About

Formed in 1995 with the acquisition of the Longboat Observer, the Observer Media Group has grown into a family-owned and operated multimedia company with nine newspapers, six websites, a quarterly arts and social magazine and nearly 100 employees serving multiple communities around Florida.

The company's portfolio of newspapers includes four free community weeklies serving the Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla., market — Sarasota Observer, Longboat Observer, East County Observer and the Pelican Press; Palm Coast Observer and Ormond Beach Observers, free weekly serving the east coast market of Palm Coast/Flagler County; Plant City Observer, serving the central market of Plant City near greater Tampa Bay; West Orange Times, serving the communities of Winter Garden, Windermere and Ocoee in west-central Orange County; and the Business Observer, a paid-circulation weekly with subscribers extending from Tampa to Naples. The company’s associated websites include YourObserver.com, PalmCoastObserver.com, OrmondBeachObserver.com, PlantCityObserver.com, wotimes.com and BusinessObserverFL.com. Season magazine is the quarterly arts and social guide. Altogether, the company’s newspapers and websites reach more than 200,000 readers a week.

Two of its newspapers, Longboat and Sarasota Observers, were named the #1 newspapers in North America by the Local Media Association in 2012. It's website, YourObserver.com, was also dubbed the #1 Local News Website in North America by the Local Media Association in 2012.

Capabilities
  • Desktop Display
    • Brand Integrations
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    • Sponsored Posts
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    • Native Ads
      Yes No
    • High-Impact (Takeovers, Billboards, Overlays, Sliders, Skins)
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    • Rich Media (Expandable & Non-Expandable)
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  • Mobile Display
    • Mobile Rich Media (Including Interstitials & Expandables)
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    • Tablet Traffic
      Yes No
    • Native & Custom Mobile Executions
      Yes No
    • Requires SDK Integration
      Yes No
  • Email
  • Social
  • Desktop Display, Mobile Display, Email, Social
  • CPM
  • Web Publisher
  • Headline:
    Your Observer Newspapers l Longboat Key, Sarasota, Siesta Key, Lakewood Ranch News, Black Tie and Real Estate
  • Self / Managed Service:
    Managed Service
  • Industries
    Education, Entertainment, Financial Services, Health & Beauty, Healthcare, Retail, Sports
  • Key Differentiator
    To inform, inspire, enlighten and entertain with unique, local content; to help our partners prosper; and to lead and inspire our communities. - Observer Media Group Mission Statement Formed in 1995 with the acquisition of the Longboat Observer, The Observer Group Inc. has grown into a family-owned and operated multimedia company with five newspapers, three websites, a quarterly arts and social magazine and more than 80 employees serving multiple communities around Florida. The company's portfolio of newspapers includes four free community weeklies serving the Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla., market — Sarasota Observer, Longboat Observer, East County Observer and Pelican Press; Palm Coast Observer, a free weekly serving the east coast market of Palm Coast/Flagler County; and Gulf Coast Business Review, a paid-circulation weekly with subscribers extending from Tampa to Naples. The company’s associated websites include YourObserver.com, PalmCoastObserver.com and Review.net. Season magazine is the quarterly arts and social guide. Altogether, the company’s newspapers and websites reach more than 200,000 readers a week. The family operators behind The Observer Group are the company’s founders and principals, Matt and Lisa Walsh and their daughter, Emily Walsh; and Lisa Walsh’s parents, David and Ruth Beliles. With Emily Walsh serving as associate publisher-multimedia, she marks the fourth generation of the family in the newspaper business. David and Ruth Beliles began their newspaper careers in the 1950s in Illinois. Beliles eventually became a vice president of Topeka, Kan.-based Stauffer Communications, overseeing a dozen Midwest dailies and serving as publisher of the Grand Island, Neb., Independent. Beliles’ father, Neil Beliles, worked as a newspaper circulation executive in the 1940s and 1950s. Matt and Lisa Walsh began their newspaper careers at the Topeka Capital-Journal after graduating from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. After stints at the Miami Herald, Florida Trend magazine and Forbes magazine, Walsh, his wife, her parents and a small group of investors teamed up to purchase the Longboat Observer from its founders, Ralph and Claire Hunter. The Hunters started the paper in 1978. From the start of the Longboat Observer through today, the Walshes have focused on creating, producing and delivering compelling and relevant hyper-local news and information to the readers of its community newspapers and websites. To that end, the Longboat Observer serves primarily the barrier island of Longboat Key (near Sarasota, Fla.), as well as surrounding barrier islands. It has an average weekly circulation of 15,000 and more than 30,000 weekly readers. It reaches more than 95% of the 10,000 residences on Longboat Key and specializes in news and events affecting Longboat Key as well as providing comprehensive coverage of the region’s arts and social scenes.
 In 1997, the company started The Gulf Coast Business Review, a weekly that focuses on companies, entrepreneurs and business and economic trends on the west coast of Florida; it has paid circulation of 4,000. In 1998, the company launched the East County Observer to serve the fast-growing suburban areas of east Manatee and Sarasota counties. The East County Observer has weekly distribution of 23,000 and more than 46,000 readers. It specializes in community news, events, business, real estate and sports affecting primarily East Manatee County. In 2000, The Observer Group introduced “Season,” a quarterly guide to the Sarasota region’s arts, entertainment and society. Season provides the area’s most comprehensive listing of each quarter’s arts, charitable and social events. It has a distribution of 50,000.

