August 2016 by OOH JOURNAL

LOLU AKINWUNMI GOT ATTACKED.

LASAA VISITED OAAN SECRETARIAT.

Marke ng Communica ons Journal. VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 5 August 2016.

Nigeria’s Premier Digital Marke ng Communica on’s Journal. SIGNAGE , Volume 1, Issue 5 Copyright 2016 by 1609 Media. All right reserved. No part of this publica on may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including informa on storage and retrieval systems without wri en permission from the publisher.

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Oyekan Babajide O. Odubela Adebisi O. O Kalimot Oluwatoyin Oyekan Babajide O. West Concept Design Digital Aderibigbe Funmilola F. Pictures in this edi on was courtesy Philema

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CONTENTS

A Month in News

6 African/International Update

SIG

AGE

Marke ng Communica ons Journal. Volume 1 - Issue 5 August 2016

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Signage Most We are delighted to bring you a formidable lineup of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest minds across the marketing communication industry.

Young and Cerebral Presenting young, talented students, employers or employee who are challenging the status quo and driving the industry forward.

Weakest Link A quiz game of elimination, with nine marketing communications professionals as contestants to answer a series of quick-fire general knowledge questions.

Our Legend Our Legend is a thirty-minute series devoted toout of home professionals, organizations and venue that have exceeded fame and critical acclaim and have arrived at the status of LEGEND. This series will focus on great contemporary people and organisation that have made their mark in the outdoor advertising industry. from its/their earliest days with interviews and great insight from friends and colleagues.

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reams can remain just dream, daydreams or night dreams or may be it is that those who do most, dream most. Anyways dreams come true, without that possibilities nature would not incite us to have dreams. We started this journey five months ago with little or nothing but we were sure of what we had, we were sure of its success , it was tough no doubt but we did it. Find the thing that you are meant to do, work your ass off to get it, never stop dreaming I dedicate this edition to God Almighty Lord â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have faith , help me have moreâ&#x20AC;?, My wife of inestimable valu e - thank you babe for always having my back, to my wonderful girls - you guys have thaught me what been a father is like. to my support group Odubela Adebisi, shobayo Rasheed, Oni Adebola and a host of others thank you for believing, you guys are one in a million. To West Concept Design, thanks for believing. we promse to uphold and rise above all challenges and bring to your reading pleasure regular un-bais thorough happening of the industry. Cheers Oyekan Babajide Editor

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Delivering the Promise We come to work each day for one reason: to make things work for you as our clients- not just merely on paper or conceptually, but on ground practically with our hoarding.

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A month

in News

ENUGU STATE ASSEMBLY WELCOMES BILL ON OUTDOOR ADVERTISING

NOAH'S ARK HAULS IN MEDALS AT L O E R I E S I N T E R N AT I O N A L ADVERTISING FESTIVAL

igeria's leading Creative Advertising Agency, Noah's Ark Communications Limited, has added yet another feather to its creative

be in the top league of successful brand builders out of Africa. Adisa stated that the Loeries award marks another remarkable milestone, not only for the agency but also for the entire Nigerian creative advertising industry in its quest to earn its rightful place as a force to reckon with in the global advertising landscape.

he Enugu State House of Assembly h a s we l co m e d a b i l l fo r t h e regulation of outdoor structures for the display of signage, hoarding and advertisement in the state. News sources reports that the bill is an executive bill sponsored by the Leader of the assembly, Mr Ikechukwu Ezugwu. Ezugwu said that the bill would block all the loopholes in revenue collection and generation, hence the need to use professionals to achieve an improved revenue base. He explained that the bill would allow for a proper pattern, appropriate location and colours to be used for adverts, depending on their content, information and purpose which would add aesthetics to the environment. The members of the assembly while lending their opinions on the bill said it would provide new resources for the efficient administration of the state in the face of the current economic realities facing the country at large. Mr Iloabuchi Aniagu (PDP-Nkanu West) while contributing to the bill, however, reminded the members that it tended to take away an aspect of the functions of the local government. Aniagu suggested that the assembly consult various local governments before passing the bill. The Speaker of the assembly, Mr Edward Ubosi, directed the committees on local government, environment, capital territory, information and judiciary to conduct a public hearing on the bill.

