My Turn: What’s On Tap from OAAA for OOH

Some say the year actually begins after the Super Bowl. No matter when your calendar starts, there’s plenty on tap from OAAA for the OOH industry.

Get out your day-planner, as I highlight a robust list of “what’s next” for OOH executives, sales managers, attorneys, operations managers… and even movie buffs.

Return on Investment (ROI)

In our world, ROI is nearly as common an acronym as NFL. However, return on investment can mean many things.

OAAA is demystifying ROI:

• Workshops for OOH specialists were held last month in New York and Chicago, discussing how OOH delivers return on investment.
• A series of OAAA no-fee webinars will explain how to talk about ROI and how OOH performs. The webinar series kicks off February 28.
• Benchmarketing (a unit at the Omnicom Group) is researching return on investment in seven categories of OOH sales. Four categories were completed last year, showing impressive results. New research on three more categories – grocery, insurance, and restaurants/QSR (quick-service restaurant) – will be released at the 2018 Geopath/OAAA Out of Home Media Conference & Expo.

OOH Media Conference/OBIE Awards

Click here to register for the national OOH media conference, May 7-9 in Austin, TX. The 2018 OBIE Awards show is May 8. Finalists will be announced next week.

New Tools/New Industry Campaign

OAAA is offering a digital creative template to honor local Olympic athletes. Learn more about the Hometown Olympic Heroes effort here.

This fall, the industry will launch a new campaign to promote OOH capabilities. Four agency finalists will pitch campaign ideas this month. The scope will be similar to the 2015 Feel the Real campaign. The new campaign – aimed at the broader ad industry – will tout OOH as a core buy that complements mobile/social/online media.

Look for more video in OAAA’s advocacy toolbox. Here is a new video that illustrates the effectiveness, creativity, and relevance of OOH ads.

The annual OAAA Innovations Committee “Summer Camp” in Washington, DC, is scheduled July 17. Each year, the committee meets a full day to identify opportunities with new technology that is transforming the OOH industry.

New research:

• A new white paper addressing the role OOH can play in the build-out of smart cities was released the first of this year. The author, Gordon Feller, will be part of a roundtable discussion at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC, on February 15. OAAA members can register by emailing Carol Wong at [email protected].
• OAAA will deliver new research this fall on the connection between OOH and consumer activity with mobile devices (“mobile attribution”).
• The federal government is studying relocation of billboards in lieu of condemnation, as a means to save time and taxpayer money in road construction.

Legal/Regulatory/Political

State regulators convene in Baltimore April 22-26 (National Alliance of Highway Beautification Agencies). Bill Ripp, Lamar Advertising Company (chairman of OAAA’s Digital Billboard Committee), will explain new technologies. OAAA attorney Kerry Yoakum will provide a legal update to regulators.

OAAA and state government are on the same side in an important lawsuit in federal court. Tennessee’s billboard-control act was invalidated based on a First Amendment challenge. Tennessee is appealing to the US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. OAAA and four state billboard associations will file a friend-of-the-court brief supporting the state’s appeal, arguing that the First Amendment does not preclude reasonable regulation of billboards.

The biennial OAAA Legal Seminar will be held November 14 in New York City at the Westin New York in Times Square, with a reception the previous evening. OAAA’s Board of Directors, Legislative Committee, and Foundation leaders meet on November 13.

OAAA hosts an Operations & Safety Seminar October 8-10 in Chicago at the Embassy Suites O’Hare Rosemont. Industry leaders will discuss relevant, timely topics such as changes in federal rules regarding billboard climbing and crane safety. Attendees will also learn about the latest innovations and trends in fall protection and operations.

The active, competitive election season points to opportunity to sell more political ads. OAAA will present a no-fee webinar on the political category March 28.

Spotlighting Members

OAAA’s first-of-the-year tech webinar is tomorrow (February 6 at 2:00 pm ET). BlueBite will discuss ways to connect the “Internet of Things” to OOH.

This week, OAAA also showcases what’s new with printers as part of its Supplier Spotlight series in the newsletter and on the Thought Leadership blog.

Associated Posters, Inc (API) has been spotlighted for printing billboards used in the award-winning film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Allison Outdoor Advertising built and installed billboards shown in the movie, which was filmed in western North Carolina.

After winning four Golden Globes on January 7, Three Billboards was nominated for seven Oscars. The Academy Awards show is March 4 on ABC.

From Los Angeles, movie buff Rick Robinson at the Billups agency reminds us that OOH is a form of cultural currency.

Mark your 2018 calendars, to expand our currency, to serve our communities, sell our products, expand innovation, and celebrate creativity.

As always, I’d love to hear from you. I can be reached at [email protected] or (202) 833-5566.

Published: February 5, 2018