 In 2001, the company acquired the Tampa Bay Review, a 50-year-old legal weekly. Two years later, the Tampa Bay Review and Gulf Coast Business Review merged and later expanded into Southwest Florida by opening offices in Fort Myers and Naples. In 2004, the company started the Sarasota Observer. It serves downtown Sarasota and the most affluent communities along the bayfront. It has a weekly circulation of 31,000 and reaches more than 62,000 readers. In 2010, the company started the Palm Coast Observer and entered a partnership with the West Orange Times in Winter Garden, Fla. The Palm Coast Observer has a circulation of 25,000, reaching an audience of more than 50,000, and the highest penetration of any medium in Flagler County. In 2011, the company acquired the Pelican Press, a 40-year old weekly community newspaper, that primarily covered Siesta Key, one of the barrier islands of Sarasota County. The Observer Group Inc. is headquartered at 1970 Main St., Sarasota, Fla., 34236; 941-366-3468. It has offices in Tampa, Clearwater, Bradenton, Longboat Key, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples and Orlando. Worth noting From the company’s inception, the Walshes and Observer Group staffers have committed their efforts to editorial excellence, under the theory that compelling and relevant content will draw loyal readers for the company’s advertising customers. To this end, the company’s newspapers have received national and statewide recognition. The Longboat Observer won second place for General Excellence in 2009 in the better newspaper contest sponsored by the Local Media Association, formerly Suburban Newspapers of America, an organization with 2,000 members in Canada and the United States. The Longboat Observer was named Florida’s Best Weekly newspaper in 2008 in the Florida Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. 
And the Longboat Observer was judged Florida’s Best Designed weekly in 2007 and 2008 by the Florida Press Association.
The East County Observer editorial staff in 2007 and 2008 won 19 first-place awards from the Florida Press Club for outstanding reporting, photography and design.
 Most recent awards worth noting: • In 2010, The Observers won 21 first-, second- and third-place awards from the Florida Press Association. And YourObserver.com won first place for best architecture and design among weeklies with circulation of 100,000 or less from the Suburban Newspapers of America and first place in the nation from Second Street Media for one of its online contests. • In 2011, the Longboat, East County and Sarasota Observers were named the top-three weekly newspapers in the state of Florida in the Florida Press Association's 2010 Better Weekly Newspaper Contest. The Observer Group Inc. (the Longboat Observer, Sarasota Observer, East County Observer, Gulf Coast Business Review and the Pelican Press) received 27 total awards at the Florida Press Association's annual convention July 1, 2011. The Observer Group swept the General Excellence category, taking first (Longboat), second (East County) and third (Sarasota) and the Overall Graphic Design category: first (Longboat), second (Sarasota) and third (East County). The company's website, YourObserver.com, also won first place in Website Development. In the 2011 Local Media Association Editorial Contest, the Observer Group claimed 17 awards, including Best Front Page, Best Column Writing, Best Entertainment/Lifestyle Section and, at the apex, Journalist of the Year for weekly newspapers, which was awarded to Palm Coast Managing Editor Brian McMillan. • In 2012, The Observer Group changed its name to Observer Media Group. OMG (the Longboat Observer, Sarasota Observer, East County Observer, Gulf Coast Business Review and the Pelican Press) topped its previous record, claiming 36 awards from the Florida Press Association. First place awards include: Front page makeup (Longboat), Overall Graphic Design (Longboat), General excellence (Sarasota), Overall Graphic Design (Palm Coast) and Robert J. Ellison Memorial Award for Excellence in Portfolio Photography (Palm Coast). OMG earned six more awards in the 2012 Local Media Association Local Community Web Site Contest. First place awards include: Best Social Media Initiative for its efforts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, Best Local Community Initiative for its It's Read Everywhere Photo Contest, Best Overall Local News site and Best Video Initiative for its Daily Headlines broadcast. Officers, Senior Executives Observer Group Inc. Chairman — David Beliles President / CEO — Matt Walsh Vice President — Lisa Walsh Chief Financial Officer — Laura Keisacker The Observers Publisher / Executive Editor — Lisa Walsh Associate Publisher-Multimedia — Emily Walsh Publisher / Palm Coast Observer — John Walsh Director of Advertising (Sarasota) — Jill Raleigh Deputy Executive Editor — Jessica Luck Managing Editor — Pam Eubanks Managing Editor — Brian McMillan (Palm Coast) Production Manager — Kathy Payne Gulf Coast Business Review Editor / Publisher — Matt Walsh Managing Editor — Kat Hughes Deputy Managing Editor — Mark Gordon Associate Publisher / Advertising — Diane Schaefer Director of Legal Advertising — Kristen Boothroyd Director of Circulation Marketing and Sales — Anne Shumate
Site Traffic
  • 296531 Global Rank
  • 68407
    United States
  • 189 K Estimated Visits
Traffic Sources
  • Search
    60.30%
  • Direct
    33.70%
  • Social
    3.34%
  • Referrals
    1.50%
  • Mail
    1.16%
  • Display
    0.00%
Geography Breakdown
Powered by
Alexa Traffic Data
Global Rank 178,014
18,225
United States Rank 40,095
3,320
United States Page Views 99.4%
0.8%
Top Countries
Top Search Keywords
  • Chemistry
  • Electrochemistry
  • Corrosion
Mobile App Data
MixRank is the most comprehensive database of mobile apps, developers, SDKs, technologies, services, and integrations. Learn more.
  • 100 Downloads
  • 10 SDKs
  • 5.0 Avg. Rating
  • 6 Total reviews
  • App Url: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yourobserver.blacktie
  • App Support: https://www.yourobserver.com/contact-us
  • Genre: events
  • Bundle ID: com.yourobserver.blacktie
  • App Size: 2.43 M
  • Release Date: February 15th, 2019
  • Update Date: February 15th, 2019

