FEPE NEWS

FEPE: Latest speaker announcements for 60th anniversary Congress in Dubai - Sanofi Media Head Baron joins Out of Home leaders

International Out of Home organisation FEPE International has announced the latest speakers for its 60th anniversary Congress to be held at the Intercontinental Hotel Dubai Festival City from May 1-3.

FEPE is delighted to announce that Christof Baron, Head of Global Media at healthcare giant Sanofi, has joined the star-packed list of speakers.

Baron is a former CEO and Chairman of Mindshare in Germany and now oversees global media for one of the world’s biggest healthcare companies.

He is an acknowledged media expert, speaking on, among other topics, block chain developments in programatic media buying at last year’s high profile DMEXCO conference

Joining him in Dubai will be 

• Heather Andrew, CEO and Peter Pynta, Sales and Marketing Director of Neuro-Insight which measures brain response to communications in different media, 
• Jean-Christophe Conti, CEO of automated Out of Home ad platform VIOOH, 
• Rick Robinson, Managing Partner Services of US-based Out of Home ad tech company Billups, 
• Gabriel Cedrone, CEO of leading South American Out of Home owner GPO Vallas 
• Jean-Emmanuel De Witt, CEO of Russia’s largest Out of Home operator Russ Outdoor.
• Mark Boidman, Head of Media and Tech at New York investment bank PJSOLOMON will present his latest analysis of the global Out of Home market and likely future developments in a rapidly changing industry; 
• Stephanie Gutnik, Vice-President of Business Development at leading tech company Broadsign and one of the recipients of last year’s inaugural FEPE Rising Stars award, will review the way technology is transforming the Out of Home industry while 
• Nancy Fletcher, outgoing President and CEO of America’s OAAA will give her unique perspective on the way Out of Home has changed over the past two decades. 
• Dino Burbidge, latterly head of tech and innovation at London creative agency WCRS, will present to Congress his personal perspective on the Creative highlights of this years FEPE Awards

Keynote speakers already announced include 

• JC Decaux Co-chairman Jean-Charles Decaux,
• Kinetic Global CEO Marc-Antoine De Roys, 
• Posterscope Global CEO Stephen Whyte and 
• Tim Delaney, Chairman and Creative Director of international creative agency network Leagas Delaney.    

FEPE Executive Director John Ellery says: “This is undoubtedly the strongest speaker line-up we have ever welcomed to FEPE, with experts on all aspects of the industry from advertisers, creative and media agencies, tech companies and experts in programmatic media buying.

“Delegate places in Dubai are going quickly so we urge our friends in the global Out of Home industry to register now. There are also day passes available for prospective Middle East delegates.” 

For further information and to register go to www.worldooh.org

EUROPE NEWS

UK: Ocean acquires Ngage Media and Interbest as it expands into continental Europe

Premium out-of-home media owner Ocean has today acquired Ngage Media and Interbest, two leading independent companies which operate across the Netherlands.

This is Ocean’s first foray into continental Europe following the company’s relist on the London Stock Exchange in January 2019.

Ocean said the acquisitions were a chance to expand into a highly progressive market with similar dynamics to the UK, extending Ocean’s digital cities for digital citizens out-of-home (OOH) philosophy into continental Europe.

Read more

UK: Talon Buys US Out Of Home Media Agency - Grandesign

Acquisition is part of company’s plan to build a “Smarter as Standard” footprint in the U.S.

Talon, the UK’s largest independent Out of Home (OOH) media specialist, has expanded its U.S. coverage with the purchase of Grandesign, a U.S. independent OOH media agency headquartered in San Diego.

Grandesign is the second-largest independent #OOH agency in the US, delivering traditional and experiential OOH across six offices. This purchase only affects Grandesign’s traditional vertical, as the experiential vertical will continue as a standalone.

Read more

UK: Classic billboards face extinction - and that's a problem

As digital out-of-home screens steal the limelight, what's to become of the humble billboard, asks Stuart Taylor - and what does it mean for advertisers?

No one would disagree that the narrative around OOH media over the last five years has rightly been one of relentless innovation, transformation, and growth. With revenues growing in the low to mid - single digits annually, there have been a plethora of high quality new format screens, enabling dynamic creative deployment.