SIGNAGE DIGITAL JOURNAL

hat by clinching one Silver and two Bronze awards at the just concluded Loeries International Advertising Festival held recently in Durban, South Africa. The Loeries is the biggest creative gathering in Africa and Middle East that seeks to reward and inspire innovation and relevance across the different spheres of brand communication. Noah's Ark Communications Limited was the only decorated agency, from Nigeria and the entire West African sub-region. Out of the 12 works entered for the awards by the agency, 8 made the shortlist, with three winning eventually. The works that won the award for the agency are: 'The Young Bookworms' (Boko Halal Campaign), Muhammadu Buhari – Silver, Print category (a work done as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project of the agency in clamouring for the release of the adopted Chibok Girls); Hypo, 'For Whites Only' (Oscars) – Bronze, Outdoor Category; and Gala, 'No one is bigger than hunger' (Obama) – Bronze, Magazine Advertising. The Managing Director, Noah's Ark Communications Limited, Mr. Lanre Adisa, described the achievement of the agency at the 2016 Loeries International Advertising Festival as another step in the direction towards achieving its vision – to

“It has always been our desire to put the Nigerian Advertising Industry in global limelight by winning at the highest level. This is another step towards achieving this desire and we would not rest on our oars in doing that,” he said. Also speaking on the laudable feat achieved by the Agency, the Executive Creative Director, Abolaji Alausa, noted that the award will further fuel and inspire more audacious creative outputs from the agency. Alausa dedicated the award to his team for their doggedness, resilience and courage. He specially dedicated 'The Young Bookworms' (Boko Halal Campaign) to the memory of the Agency's late Associate Creative Director – Babatunde Ridwan Adebola who passed on about two years ago. It would be recalled that Noah's Ark emerged the overall best agency at the 2015 Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF) awards, winning a total of 10 awards, including 1 Grand Prix, 5 Gold, 2 Silver and 2 Bronze, and also won 2 Emerald Awards at the 2015 Crystal Awards held in Marrakesh, Morocco. The Agency holds the record of being the first agency in Nigeria to be featured in the Luerzer's Archive; and also the first Agency in Nigeria to be recognized by Cannes Lions Award in 2014 with two National Diploma Certificates for its work for Indomie Instant Noodles.

MEDIA VIEWS / LASACO LED BILLBOARD AT IYANA OWORO IN DILEMMA The LASACO Properties and Investment Limited, a subsidiary of LASACO Assurance Group in conjunction with Media View Limited, an outdoor advertising firm, are at risk of losing over N400million investment used in building one of the largest outdoor advertising electronic billboards in West Africa at Iyana Oworo in Lagos. Investigations reveal that the multimillion Naira light-emitting diode (LED) billboard located on the vantage hilltop at Iyana Oworo area-popularly called 'Oko Cole' of Lagos overlooking Third Mainland Bridge, which belongs to Media View has not secured any long term business since it was commissioned on May 26, 2015.. According to sources, the investment was driven by LASACO Properties Limited's

down outdoor advertising companies that have refused to clear their debt, and findings indicate that the Iyana Oworo billboard is one of them. Commenting on the issue, Temitope Akande, the Public Relations Manager of LASAA, said “there are some hoardings the a g e n c y h a s t a ke n s o m e m i n i m a l enforcement on. But this is not one of them,” he said.. LASAA is very strict with non-compliance with payment on vacant boards. This position has consistently kept both LASAA and Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria's members at loggerhead. Reacting to the situation, the General Secretary of OAAN, Femi Ogala, said “LASAA charges 30 per cent even on vacant boards. Clients are running away because of these charges. This is the problem”. The Managing Director of Media View, Mr.

development and has called for a review of the investment

OUTDOOR ADVERTISING NOW B E YO N D T H E R E A C H O F N E W BRANDS – AAAN'S CHIEF In the Nigerian advertising space, especially in Lagos, billboard adverts may soon be beyond the reach of most new and local business ventures and consequently stall the growth of such businesses. This is due to the high cost of mounting a billboard as well as the various taxes and permits needed to do this without running foul of the law. This fear was expressed by the president of the Advertising Agencies Association of Nigeria (AAAN), Mr. Kayode Oluwasona, saying : “A few weeks ago, there was the poster awards organised by the Outdoor Advertising Association on Nigeria (OAAN) and this issue came up at the seminar that preceded the award ceremony and I was one of panelists. My contribution that day was that outdoor, the way it is in Nigeria, is fast out pricing itself. That is, it is now beyond the reach of upcoming brands, Nigerian brands. For instance, if I want make a body cream or hair pomade, I can't access the outdoor advertising.” In April this year, the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Samuel Babatunde Adejare said that the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) had achieved 55 percent cleanup (dismounting)on major and minor roads around the Lagos metropolis. This was the way government had set out to regulate and control outdoor advertising and signage displays in Lagos State.