Description:

We know what it’s like trying to keep track of your social life. In fact, that’s exactly what we do at Black Tie at The Observer. That’s why we made this app — to help you navigate Sarasota and Manatee’s social scene from your most used device … your phone. And it’s now all right at your fingertips.

First and foremost, this is a calendar app. Featuring the most comprehensive social calendar of the area’s fundraisers and events, stay up to date on what’s happening when and where.

—Save the events you’re attending directly to your default calendar on your phone.
—Find events you want to attend and purchase tickets on the go.
—Not sure what to wear or what that event was like? View the previous year’s photo gallery directly from the event page to see who was there, what they wore and get a feel for the party vibe.
—Find out who is chairing the event and more about the benefiting organization.
—On the way to a party and can’t remember how to get there? Get directions directly through your mobile navigational service.
—Don’t see your event listed? Submit it directly through the app for inclusion in the calendar.

Did someone say party pics? Duh. That’s our primary purpose at Black Tie — event coverage at its finest. Swipe through photos from the latest events right on your phone.

Craving more? Keep up with the latest chatter on the scene with our Black Tie & Tales column. Read about the latest style trends, Familiar Faces and who was Just Married.

But, WAIT, there’s more! Want to know more about the people chairing events and the organizations that they benefit? Introducing Black Tie’s Social Registry: a directory of all the people who are the movers and shakers in the social scene along with the nonprofits in the area. Learn more about the nonprofit organizations, their mission and how to get in touch with the groups that tug at your heart strings.

So what are you waiting for? Download now. And have your social calendar come to life.

See you on the Black Tie scene.

Questions? More info? Email blacktieapp@yourobserver.com.