Read more

UK: Exterion rolls out first 32 Pulse hubs in Belfast

Exterion Media’s partnership with Pulse Smart Hub has launched with a network of 32 digital out of home (DOOH) screens located across Belfast city centre. The slimline Pulse Smart Hubs include free wi-fi, free local and national calls, mobile phone charging, visitor way-finders and various well-being improvements including life-saving defibrillators.

The new DOOH network made its debut at the end of last month with a host of local and national brands including Coca-Cola, Abbey Insurance, Belfast City Council and Translink. The network will expand to 40 screens in the coming weeks with additional locations appearing in Belfast’s Botanic Avenue and around the Victoria Square shopping centre.

Read more

UK: The unintended consequences of the 'junk food' advertising ban

It’s only been a week since Sadiq Khan’s ill-conceived ban on ‘junk food’ advertising across London’s public transport network came into effect, but the unintended consequences are already coming to light.

As I explained last June, ‘junk food’ has no legal definition. Those who want to restrict food advertising clearly have American fast food chains in mind, but the government is not so arbitrary and capricious that it is going to put McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and KFC on a blacklist. That would not only be illegal, it would also make the thinly veiled snobbery behind the anti-obesity crusade awkwardly explicit.

Read more

France: JCDecaux: Full-Year 2018 results

JCDecaux the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, announced today its results for the year ended December 31st, 2018. The accounts are audited and certified.

Following the adoption of IFRS 11 from January 1st, 2014, the operating data presented below is adjusted to include our prorata share in companies under joint control. Please refer to the paragraph "Adjusted data" on pages 4 and 5 of this release for the definition of adjusted data and reconciliation with IFRS.

The 2017 comparative figures are restated from the retrospective application of IFRS 15 "Revenue from Contracts with Customers", applicable from January 1st, 2018. The application of IFRS 15 leads to the change in presentation of invoices relating to advertising taxes. The impact on previously published full-year 2017 figures is +€20.7 million on adjusted revenue. 

Read more

AMERICAS NEWS

USA: OOH Ads Produce Strong 2018 Growth

U.S. out-of-home advertising posted the strongest growth in the fourth quarter in over 10 years — with sharply rising digital billboards revenue.

The Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) says U.S. spending grew 7.2% in the fourth quarter compared to 2017 -- the greatest quarterly growth since before the Great Recession of 2008.

For the 2018 year as a whole, OOH advertising was up 4.5%, totaling $8 billion. The OAAA now says there have been 35 consecutive quarters of growth.

In 2018, Apple was the biggest out-of-home spender, with around 25% of the top 100 spenders being technology brands.

Read me

USA: How McDonalds Embraced a High-Tech Ad Strategy to Attract More Customers

Restaurants today face growing competition, and driving traffic—literally—to stores is one of the biggest issues facing the industry. Some restaurant chains are finding success by embracing technology-forward marketing strategies.

Billboards have been driving customers to quick-service locations since the 1860s. Today, they continue to be impactful reminders of where to eat on the road. But because contemporary consumers are inundated with even more information from so many channels, getting their attention requires a bit more reinforcement.

By partnering with navigation apps, such as WAZE, and using those platforms to target messaging relative to consumers’ real-time physical location, restaurants are more likely to bring in traffic.

USA: Sex Sells, But OOH Shouldn't Help

By David Krupp

Outdoor advertising and media plays an increasingly important role in local communities and cities – from public information and safety notices (e.g. Amber Alerts, FBI Most Wanted, Hurricane Alerts) to helping brands and organizations reach consumers at scale.

Throughout my career, I’ve also seen the out-of-home (OOH) industry help to build awareness for important social causes and spread meaningful ideas – from fostering free speech to stopping domestic and sexual abuse. I’ve had the good fortune of partnering with humanitarian organizations and leaders striving to improve their businesses and tackle challenges facing our communities and citizens.

Several years ago, I was honored when Anne Ream and her team at The Voices and Faces Project asked me to use my experience and the visual power of OOH to further their efforts to thwart human trafficking through the End Demand Campaign. The campaign challenges myths and misconceptions surrounding sexual exploitation, human trafficking and prostitution, while simultaneously working to change legislation for women and men trafficked into the sex trade.

