EUROPE NEWS

UK: Exterion Media and TINT set to transform digital London experiences with Innovative Social Out of Home capabilities

• Exterion Media and TINT have partnered together to present media-first opportunities for brands and agencies to deploy interactive, social out of home (SOOH) advertisements across their digital portfolio

• Exterion Media’s prized digital network welcomes SOOH as a flagship interactive display service and is set to become a dynamic space for advertisers and commuters

• Brands and agencies can create beautiful socially driven branded content experiences and publish into the Exterion Network in moments

Exterion Media have partnered with San Francisco start-up TINT who work with over 45,000 brands to display social content across DOOH, Web, Retail stores, Mobile and any digital asset. Agencies and brands can now curate and publish social content directly into Exterion Media’s network. This is a new-to-market integration allowing brands and agencies to move away from static advertisements and into the new world of interactive socially driven advertising.

TINT users can already create branded social advertisements and send them into Exterion Media’s network in moments.

“We are dedicated to digital innovation and are in a privileged position to be able to bring new technologies from around the world into our media network. Our focus at Exterion Media is not just around owning digital screens, but what we do with them. Our tactical locations mean that we deliver into some of the worlds most concentrated and diverse audiences. We work closely with brands and agencies to deliver innovative advertising solutions, and our partnership with TINT provides an exciting interactive social experience to the network,” commented Shaun Gregory, CEO of Exterion Media.

“TINT have been working in the dynamic content display arena since 2012, for Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) networks there has never been a better time to innovate. Social Out Of Home (SOOH) currency has quickly become extremely valuable for brands, and the TINT partnership shows a deep commitment by Exterion Media to innovate both creative delivery and the DOOH space in exciting and new-to-market ways. The days of adding HashTags to advertisements and not displaying the content that’s created from them has gone – now brands can collect any social content and display this across the Exterion Media Network, which is one of the most prized networks in the world,” said Stuart Thompson, Director for Europe at TINT.

You can find more information about the exciting partnership via Exterion and TINT websites.

UK: Ocean Group and Signature Outdoor unveil The Loop

Birmingham has unveiled its brand new digital out of home network which deploys the very latest in screen technology. The Loop enables brands to deliver full motion advertising content to the heart of the city.

Developed, operated and sold by Signature Outdoor, The Loop is a network of more than 20 full motion screens located in 12 high footfall pedestrian zones across Birmingham’s regenerated city centre. A unique model for planning out of home media; The Loop will be planned and bought by audience and impressions via a new online audience trading platform, www.thelooplive.co.uk.

The project forms part of one the UK’s biggest city centre redevelopments. The Loop debuts with campaigns from a roster of eight brands including LVMH, Timberland, Virgin Trains, Wrigleys, Columbia Tristar, Ford, Jameson and Channel 4.

The Loop allows brands to connect with audiences through small format digital screens in Birmingham city centre for the first time, offering instant connectivity to mobile audiences through a fully looped wifi powered infrastructure which is centrally networked for ease of access.

Signature Outdoor managing director Steve George said: “Birmingham is undergoing a 21st century transformation and Signature Outdoor is a core partner in driving that change.

“Signature offer out of home opportunities which are ahead of the curve and challenge traditional trading mechanisms. Working with our partners at Birmingham City Council, The Loop provides an unrivalled level of connected engagement for advertisers and the people of Birmingham.”

Councillor Ian Ward, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council said: “The Loop is an innovative example of Signature Outdoor and Birmingham’s vision to become a smart connected City through the evolution of next generation world class advertising networks.”

The arrival of The Loop follows the widely publicised Media Eyes which are positioned above the main entrances to Birmingham New Street and the John Lewis flagship store, part of the Grand Central shopping centre which opened in September. The Media Eyes are operated by Signature Outdoor’s sister company, Ocean.

Ocean CEO Tim Bleakley said: “The Loop forms a significant part of Ocean Group’s multi-million pound investment in the development of prestige transport and retail environments for the next generation of mobile out of home audiences.

“Birmingham is rapidly becoming one of Europe’s most dynamic and exciting cities, and The Loop shows how best in class out of home and digital out of home connectivity is evolving.”

In addition, following the acquisition of MediaCo by Ocean Group back in April, CityLive – MediaCo’s digital pedestrian network in Manchester, 10 double-sided retail centric full motion screens, is now rebranded The Loop Manchester. Signature Outdoor now operates the only full motion small format digital networks in both Birmingham and Manchester city centres.