Android API
The Android platform provides a framework API that applications can use to interact with the underlying Android system. The framework API consists of: A core set of packages and classes. A set of permissions that applications can request, as well as permission enforcements included in the system
Facebook Login
The Facebook SDK for Android enables people to sign into your app with Facebook Login. When people log into your app with Facebook they can grant permissions to your app so you can retrieve information or perform actions on Facebook on their behalf.
Google Authorization
Google Play services offers a standard authorization flow for all Google APIs and all components of Google Play services. In addition, you can leverage the authorization portion of the Google Play services SDK to gain authorization to services that are not yet supported in the Google Play services platform by using the access token to manually make API requests or using a client library provided by the service provider.
Google Cloud Messaging
Deprecated Google Cloud Messaging for Android (GCM) is a service that allows you to send data from your server to your users' Android-powered device, and also to receive messages from devices on the same connection. The GCM service handles all aspects of queueing of messages and delivery to the target Android application running on the target device. GCM is completely free no matter how big your messaging needs are, and there are no quotas.
Google Mobile Ads
Ad Manager uses the Google Mobile Ads SDK which helps app developers gain insights about their users and maximize ad revenue. To do so, the default integration of the Mobile Ads SDK collects information such as device information. iOS setup Android setup.
Google Play Game Services
Make your games social with Google Play game services. Add achievements, leaderboards, real-time multiplayer, and other popular features using the Google Play game services SDK. Let players sign in using their Google+ identities and share their gaming experience with friends. Visit developers.google.com/games/services for more information about integrating game services into your app.
Google Play Location APIs
The location APIs make it easy for you to build location-aware applications, without needing to focus on the details of the underlying location technology. They also let you minimize power consumption by using all of the capabilities of the device hardware.
Google Play Services
Google Play services powers a broad set of SDKs on Android to help you build your app, enhance privacy and security, engage users, and grow your business. These SDKs are unique in that they only require a thin client library to be included in your app, as shown in figure 1. At runtime, the client library communicates with the bulk of the SDK's implementation and footprint in Google Play services.
Google Search
Search the world's information, including webpages, images, videos and more. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking. Google Search, or simply Google, is a web search engine developed by Google LLC. It is the most used search engine on the World Wide Web across all platforms, with 92.16% market share as of December 2020
Google Sign-In SDK
Google Sign-In is a secure authentication system that reduces the burden of login for your users, by enabling them to sign in with their Google Account—the same account they already use with Gmail, Play, Google+, and other Google services. Google Sign-In is also your gateway to connecting with Google’s users and services in a secure manner. You can give your users the opportunity to pay with Google Pay, share with their Google-wide contacts, save a file to Drive, add an event to Calendar, and more. Integrate Google’s user-centric APIs and services inside your app to help your users take action and convert.
Data sourced from MixRank, the most comprehensive database of mobile apps, developers, SDKs, technologies, services, and integrations. Learn More.
Ad Intelligence
  • Native
    0%
  • Standard
    0%
  • Direct
    0%
Ads Seen Recently
0
Longest Running Ad
Yourobserver.com
Device
Desktop
Dimensions
other
Ads.txt
Ad Exchange
Type
Publisher ID
Certification ID
rhythmone.com
direct
136898039
a670c89d4a324e47
contextweb.com
reseller
561664
89ff185a4c4e857c
pubmatic.com
reseller
157119
5d62403b186f2ace
pubmatic.com
direct
157119
5d62403b186f2ace
pubmatic.com
reseller
95054
5d62403b186f2ace
pubmatic.com
direct
95054
5d62403b186f2ace
openx.com
reseller
540105394
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openx.com
reseller
537117488
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indexexchange.com
direct
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indexexchange.com
direct
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improvedigital.com
reseller
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Yourobserver.com advertising reaches 189k visitors across desktop and mobile web, in countries such as United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy. Pricing models they offer are CPM on channels such as Display, Mobile, Email, Social Advertising on Yourobserver.com will allow you to reach consumers in industries or verticals such as Entertainment, Healthcare, Retail, Health & Beauty, Sports, Education, Financial Services.

They are headquartered at Sarasota, FL, United States, and have 5 advertising & marketing contacts listed on Kochava. According to their Ads.txt, Yourobserver.com inventory partners include: rhythmone.com, contextweb.com, pubmatic.com, openx.com, indexexchange.com, improvedigital.com, appnexus.com, coxmt.com, synacor.com, emxdgt.com, rubiconproject.com, 33across.com, google.com, spotxchange.com, spotx.tv, bidtellect.com, gumgum.com, engagebdr.com, undertone.com, lijit.com, sovrn.com, cosmoshq.com, aniview.com, beachfront.com, lkqd.net, advertising.com, valo.ai, e-planning.net, districtm.io, conversantmedia.com, outbrain.com, lockerdome.com, criteo.net, ucfunnel.com, adtech.com, springserve.com, sonobi.com, loopme.com, groundtruth.com, smartadserver.com, rtbhouse.com, aolcloud.net, amazon-adsystem.com, my6sense.com, revcontent.com, tremorhub.com, telaria.com, distroscale.com, cedato.com, smartyads.com, adyoulike.com, video.unrulymedia.com, freewheel.tv, connatix.com, ssp.ynxs.io, aralego.com, aps.amazon.com, advangelists.com, insticator.com, yieldlab.net, consumable.com, aol.com, yieldlift.com, valueclickmedia.com, spoutable.com, sharethrough.com, nativeads.com, amazon.com, criteo.com, saambaa.com.