Media View's N400million LED Billboard financed by LASACO @ Iyana Oworo in Lagos

passion to ensure businesses and that brands are better projected through modern outdoor medium to enhance quick connection with target audience, thus, leading to good market success. The bad situation of the investors is not helped by the massive downward reviews of marketing and advertising budgets by multinationals. Recently, Glo announced a nationwide revocation of its outdoor advertising contract. Airtel, MTN, Guinness, Unilever Nigeria and financial institutions, in like manner, have all reviewed their advertising budgets downwards. Apart from dwindling marketing budget as a result of the current economic situation in the country, the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency's (LASAA) insistence on payment for vacant boards has also compounded the investors' circumstances. It was gathered that Media View is owing the regulatory agency about N8milliom being debt accumulated over the period when the board remained vacant. LASAA has already taken steps to shut

Tunde Adedoyin, who commended LASACO Properties for its boldness in identifying with the dream of delivering the largest outdoor advertising electronic billboard in West Africa, is said to be battling to secure business that would kick off the renaissance of the investment. He, however, affirms that the board was shut down because of unbearable operational cost without a client on it. But expressed confidence that it is likely to resume by September when a prospective client is willing to break a campaign. Speaking on the likelihood that LASACO, as the investing company, may resort to legal action, Adedoyin said any reaction in that direction is normal as no investor would want his investment go down the drain, adding that any other finance company or investor would react in like manner. He stated that the only factor that would stymie such reaction is timely return on investment without any hindrance, which is a condition LASACO shares with us. “We can confirm that we are enjoying absolute and highest level of understanding from the company. They are real worthy partners,” he said. Even at that, our findings revealed that the board of LASACO is unsettled over the

While Oluwasona agreed that the government through the agency, LASAA had a noble intention in the banning the mounting of certain billboards, he also revealed that there is the general belief that it might have been overdone. He added : “It is like because you want to remove cancer, you cut off the whole breast and the woman looks into the mirror and wonders if she is still a woman and begins to look for plastic surgery. “You cannot take it away that Lagos looks cleaner now than 10, 15 years ago when there was no order. Billboards of different shapes and sizes and' health' – some are rickety, wobbly, rusty, etc – would be placed everywhere. You would see beer ads in front of churches. You would see condom ads in front of primary schools. These were things that were not supposed to be,” he added. However, one of the agreements reached at that forum was that stakeholders should put heads together to fathom a way forward. “There was full representation of all these stakeholders at that particular event. We can only hope that those involved organise the forum very quickly and look for solution,” Oluwasona said.

Signage vol.1 No5

WHY IT’S DIFFICULT TO REGULATE DIGITAL MARKETING IN NIGERIA - NEUKLEOS CEO Amidst calls by stakeholders for proper regulation of the digital marketing sector,

agencies because most of the social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram,

” Here it is very difficult to regulate digital marketing. The best they can do is to penalize the clients whose adverts you saw. Imagine if a brand is advertising on Facebook, APCON cannot enforce the law on Facebook. So my point is that regulation cannot be very effective when you can’t regulate across the structure.” She however admonished that efforts should be directed at improvement of standadisation. ”What I think we can do is to improve on our standardization. In the UK, for instance, the standardization body is called the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau), they standardize media owners. That helps to establish a uniform standard for the industry.” “ The first IAB in Africa was established last year in South Africa. So it is not easy to do, but there is a globally recognized bureau, where people can get a charter. We have been having that discussion but it takes a long time,” she said.

Chief Executive Officer of Neukleos, a digital marking agency, Mrs. Bukola Akingbade, has stated that it would be difficult to regulate the digital agencies because government lacks the infratsructure to do so. In an exclusive interview with MARKETING EDGE in her Ikeja office, Akingbade stated that the authorities in the country could not enforce laws or regulate the digital

SIGNAGE DIGITAL JOURNAL

Twitter etc, on which they deploy contents are not based in Nigeria. ”Countries that have succeeded in regulating the digital space have invested time, money and capabilities in building their cyber authority, like China, where if you say I don’t want this person to do this, you are not just saying it, you can enforce it,” she said.

But in the absence of a proper regulation, operators in the digital marketing sector are now working at forming a digital marketing association. This is part of an effort to ensure sanity in the sector and improve standards. According to Akingbade talks have reached advance stage with regards to the formation of the association. But she would not say when the sectoral body would likly become operational.

