events industry, our world changed almost overnight. Ballparks were empty, live events stopped, and suddenly the business model we had spent years building was essentially put on hold. We had two choices: wait for the world to return to normal or figure out what was next.
We chose the latter.
One thing COVID couldn’t take away was the relationships we had built. We had amazing brand partners that still needed to reach customers, so we leaned heavily into those relationships and started thinking differently about where meaningful face-to-face engagement could still happen.
That journey ultimately pushed us deeper into retail.
We began connecting brands with opportunities to engage consumers inside major retailers, and what started as a pivot has evolved into a much bigger vision for Old City Media. Today, we work to bring brands and retailers together through experiential marketing, customer engagement and lead-generation programs that create value for both sides.
Looking back, something that felt devastating to our business at the time ultimately forced us to evolve. I certainly wouldn’t have drawn the roadmap this way, but that’s one of the things I’ve learned about entrepreneurship. Sometimes the biggest opportunities come disguised as your biggest problems.
We’ve come a long way since those early event days, but I still approach the business the same way: build great relationships, take care of people, stay curious and never be afraid to pivot when the world changes around you.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One experience that has always stuck with me was producing an incredible concert on the beach in Wildwood, New Jersey with Tim McGraw. From the outside, it was everything you could have hoped for; an amazing artist, an incredible setting and a great event. By almost every visible measure, it was a huge success.
Financially, however, it was a very different story. We lost a lot of money.
It was one of those experiences that teaches you more about business than any textbook ever could. We took our licks, but we didn’t let it bankrupt the company, and more importantly, we made sure the people we owed money to were paid. It took time, discipline and some difficult decisions, but that was incredibly important to me.
I’ve always believed that your reputation is one of the most valuable things you have in this world. Businesses change, opportunities come and go, and you’re inevitably going to make mistakes. But people remember how you handle yourself when things don’t go according to plan. I took that lesson very seriously, and I still do today.
Years later, COVID presented an entirely different kind of challenge. Our business was heavily involved in live events, and suddenly that entire world stopped. Once again, we had to figure out how to survive, adapt and find a path forward. Fortunately, we had spent years building strong relationships with brands and partners, and those relationships became the foundation for our pivot into the retail world.
Neither experience was something I would ever want to repeat, but both helped shape how I run the business today. You can’t control everything that gets thrown at you as an entrepreneur. You can control how you respond, how you treat people and whether you get back up and keep moving forward.
As you know, we’re big fans of Old City Media . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At its core, Old City Media connects brands with consumers in places where people are already shopping.
We help companies create a physical presence inside major retailers, giving them the opportunity to meet customers face-to-face, generate qualified leads, build awareness and introduce their products or services in a trusted retail environment.
For the retailer, these programs can create a better customer experience, activate underutilized space and generate incremental non-retail revenue. So when we build a successful program, everyone benefits: the brand, the retailer and, most importantly, the customer.
Today, those programs can take many different forms. It could be a simple, professionally staffed table activation, a mini branded showroom, an interactive experience or even a self-guided activation where shoppers engage through QR codes, sweepstakes, games and digital content.
I think what sets Old City Media apart is that we understand both sides of the equation. A brand may come to us saying, “We need more qualified customers,” while a retailer is asking, “How can we make this space more productive and improve the customer experience?” Our job is to find the place where those two objectives meet.
We’re also constantly evolving. Consumer behavior has changed dramatically, and we don’t believe every activation needs to look the same. Some consumers want to have a conversation with a knowledgeable brand representative. Others would rather scan a QR code, enter a sweepstakes or explore something on their own. We want to give our partners the flexibility to meet customers however they prefer to engage.
What I’m most proud of, though, is the reputation and relationships we’ve built. Many of the relationships we have today go back years and, in some cases, survived some pretty challenging moments in our industry. We don’t take that trust for granted.
We’ve had the opportunity to work with incredible brands, retailers and partners, but I still believe we’re just scratching the surface of what this can become. Physical retail has something that digital advertising can never completely replicate: real people, in real places, having real experiences. Our job is to help brands make the most of that opportunity.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We’re always looking to build great relationships.
If you’re a brand looking for new and creative ways to reach customers, we’d love to have a conversation. If you’re a retailer interested in creating new customer experiences, activating underutilized space or generating incremental revenue, we’d love to talk with you as well.
We’re also big believers in collaboration. Some of the best opportunities we’ve ever had started with someone simply saying, “You two should know each other.” So whether you’re a brand, retailer, agency, entrepreneur or someone who sees an interesting connection, I’m always open to a conversation.
Ultimately, that’s how we’ve built Old City Media. One relationship at a time. You never know where a conversation might lead.
Pricing:
- TBD
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.oldcitymedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/old_city_media/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OldCityMediaHQ/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-sheehan-7390849/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadsatretail