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UK: Owning the digital space

William Railton talks mobile and the future of outdoor ads, with BitPoster’s Aidan Neill

FROM billboards to bus stops, the outdoor media market has been more reluctant than other areas of the marketing industry to embrace digitisation. The buying and selling of advertising space had been largely a manual process, with a lot of wasted inventory and little standardisation of pricing.

In 2013, Aidan Neill founded BitPoster, a London-based outdoor ad-tech firm, with the aim of dragging the outdoor industry into the twenty-first century. Having worked for Lehman Brothers and BNP Paribas, Neill recognised that media trading needed to follow in the digital footsteps of the financial sector, partnering with tech firm Rubicon Project to automate 98 per cent of the UK’s outdoor inventory. He tells City A.M. why inefficiency, and not opportunity, is the key to starting a new business.

How has your time in finance helped you in media trading?

There are lots of similarities between the industries. Earlier in my career, I saw how technology had reduced the friction between buyers and sellers in financial markets. So when I was exposed to the media trading industry through a client, I saw how it was in desperate need of modernisation. There were multi-billion pound market cap media companies managing their inventory positions on whiteboards, and even today, media trading lags behind finance in tech terms by about 25 years.

My financial background, and my co-founder’s in digital product development, meant we were both outsiders to the market. The project we were working on at the time was for the largest owner of media space in the world, developing an application which would allow them to see what was playing on each of their screens and what the error counts were. At the time, they were having to position video cameras pointing at the digital screens they wanted to monitor, and I was struck by how they were forced to deal with a digital problem in an analogue way. There was no standardised pricing for inventory. It was very poorly managed. In many ways, our outside perspective was our advantage. Rather than seeing a big opportunity, like the burgeoning mobile industry, we saw a big problem. I think that’s the best way to start a business – by identifying inefficiency, not opportunity.

Full article here

Spain: New York City Franchise and Concession Review Committee consents to the change in control of CEMUSA, Inc.

JCDecaux SA announced this week that the New York City Franchise and Concession Review Committee (FCRC) voted yesterday unanimously to consent to the change in control to JCDecaux of CEMUSA, Inc., owner of CEMUSA NY LLC which holds the 20-year New York City Street Furniture Franchise Agreement. The agreement expires in June 2026.

The FCRC consists of four Mayoral appointees, the independently elected Comptroller and the five separately elected Borough Presidents.

The amended Franchise Agreement with New York City, acting through its Department of Transportation (“DOT”), will take effect once registered by the New York City Comptroller, who voted as a member of the FCRC to approve the takeover by JCDecaux. Registration is required within 30 days after transmittal by DOT which is expected to occur promptly.

This decision paves the way for JCDecaux to close on, before the end of October, the acquisition of 100% of CEMUSA – an FCC Group subsidiary dedicated to outdoor advertising – based on an agreement signed in March 2014. With 57,000 advertising panels, CEMUSA generated revenues of €130 million in 2014.

Jean-François Decaux, Chairman of the Executive Board and Co-CEO of JCDecaux, said:

“We are very pleased and honored that the Mayor, the Comptroller and the five Borough Presidents all approved JCDecaux to become New York City’s street furniture partner, to operate 3,500 advertising bus shelters and 314 advertising newsstands. The New York City street furniture contract will complement and strengthen JCDecaux’s street furniture advertising network throughout North America, which already includes Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Boston."

AMERICAS NEWS

USA: Out of home giant Kinetic sets up sustainability division

WPP’s out of home giant Kinetic is launching Kinetic Future, a new division aimed at sustainability-focused clients.

The division has grown from Kinetic’s worldwide corporate social responsibility initiative, dedicated to advancing sustainability in four key areas: social responsibility; the environment; professional development and company culture.

Kinetic Future is the first major project from Kinetic’s new ‘junior board.’ Kinetic CEO Mauricio Sabogal (left) says: “I believe in empowering our young talents to take leadership on initiatives that make an important impact not only in our industry but in the world. I created the junior board and gave them a voice on our global board of directors because this group has a unique perspective on media and on the future.

“I pride myself in Kinetic’s leadership in out of home but, more importantly, in the ways we are leading the movement to improve the overall industry and the world we live in.”

The eight members of the junior board have recruited 77 members from 13 countries to lead Kinetic’s sustainability efforts locally as part of the Kinetic Future team. So far they have raised nearly £65k in contributions to NGOs including Care India and MacMillan Cancer Trust, secured more than £3m in media donations for charities like Free the Children, and donated hundreds of hours of both volunteer time and pro bono media strategy and creative services.

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USA: Clear Channel Outdoor taps location-based analytics to enhance DOOH campaigns

Clear Channel Outdoor Americas, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia Inc., today announced it has partnered with Vistar Media, an advertising platform designed to help brands reach consumers based on their behavior in the physical world, to enhance its digital out-of-home assets with location-based audience analytics.

According to the announcement, Vistar Media uses location data from mobile devices to understand consumer behavior, and then delivers relevant messages to these screens using its ad serving platform. CCOA said the partnership underscores its dedication to using technology and data to connect its screens with digital media strategies and buyers.

"CCOA realizes the power of location-based audience strategies and dynamic delivery of contextually relevant ad messages to drive the growth and impact of OOH," said Scott Wells, CEO of CCOA, in the announcement. "We're excited to work with Vistar to produce tangible results for clients."

Beginning Oct. 12, CCOA will offer to media agencies, through Vistar, select DOOH inventory including roadside digital billboards, airport media and transit shelters throughout the U.S. CCOA said the partnership comes at a time when advertisers are recognizing the vital need to connect with on-the-go consumers where they spend 70 percent of their time and make more than 90 percent of their purchases: outside the home.

"Clear Channel Outdoor Americas is one of the largest outdoor advertising companies in the world, and at the forefront of innovation," Vistar Media CEO and co-founder Michael Provenzano said. "We are thrilled to partner with them in support of the one-of-a-kind digital inventory only Clear Channel offers." analytics to enhance DOOH campaigns

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USA: Happy Anniversary Nancy!

Our good friend Nancy Fletcher of the OAAA recently celebrated 30 years of marriage to husband Ron.

Those clever people at Delta Media marked the occasion in a very original way (and probably scored themselves some major brownie points too!)

Happy anniversary Nancy and Ron, from all of your FEPE family..xx

Canada: WARC joins ACTIVATE Speaker Line-up

Monique Dolbin, Associate Director of the World Advertising Research Centre (WARC) in the America’s has joined the slate of speakers for OMAC’s OOH Conference ACTIVATE which is being held on Oct. 28th in Toronto.

Monique will speak on the “Lessons in OOH from the World’s Best Campaigns” and share the trends that WARC’s annual meta-analysis found in OOH through selected campaigns. She will also share WARC’s views on what the future holds for OOH.

She will join the previously announced speakers:

Michael Trautmann, Co-founder and CEO, thjnk, Germany; Mike Bascom, Director of Marketing, High End Brands, Anheuser-Busch InBev and George Ault, Associate Creative Director, Zulu Alpha Kilo, Neil Morris, Founder Grand Visual, UK, Joanne Van der Burgt, President Ipsos Media CT and Paul Burkey, Director of Media Analytics, RealityMine.

For more information about ACTIVATE and to register click here.

USA: The DailyDOOH Investor Conference, Weds Nov 4, 2015 (NYC)

With the speaker line up we have and the tremendous M&A interest in the Out of Home, Digital Signage, Digital Place based and Digital Out of Home industry this past 12 months it is absolutely no surprise to us that industry execs are already buying their tickets for The DailyDOOH Investor Conference.

The event, now in its 10th year, is the NETWORKING AND MATCHMAKING EVENT for senior executives involved in this booming sector. At the conference, you will LEARN about the latest trends in the industry, MEET senior executives from both large and small companies alike, MEET investors and be able to LISTEN to some of the world's top speakers who will tell you where they see the industry going!

The conference takes place on Wednesday November 4, 2015 as part of New York Digital Signage Week.

More information about the event, all the speakers and registration can be found here... https://2015.dailydoohinvestorconference.com

AUSTRALIA NEWS

Australia: oOh! Media CEO Brendon Cook sees selfies as physical engagement as future of out-of-home advertising

Jumping, talking, taking selfies and playing games are all part of what oOh! Media chief executive Brendon Cook sees as part of the future of out-of-home advertising.

oOh! Media is launching 50 new interactive advertising panels across 40 shopping centres, which combine touch, gesture, voice recognition and cameras to engage with consumers. It has scope to increase the number of panels to 300.