African & international update SA N R A L A N D E KU R H U L E N I I N BILLBOARD BATTLE

he South African National Roads Agency Ltd (Sanral) is at loggerheads with the City of E ku r h u l e n i ove r n u m e ro u s i l l e ga l billboards the municipality has approved on bridges and along freeways, particularly along the R21 towards OR Tambo International Airport. In one case, Ekurhuleni's real estate department is opposing the outdoor

transgressions, without success,” he said. Regarding the Gillooly's billboard, he confirmed the city's legal department was taking the matter to court. “Sanral has agreed to support the department with all the input required regarding the transgressions of our act and the regulations, and if necessary we will depose an affidavit as well,” he said. He said all outdoor advertising visible from the national road/highway, up to a distance of 250m from the road reserve boundaries, must be approved by Sanral. “This is for road safety re a s o n s . A d ve r t i s i n g distracts drivers and affects concentration, and this leads to incidents/accidents much like using a cellphone or radio while driving. The advertising boards clutter the road environment and the road signs are lost in the maze of signs, making it difficult for drivers to focus on the traffic warning and directional signs,” said Mona.

A billboard at Gillooly's Farm near Bedfordview, Joburg, has opened a can of worms regarding the hazards of roadside advertising

advertising department that approved a giant 91m2 billboard on Gillooly's Farm, targeting the busy Gillooly's interchange. The real estate department has requested the legal department to interdict the applicants who erected it, forcing them to remove it. The parks department is also involved because both legs of the billboard are within the historic Gillooly's Farm and the owners of the billboard should have entered a lease agreement with it. Sanral said there were numerous advertising signs on and along the national roads in the Ekurhuleni metro (approved by the metro) that were in conflict with the Sanral act and the regulations on outdoor advertising. There are also many illegal signs along the N3, N12 and R21. Sanral spokesman Vusi Mona said they had written to the city manager pointing out the transgressions, but “we have not been able to have a meeting on the matter with him”.

SIGNAGE DIGITAL JOURNAL

“We have, however, engaged with the officials in the advertising department a number of times, pointing out the

Sanral has issued the warnings and removal notices as is required in terms of the Sanral act which have been ignored. Bedfordview ward councillor Jill Humphreys is angry. “First of all, I never received the application - they sent it to the wrong ward councillor. We would have mobilised residents and the public, and permission would never have been granted. “Motorists and Ekurhuleni residents are being compromised with the proliferation of illegal billboards. There are about 75 of these between Edenvale and the airport and that number is well over the required 250m space which should be allowed between boards. “They are destroying the character of the residential suburbs around them. Bedfordview is being pimped out to the highest bidder for these boards,” she said. Humphreys said these illegal signs were also compromising the structure of the bridges on which they were being erected. Trees, which act as a buffer between the freeway and residential areas, have also been removed for visibility. In one case in the Wychwood area, the a d ve r t i s i n g b o a rd s p l a c e d o ve r a pedestrian bridge have caused the area to become a “dark tunnel” blocking the open view. “There have been numerous muggings of

children who use this bridge to get to school because they are no longer visible to the motorists below,” she said. Local resident Liz Kirsten said the residents of the surrounding areas were outraged. “I suspect that the thinking is ignore the objections and once the advertisement is up it will be too late to do anything about it'. I fear that is what happens. People protest and then become resigned to the fact that nothing will happen. I don't feel like doing that,” she said. Ekurhuleni spokesman Themba Radebe said the city had approved the sign. Peter Le Mottée, attorney for Tshepo Gugu Trading which put up the sign, confirmed receiving the application for the interdict and said they would be opposing it. “We got the necessary permits, but we are now being told that the person who authorised them had no authority to do so. We're also told we need a lease from the parks department, which we do not have. Furthermore they said the billboard is too close to the intersection,” he said. Glenfiddich marketing manager Lauren Kuhlmey said the company had ensured that the owner of the board had all approvals and authority in place before it had rented the space. “We went through all the right processes,” she said.

STER-KINEKOR CINEMARK HOSTS CANNES LIONS EDITS EVENTS WITH INDUSTRY EXPERTS

elebrating creativity and the power of cinema as an advertising platform through a showcase of best practice in brand communications is the promise of the 2016 edition of Cannes Lions Edit. Hosted by Ster-Kinekor and Cinemark, this edited version of the 63rd Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity highlights the award-winning campaigns from around the world that took top honours, and presents exclusive industry insights from this year's panel of jurors. The Cannes Lions Edit events take place in Johannesburg at Ster-Kinekor The Zone, and at Cinema Nouveau V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on 8 and 15 September respectively, from 9am till 10:30am. Bookings for both events are now open, and tickets are available at R150 each. Advertising veteran Andy Rice will act as the MC at both events. Together with Ann Nurock, they will introduce and facilitate the panel of speakers and jurors from 9am, before introducing the screening of the winning works from 9:30.