Yourobserver.com works with Advertising technology companies such as DoubleClick.Net, Google Adsense, Google Publisher Tag, TapIt, Rovion, Openads/OpenX, DoubleVerify, Aggregate Knowledge, ContextWeb, Atlas, DoubleClick Bid Manager, AppNexus, Rubicon Project, The Trade Desk, Integral Ad Science, Magnetic, Experian, Google Consumer Surveys, Google Remarketing, Ads.txt, AppNexus Reseller, AOL Reseller, Amazon Reseller, Google Reseller, OpenX Reseller, Outbrain Reseller, RubiconProject Reseller, SpringServe Reseller, Sovrn Reseller, Lijit Reseller, GumGum Reseller, PubMatic Reseller, ContextWeb Reseller, Bidfluence Reseller, ORC International Reseller, Sonobi Reseller, SpotXChange Reseller, ShareThrough Reseller, Tremor Video Reseller, Google Direct, LKQD Reseller, Sovrn Direct, Lijit Direct, ContextWeb Direct, 33 Across Direct, Criteo Reseller, DistrictM Direct, DistrictM Reseller, Carambola Reseller, RhythmOne Reseller, SmartAdServer Reseller, Adform Reseller, AdYouLike Reseller, Converstand Media Reseller, Nativo Reseller, Synacor Reseller, 33 Across Reseller, Spoutable Reseller, Fyber Reseller, FreeWheel Reseller, Brightcom Reseller, IndexExchange Reseller, Beachfront Reseller, Taboola Reseller, Comet Cox Media Reseller, Improve Digital Reseller, LoopMe Reseller, Cedato Reseller, Connatix Reseller, ORC International Direct, Sonobi Direct, MthSense, Google AdSense Integrator, Index Exchange, Simpli.fi, Rocket Fuel, Turn, Yahoo Ad Sync, IponWeb BidSwitch, Pubmatic, Advertising.com, Smart Adserver, Sonobi, GumGum, Amazon Associates, Amazon Ad System, Criteo, Media Innovation Group, AppNexus Segment Pixel, RUN Ads, Dstillery, Beeswax, Media.net, Drawbridge, Yahoo Small Business, Evidon, Sociomantic, Eye View Digital, BlueKai, BlueKai DMP, DemDex, Adobe Audience Manager Sync, SpotXchange, SiteScout, Epsilon Reseller, Consumable Reseller, Yieldlab Reseller, Native Ads Reseller, saambaa Reseller, Insticator Reseller, Somoaudience Reseller, Mobile Ad Trading Reseller, SmartyAds Reseller, Admixer Reseller, Mobfox Reseller, Primis Reseller, MemeVideo Reseller, Adventive, Connatix, Tapad, MaxPoint Interactive, Revcontent Direct, my6sense Reseller, Advangelists, Burst Media, bRealtime, AcuityAds, Blis, AdTheorent, Tribal Fusion, Adelphic, Technorati Media, Taboola, eyeReturn, AdGear, Admixer, GetIntent, Adhigh, RadiumOne, Eyeota, Insticator, Caraytech e-planning, Improve Digital, Appier, ClickCertain, Avocet, Videology, Neustar AdAdvisor, DistrictM, TripleLift, Sharethrough, Mobile Ad Trading, Teads, LifeStreet Media, Polymorph, SpringServe, NewsMax Feed Network, Powerlinks, BidSwitch, Hybrid.ai, IndexExchange Direct, OpenX Direct, PubMatic Direct, RhythmOne Direct, RubiconProject Direct, Insticator Direct, Amazon Direct, AppNexus Direct, Beachfront Direct, Converstand Media Direct, E-Planning Direct, Aniview Reseller, Undertone Direct, GumGum Direct, Bidtellect Reseller, Improve Digital Direct, RTB House Direct, SmartAdServer Direct, GroundTruth Reseller, SpringServe Direct, ucfunnel Reseller, Synacor Direct, ucfunnel Direct, AOL Direct, Connatix Direct, Telaria Reseller, Cedato Direct, AdYouLike Direct, my6sense Direct, Undertone Reseller, DistroScale Direct, LKQD Direct, SpotXChange Direct, Telaria Direct, Tremor Video Direct, Lockerdome Direct, FLoC, FLoC Opt-Out, Facebook Custom Audiences, Yieldmo Reseller, fluct Reseller, Chocolate Reseller, ShareThrough Direct, Teads Direct, Triple Lift Direct, AdMan Reseller, Media.net Reseller, Smaato Reseller, The MediaGrid Reseller, Triple Lift Reseller, Yahoo Reseller, Smartclip Reseller.