"What we're finding is that people will really engage significantly and in significantly greater numbers than NFC [near-field communication] and QR [quick response] codes when they've got physical touch and other physical engagement that they can do," Mr Cook said.

Village Roadshow used the panels for a campaign around the film Pan where shoppers can work their way through a maze using touch.

"Within two weeks, with just 25 signs in 23 locations for Pan, they got over 35,000 deep engagements, each engagement going for an average of just over two minutes," Mr Cook said.

"Interestingly, because it was a kids' movie, parents could ... enter their email address to ask for more content, and over 13 per cent of people actually gave their email address. To date, over 75 per cent have actually opened and engaged with that content."

oOh! Media spent more than $1 million on the development of its Excite panel and will invest over $30 million in digital assets this year.

"The key is to build the technology platform that allows the creative and engagement tools to be available in real time, so that people can do anything or that clients can have two-way communication back with the customer in some sort of formal matter," Mr Cook said.

"We've invested in the retail area some $12 million on digital technology, obviously this forms a significant part of it, they're not cheap units. But, by the same token the value to an advertiser in this sort of deep engagement is a key part of our strategy."

Source

Australia: Don't rush to digital too fast, GroupM warns advertisers

Advertisers and media buyers should not devote too much of their budgets to digital advertising despite the rush of marketing dollars into online advertising, GroupM chief investment officer Sebastian Rennie warns.

Mr Rennie called on advertisers to remember the important role that traditional media such as television play in their campaigns.

"It's important that we find ways to introduce digital into the overall screen mix, because there's definitely viewing happening there and it's happening in increasing numbers each year, but I think you've also got to be careful that you don't tip the balance too far," Mr Rennie told Fairfax Media.

"There's no question TV still remains a lead media channel for us as an agency, but also for our advertisers and clients too."

GroupM, Australia's biggest media buying firm, is responsible for $2.84 billion in advertising billings across its agencies, including Mindshare, MEC, MediaCom and Maxus, and is part of advertising mogul Martin Sorrell's WPP.

Clients and agencies need to strike an optimal balance between what they spend on linear TV versus digital video said Mr Rennie, who started as CIO at GroupM in May after seven years at one of its agencies, MEC.

"Broadly speaking, clients are more and more focused on delivering good results and growth; working out the best medium mix in order to do that is a constantly evolving challenge. We're in an age of constant volatility and change."

Mr Rennie said he was expecting some big news from the free-to-air broadcasters on how they are going to integrate their content across platforms when they showcase their shows for the year ahead to advertisers and media buyers at the annual "upfronts" in the coming month.

"I think the audience pressure that the free-to-air networks have seen this year has been fairly well covered, so I think it's a good opportunity for the networks to show how they're addressing those audience challenges and the challenges they're facing around the distribution of content."

Mr Rennie said digital and out-of-home advertising have been big areas of growth for GroupM.

"I think out-of-home is having a bit of resurgence at the moment; there's a lot of interest in the medium. As an overall channel, they're doing a lot of work in terms of digitising their inventory and that's creating new opportunities for advertisers and setting up the ground work for consumers being able to interact with outdoor, which could potentially become the shopfront of the future."

Full article here

AFRICA NEWS

South Africa: OOH driving value for advertisers

Digital technology is driving where the out of home (OOH) media industry is heading, particularly in the retail space. This is according to Craig Page-Lee, the managing director of Posterscope South Africa, who says these innovations are ideal for crafting a brand’s story, building on that narrative and then using it to create consumer connections.

If OOH media players are unable to embrace these ever-evolving advancements, he adds, they risk becoming irrelevant.

“We all think that OOH media is street poles, billboards and good old building wraps, when actually, it is a whole lot more,” he says. “It’s about vending machines and interactive technologies. It’s about large-format, high-impact digital screens in key locations around the world. It’s about the big wrap also being a platform for brand consistency from one country to the next.”

These innovations have created an opportunity for brands to engage with consumers through different experiences, be it in a bricks-and-mortar store, online, or via smartphone and tablet devices. He cited an example of an integrated Trigger Isobar campaign to launch three new flavours of energy drink Red Bull. One phase of the campaign included interactive touch screens that were mounted onto can-shaped vending machines. Users could play an interactive game to win a sample of Red Bull’s new products. The tactile experience that allowed consumers to be rewarded for interacting with the brand had people queuing up to participate.