“This is an amazing opportunity for anyone working in the advertising, marketing and brand communications industry. Not only will they be able to view the winning work from this year's Cannes Lions, but they will also have the chance to interact with the South African creative experts who joined the panel of 387 international judges to decide the fate of thousands of creative entries from across the world. We will hear firsthand from them what they were looking for in the awarded creative campaigns,” says Tshireletso Yvonne Diogo, Ster-Kinekor's general manager of promotions and trade marketing.

this day, all employees of the LG Brand Shop, Gurgaon will wear LG branded tshirts with ‘Clean India, Clean Brand Shop’ message and will encourage brand store owners in surrounding areas to pledge their support by maintaining cleanliness in and around their business locations as well. Speaking at the launch of Clean India campaign, Mr. Ashutosh Pant, Regional B u s i n e s s H e a d - H a r ya n a &

The panel of speakers at the Johannesburg event comprises Jenny Glover (Cannes Lions juror and executive creative director of TWBA/Hunt/Lascaris); Nathan Reddy (Cannes Lions juror and founder/CEO of Grid); Fran Luckin (Cannes Lions juror and chief creative officer of Grey Africa in JHB); and Suhana Gordhan (Cannes Lions Juror and creative director of FCB Africa). In Cape Town, the audience will be entertained, informed and inspired by a panel of speakers and jurors including Emma Carpenter (Cannes Lions juror and creative director of Accenture Interactive SA); keynote speaker Ann Nurock, Bizcommunity's roving reporter who was on the ground at this year's Cannes Lions festival; Jonathan Beggs (Cannes Lions juror and chief creative officer of Saatchi & Saatchi); and Eoin Welsh (Cannes Lions juror and chief creative officer of Havas Worldwide JHB). “We are privileged to have this calibre of industry expertise on one panel. We encourage everyone in the industry to attend this year's Cannes Lions Edit events to share in their creative insights and expertise, before enjoying the big-screen experience of the award-winning work,” conclude Diogo.

Rajasthan, LG Electronics India said, “LG’s Clean India Clean Brand Shop campaign will certainly create awareness and a sense of responsibility amongst fellow Indians and that they will come together with us in making these campaigns a huge success and a clean India.”

MEDIA 360 DEGREE IMPLEMENTS EDGE1 OOH SOFTWARE

engaluru based OOH Company, implements Edge1 to power entire O O H s a l e s a n d o p e ra t i o n a l workflow

For more information about the Cannes Lions Edit events at Ster-Kinekor The Zone on 8 September from 9am, and at Cinema N o u v e a u V & A Wa t e r f r o n t o n 1 5 September from 9am, and to make bookings, visit the Ster-Kinekor website at w w w. s t e r k i n e ko r. c o m o r www.sterkinekor.mobi. Download the SK App on your smartphone for the latest news.

LG STEPS FORWARD IN MAKING INDIA CLEANER

eeping in line with Government of India’s initiative, the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ for a cleaner India, LG Electronics, India’s leading consumer durable manufacturer recently launched its ‘Clean India- Clean Brand Shop’ campaign involving LG brands shops to clean their surroundings. Kicking off in Gurgaon, The ‘Clean India Clean Brand Shop’ campaign will run a special cleanliness drive at all LG Brand shop locations in India. A message to all employees has been disseminated to participate and help towards building a cleaner India. LG targets to clean a total area of 2.6 Lac sq. ft. (approx.) of India in its first round of cleanliness drive. To mark

US Technosoft, an adtech company, announced that Media 360 Degree, Bengaluru’s out-of-home advertising company, has fully implemented US Te c h n o s o f t ’s co m p re h e n s i ve O O H software platform, Edge1 Outdoor Media Management Software. Edge1 is used to power all business workflows including sales, operations and accounts. Media 360 Degree is using Edge1 Platform as an enterprise automation tool to i n te g ra te a l l s a l e s , a c c o u n t s a n d operations functions, empowering both f ro nt- l i n e a n d b a c k- o ff i c e te a m s . Workflows to be streamlined include availability and proposal generation, asset and inventory management, work order and PO management, billing and lease management, campaign bookings,

