AUCKLAND, Today: One of the originals in out-of-home has just hit a big milestone, with Go Media Founder and Managing Director Mike Gray marking 30 years in the industry.
Gray kicked things off back in August 1995, when he co-founded Phantom Outdoor Advertising alongside Jim Wilson — who had earlier established Phantom Billstickers in 1982.
It was the year Toy Story premiered, Windows 95 launched, the All Blacks lost the RWC thanks to Suzie the waitress, and Sir Peter Blake claimed the America’s Cup.
The journey since has been anything but boring. Gray sold Phantom Outdoor (then Waho) to George Gould in 2004, helped set up iSITE (now QMS), and later launched his own media buying shop Aidemedia. That became his second billboard venture, rebranded as Go Media in 2014.
“Back then, I had been a sole trader with a $5,000 government enterprise grant and a big dream — to connect customers to brands in fresh ways when they were out in the world,” says Gray.
“People told me my business plan was one of the best they’d seen. I thought it would all be straightforward. Consents granted, sites built, sales flowing in… how naïve I was.
“My very first consent application in Christchurch was pushed back across the desk with the words, ‘keep your money, son. You’ll never get a billboard approved in this town’.
“I don’t just want to build a good business — I want to build a great one.” – Mike Gray
“When I asked if there was anywhere I might succeed, the reply came back, ‘Find a wall in an industrial zone no cars can see — then I’ll consider it’.”
Gray eventually found a wall — in the Hoyts 8 cinema carpark — and that win sparked three decades of building what he calls one of the toughest industries. He grew through the GFC, earthquakes, and Covid, building the country’s biggest digital billboard network.
“Now, 30 years on, Go Media’s still growing. Still innovating. Still striving,” says Gray.
“I don’t just want to build a good business — I want to build a great one. A legacy. A household name. Back then, I never imagined our brand would one day sit on the rooftop of Aotearoa’s best stadium.”
Gray credits his wife and business partner Andrea Rongonui, who has stood alongside him for 27 of those 30 years, as well as his family who’ve endured the ride.
He also acknowledges business partner Dean Shaw, along with staff, suppliers, contractors, and partners past and present who’ve helped shape Go Media into today’s outdoor powerhouse.
“It’s been one hell of a ride. And it’s only the beginning,” says Gray.
“Hoake tātou. Let’s go.”
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