Similarly, a 2010 campaign to launch the MINI used an interactive approach to get consumers involved in the advertisement by asking them how many people they thought could fit into the car. Using video cameras inside the MINI, passersby had to pack as many people around the car as possible. The footage was then projected onto the inside of the MINI, which made it seem as if the estimated number of people were actually in the car. Participants could then share the video on social networks. But despite all these opportunities, using new digital tools in retail environments comes with a fresh set of challenges for the OOH industry, Page-Lee explains.

Full article here

ASIA NEWS

India: New Policy to Set Tough Norms for Hoardings

BHUBANESWAR: If a new policy is anything to go by, half the billboards and hoardings across major parts of the State will have to be removed given the strict guidelines prescribed in the draft Advertising and Hoarding Policy 2015.

The policy document declares that building structures of archaeological, architectural, historical or heritage importance should be declared as no advertisement and hoarding zone. Similar status would be accorded to places of worship and religious significance, statues, minarets, educational institutions, cremation grounds, hospitals, nursing homes, police stations, post offices, national parks, water bodies and areas classified as remnant endangered regional ecosystems.

Since the policy has been drafted as a road safety measure, it seeks that there should be no such billboards which come within the Right of Way of State highways and major district roads. Currently, such instances of hoardings abound across the State.

“Roadside advertising devices are one of many stimuli confronting road users. The permission criteria for display of advertising devices are intended to ensure that a high level of safety for road users is maintained and traffic efficiency is assured,” the document prepared by the Works Department says. The draft policy clearly outlines that any advertising device may be considered as a traffic hazard if it interferes with road safety or traffic efficiency. Similarly, if hoardings and advertisement boards hinder the effectiveness of a traffic control system such as traffic light, stop or give way signs, the former will be considered hazardous as they distract drivers at a critical time by obstructing view. Location of billboards at major intersections, bends and curves would also be considered hazardous.

Full article here

Singapore: OOH Media of the Year 2015

Look around you. Chances are most of the ads that grab your attention run on OOH platforms. These gentle giants of advertising have not only proven to be tech-savvy, but also command your attention in the least intrusive way possible. In this report, we take a look at which OOH media owners have most earned the love of marketers in Singapore.

1. JCDecaux

Crowned king of OOH media once again this year is JCDecaux. The company has added on several noticeable offerings over the past year and deepened its ties with its key stakeholders.

In August 2014, JCDecaux launched a world-class digital media format in T1 Changi Airport called the iconic Digital Towers. Since its launch, the Digital Towers has welcomed majors advertisers such as Bvlgari, Christian Dior Couture, HSBC and Mitsubishi Electric.

Meanwhile, across the airport, other advertisers such as Apple, ANZ, Bvlgari, Chanel, Christian Dior, DFS, Dunhill, Financial Times, Huawei, Mitsubishi Electric, Salvatore Ferragamo and UOB have also utilised its various spaces to target travellers.

In February 2015, JCDecaux strengthened its partnership with ION Orchard shopping mall by becoming the sole exclusive media partner for all its in-mall advertising sites. The exclusive partnership will see JCDecaux investing in digital media offerings and creating a highly targeted digital media inventory in Orchard Road’s best shopping corridor.

It kick-started the fi rst phase of enhancements in July with a network of new 80-inch digital screens: the “Digital Fashion Network”. Tenants, including Clarins, Mikimoto and TAG Heuer, were the inaugural advertisers on the new digital network. To target business decision-makers and PMEBs with high spending power, JCDecaux also clinched an exclusive agreement with The Sail Residences for the subterranean advertising spaces. The media owner maintains its position in the industry with three long-term cinema partners, namely Cathay, Filmgarde and Eng Wah which recently opened a 10-screen cineplex at 321 Clementi.

In the first half of 2015, JCDecaux welcomed five new advertisers to its large format billboards along Keppel Road. These advertisers are Magnum Ice Cream, Schroders, Esso, Samsung and Apple. To keep up with its ever-growing client list, the company reappointed Lydia Lee as airport sales director and Janet Loh as Singapore sales director.

Full article here