document management, and reports. Upinder Singh, Project Director of Edge1 shared: “It is a great honour that Bengaluru’s fast growing, most ubiquitous and premiere OOH Media Company has chosen Edge1 Platform to run its business. Media 360 Degree is renowned for its culture of excellence it is in their DNA to excel at whatever they pursue, and vendor selection is no exception. I could not be more excited about Media 360 Degree and US Technosoft partnership”. Arjun, Media 360 Degree’s Business Head, commented: “We have fully implemented Edge1 because it is a platform that will empower our entire workforce to perform better, opening up new and innovative ways increase sales volumes. Edge1’s integrated platform allows us to efficiently manage our entire business on web and mobile interfaces across the globe. The migration to Edge1 Platform is transformational for our business. We are very pleased with the work Edge1 has produced for Media 360 Degree to date, and we look forward to a long-term partnership where US Technosoft’s tools will support us as we scale and grow the business in the coming years.”

GHMC REMOVES BAN ON HOARDINGS Following a complete ban for three months, GHMC approves of outdoor hoardings in Hyderabad but with a few riders to avert hazards. Three months into ban of hoardings keeping safety issues in mind, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has finally approved of hoardings in Hyderabad but only those which have lesser hazard possibilities. The approval has also come in place with a clause that agencies need to sign undertakings according to which they will be held sole responsible in case of any mishap. According to the new rule based on the recommendations of NV Ramana Rao Committee, the size for wall mounted and ground hoardings has been limited to 40 ft x 25 ft and rooftop hoardings to 30ft X 25 ft and not on buildings exceeding more than two levels. All the hoardings will be subjected to inspection, assessment and certifications by JNTUH. B Janardhan Reddy, Commissioner of GHMC said that they decided to bring back hoardings in the city in order to keep OOH industry alive but without negotiating on the safety measures. Subbarao of Hyderabad-based Prakash Arts said, “Earlier the guideline for structural design of billboards was to withstand 100 km/hour of wind speed while it has now been upgraded to 158 km/hour. Definitely, the guidelines are much more stringent now but we must understand that it will stabilize the outdoor industry of the city even if this calls for some initial investments from media owners.”

Signage vol.1 No5

THE POWER OF TRANSIT ADVERTISING

ransit advertising is one of the most powerful methods of outdoor advertisement. Most of advertisers especially small businesses don't know what exactly transit advertising is all about and how they can leverage on the benefits and advantages the medium offer. Some years ago, our company proposed transit advertisement to a global payments technology company for one of its products in Nigeria. The company thought it was a nice idea and referred our marketing team to their media agency in Nigeria. After an inspiring and convincing presentations, we thought it was, we were told the product is a premium and niche product and do not consider transit media as a suitable communication platform for it. Regardless of the outcome, we still

thanked them for the opportunity. We knew a few things did not connect with our presentation, perhaps the decision maker did not see valuable reasons in our presentations to put the product campaign on transit buses, something they haven't done before then or he wasn't convinced with our value propositions. A few months later the same product campaign was on several mass transit buses virtually on all the major routes in Lagos metropolis. Though the project was eventually executed by another vendor, we were satisfied they finally bought the idea. Since then the product campaign has remained consistent on transit buses. Some advertisers and media buyers deny their brands and clients the benefits of transit advertisement due to misconception about the platform. Some advertisers do not know where to buy, what it entails and what make a great transit advertising campaigns. Whose

OOH agency has the requisite set skills and team to deliver impressive transit campaigns? All of these questions will be answered in this article. Let's come to our first question of what actually is transit advertising? Transit advertising is an alternative outdoor advertising media installed on the body surface of mass transit buses. Although this site is a large format, it is advisable keep your copy simple. A bold message accompanied by a strong image and branding is the best way to gain maximum response. Light fonts can be hard to read. If you do use a light font make sure there is a high contrast in colour with the background. Transit advertisement campaign print is

made of Self Adhesive Vinyl SAV. The SAV material is installed by a trained and experienced installer on the display areas of bus with the help of ad layout to avoid a mix-up. Great Transit Advertising consist of high quality SAV print material for high quality output, final colour (original brand colour) , neat installation, smooth and dent free display area of bus and excellence supervision. Exceptional quality do not just happen, they are carefully designed and planned out so that nothing is left to chance and every variable is considered and calculated accordingly. Transit advertisement traditionally offer brands the opportunity to advertise on city mass transit buses. It is a medium that reaches an economically active market through a high viewership frequency, m a k i n g i t a n e f fe c t i v e m e a n s o f communication.