Read more

USA: The Beauty of a Billboard in the Age of Instagram

More than 180 years after the first large-scale outdoor advertisements made their debut in New York City in 1835, billboards are proving a particularly popular tool for advertisers, an interesting development at a time when non-traditional mediums, such as native advertising and social media influencers reign supreme. 1 in 4 Americans has posted an image of an outdoor ad on Instagram, according to a 2017 study from market research firm Nielsen. “That is higher than almost any other advertising traditional media – TV, radio, print, or digital banner ad,” Fast Co. added.

Billboards have remained a steady tactic for advertising since their early days, whether they are promoting Ringling Brothers circuses, as some of the very first ones did in the 1830’s, or selling underwear and denim, as so many of the prominently-placed Calvin Klein billboards aim to do. 

Read more

Canada: Company of the Day: Pattison Outdoor

Pattison Outdoor is Canada’s leading out of home company with a plant in 200 markets in Canada.  The company is active in the billboards, airports, transit, ferry and digital place based sectors.  Randy Otto is the firm’s President.  Pattison is a subsidiary of the Jim Pattison Group, a Vancouver based conglomerate owned by Jim Pattison.  

Forbes estimates his net worth at $5.8 billion.  Jim Pattison acquired Seaboard Advertising in 1967 and expanded via several other out of home companies.  In 1998 the name was changed to Pattison Outdoor.

Read more

AUSTRALIA NEWS

India: Australian Ethical first to use SmartSkins that will be recycled into park benches, polymer products

SmartSkins sets a new benchmark for the OOH industry with the substrate and mounting ropes being 100% recyclable, while also maintaining the high quality of traditional billboards and being cost effective  

Australian EthicalBillboard skins used in a new advertising campaign for Australian Ethical will be recycled into products traditionally manufactured from hard wood timber, following the development of an innovative material.

In a world’s first, billboard skins known as SmartSkins - which was developed by print specialist Cactus Imaging and its parent company oOh!media - will be recycled into park benches, decking, bollards, fence posts and other high-grade recycled polymer products.

SmartSkins sets a new benchmark for the OOH industry with the substrate and mounting ropes being 100% recyclable, while also maintaining the high quality of traditional billboards and being cost effective.

Read more

Australia: Ooh Media group revenue director Phil Eastwood exits as part of wider restructure

Out-of-home media player Ooh Media has announced a series of senior leadership changes, with group revenue director ANZ Phil Eastwood stepping down after six years with the business. 

Eastwood plans to spend more time with his family after years of commuting to Sydney from Brisbane each week in addition to regular domestic and New Zealand travel.

Eastwood plans to spend more time with his family after years of commuting to Sydney from Brisbane
His role has been replaced with the newly-created position of national revenue director for Australia, which will be filled by Sean Rigby. The role will sit under national sales director Tim Murphy, who will now report directly into Ooh’s chief customer officer, David Scribner.

Read more

ASIA NEWS

India: 2019 General Elections, a crucial time for the OOH space

Elections are always quoted as one of the most lucrative times for OOH industry for being the most approachable and larger than life medium for the political parties. As the date for the 2019 General Elections inches closer, campaigning by political parties has started to gain momentum. Parties are expected to spend as much as Rs 400 crore on OOH domain ahead of the elections, according to industry experts.

Out-of-home (OOH) advertising is one of the crucial medium for the parties to connect with voters despite the growing popularity of digital and social media.

Read more

India: Litcabs, a startup drives into OOH with the launch of their taxi top advertising platform

Mumbai-based startup Litcabs is a first-of-its-kind mobile OOH service provider offering advertising solutions for brands on iconic Kaali-peeli taxis in Mumbai. They provide intelligent, unique and effective OOH advertising solutions by mounting back-lit panels atop taxi carriers while supplementing the income of taxi drivers. Over 8,000 kaali-peeli taxis in the city will be outfitted with taxi top advertising displays with the first 350 hitting the streets of Mumbai in the first week of March.

Litcabs has been founded by a team of four passionate entrepreneurs. Jyotiba Patil, the founding partner along with Arjun Meghe, Siddhartha Shekhar and Aditya Thorat. 

Read more