As media platforms evolve, transit media has really come into its own. While options for advertisers may have been underwhelming in years gone by, today's industry is slick, creative and professional. This large mobile billboard goes where your audience goes, delivering exceptional impressions with unbeatable recall rate. However, choosing the right OOH Company for your transit advertisement can seem like a daunting task. Attention to details, speed, careful planning and bottom-line value are core prepositions of DU Opensource; which is why agencies like Starcom Media, Posterscope Nigeria, Universal McCamm etc and countless direct clients rely on us as their trusted Transit Media Partners TMP. working with big brands and market leaders mean paying extra attention to details.

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Article

Advantages of Transit Advertising Reaches high crowd density

locations Generates valuable frequency

Produces dynamic results

Informs and influences

Cost effective with higher ROI

Ensures higher retention rate

Increases visibility

Signage vol.1 No5

Opinion

CAN PR AGENCIES BE AS CREATIVE AS AD AGENCIES WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT PR COMPANIES MIMICKING AD AGENCIES? The word “mimicking” might not be the explicit expression to use. I say this because PR agencies and advertising agencies share the same goals: promoting clients and making them seem as successful, honest, important, exciting

there's nothing wrong since it's a survival's battle and the winner takes it all. What is important is if they can really handle the projects professionally, if not they can be outsourced. CAN PR GUYS BE AS CREATIVE AS AD GUYS

limitations for sure. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM Detailed storytelling and the creative processes. Modern marketing messages are being told in a narrative style. Even though identifying key messages and strategic direction for brands is what the marketing communication guys will do, PR professionals will work out exactly what message, story, event, angle or news piece to deliver. Then… they write. Writing is a massive portion of the PR professionals' role, while the creative guys rely on the real idea (Big Idea). Ideas rule the world. Before a message is cooked and ready for public airing, it has to be created. Either organic or inorganic. PR professionals tell the story of people (not just corporations) who deserve to have their stories told. This is done by and large through interactions via the media. The obvious and glaring difference is our originality and creativity blended together which they will have to report it the way it is or not. MEET KOLA OMISORE Kola is a highly versatile and adaptable professional with proven skills and expertise with many years of experience in marketing communications industry. A visual communicator and a creative thinker of repute with a clear cut eye for profit maximisation.

Kola Omisore

or relevant as possible. But, I will agree with you if you say their paths to creating awareness are vastly different. The new generation of hybrid PR and Advertising agencies are here. They make the marketing industry though tough, but competitive. This has made a lot of professionals go all out to get whatever they can place their hands on. Gone are the days when we specialized, now, if you specialized, you still approach businesses/clients with your multifaceted business-solution bag. I will say

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Creativity is characterized by the ability to perceive the world in new ways and also to generate solutions. So, if you ask me if they can be as creative as the AdMen, I will say it's an understatement. PR professionals aid the marketing and advertising campaigns by adding an extra layer of substance to the message received by the consumer through articles, press releases, statements, events and comment through the media. You can't do all this without a grain of creativity. But, they will have their

He started his career in the industry as an art trainee at SAAL advertising (1998/1999) under the tutelage of Steve Alaran &Tunde John before he moved to Antiahs Nigeria Limited; a creative outdoor agency. Having worked at Outdoor Communications Limited as a Visualizer (2003-2005), he then moved on to Bates Cosse, now Cosse TTL, as an Art Director between the year 2006-2008 before he joined the Verdant Zeal Marketing Communications group where he presently serves as the Creative Director of the group. Mr Omisore owns a Diploma in Painting & General Art from Auchi Polytechnics and a graduate of Graphic Art from the Yaba College of Technology. He is also an Associate Registered Practitioner of Advertising (arpa) since 2006.

Creativity

has no

boundaries

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OUTDOOR AS THE NAME IMPLIES IS OUT OF HOME, THEREFORE OUR INVESTMENTS ARE ON THE ROAD WHICH IS PRONE TO A LOT OF HAZARDS E.G ANYBODY CAN ENFORCE OUR INVESTMENT, SOMETIMES WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE. TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST JOB My first job was at Abiok Publicity Limited in 1990. I started as the commercial officer then rose to the post of commercial manager til I left in 1 9 9 7 .

The day one of my staff told me that my bluntness and straightforward attitude portrays me as a mean person until people get to really know m e .

Cover

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU ABSOLUTELY HATE ABOUT THIS INDUSTRY Outdoor as the name implies is out of home, therefore our investments are on the road which is prone to a lot of hazards e.g anybody can enforce our investment, sometimes without our k n o w l e d g e . WHEN YOU ARE NOT WORKING, WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING Spending time with my children. HARSHEST THING SAID TO YOU IN YOUR CAREER When a pioneer regulator told me to take pictures of the last two unipoles I had remaining after been disapproved and forceful removal in 2 0 0 8 . WHO WAS THE MENTOR WHO MOST INFLUENCE YOU AND WHY Everybody I met in outdoor are my mentors even the new generation because of the day to day challenges our industry face and yet they are all s t a n d i n g s t r o n g . YOUR BIGGEST BLUNDER IN YOUR CAREER To God be the glory, I can boldly say I have never committed any blunder in my career.

HOW DID YOUR SOJOURN INTO ADVERTISING HAPPEN As said earlier, I started working in an outdoor company, Abiok Publicity Limited so it served as a stepping stone into the advertising world. TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR COMPANY Standout Advertising L i m i t e d w a s incorporated in 1997, with it's presence in Lagos and the Western s t a t e s . CRAZIEST THING YOUR STAFF HAS EVER TOLD YOU

W H AT A R E YO U R DISLIKE ABOUT ADVERTISING / YOUR JOB Reference to what I said earlier in n u m b e r 5 . O N E T H I N G YO U WILL SAY TO PEOPLE WILLING TO COME INT THE INDUSTRY I'll like them to know Advertising is a profession, and perseverance and consistency is key to being successful. Don't be too eager to m a ke p ro f i t , i t ' l l come as at when due. Signage vol.1 No5

Article

PROVANTAGE DISCUSSES IMPACT OF COMMUTER TRENDS ON OUTDOOR ADVERTISING

ransit Ads, part of Provantage Media Group (PMG), addressed marketers at a gathering in Sinosteel Plaza in Sandton on Tuesday, 30 August, about what changes occurring in the commuter landscape, particularly in South Africa's metros, mean for the outdoor advertising space.

as Johannesburg's Rea Vaya, is therefore going to become increasingly important in South Africa, and this forms part of the gradual formalisation of the taxi industry, while more aggressive tolling can be expected in order to disincentivise private vehicle use. “BRT systems are here to stay, and they're going to change the way people live and behave and consume media – it's critical that you understand

for brands in what he called 'third space opportunities'. “Commuters are spending more time out of the home, they're looking for that third space – rest areas, almost like a business lounge at an airport. So can we create that type of environment or that opportunity for brands in ranks, in intermodal facilities? I think there's a lot of unique ideas we can throw around.”

B y

t h e

Retailers, he said, will have to adjust dramatically in terms of their operating hours, formats, and locations, and this has already started happening. “What we're predicting as well is that a lot of out of home media opportunities will be standardised, and they will be stricter in terms of enforcement. Globally, what we're seeing is less and less out of home media, but more sophisticated out of home media. By that I mean digital, smarter devices, and opportunities, and they will become more expensive.”

D a v i d

J e n k i n

For the past few years, Jacque du Preez, founder and managing director of PMG, has given feedback to stakeholders about developments that affect the industry. This year, his approach was slightly different, he said, as he had given a lot of focus to the global commuter landscape and how South Africa fits into the bigger picture. He addressed a dominant trend globally and locally – the increase in urbanisation. Africa is set to take the lead in urbanisation rates by 2030 with a massive population influx into the metros. Johannesburg is unique as it is set to become the first megacity that isn't near the coast or a major river system, and that means massive pressure will be placed on i n f ra st r u c t u re . O f co n c e r n i s t h e misalignment of demand and supply, he said. “Seventy percent will be living in urban areas by 2030 in South Africa, so we had better get our planning and our infrastructure alignment ready. And it's a l r e a d y h a p p e n i n g .”

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He explained that this added pressure results in longer commuting times, which is part of a global issue. Many developed cities have successfully adopted the 'smart city' approach to planning, with a mass transport system at its core that enables intermodality. Bus rapid transit (BRT), such

i m p l i cat i o n s .”

In terms of spaces, he said; “People are looking for convenience, and they are shopping closer to the nodes where they are disembarking or embarking, and obviously retailers are organising themselves around those nodes – with infrastructure formalising, it's a key trend.” A question was raised from the floor about whether informal traders may suffer as a result and Du Preez acknowledged that it was a problem and one that government is c o n c e r n e d a b o u t . “ Yo u b u i l d infrastructure and it has implications for s o c i et y,” h e s a i d . As far as marketing opportunities are concerned, he explained how commuters want to be tuned in and consume a lot of information through their phones. “The integration of out-of-home media, transit media, and social media platforms is going to be critical going forward,” he said. “Value exchange is also a common theme we're picking up with all the major cities – it's a big theme in the out-of-home landscape.” He explained that cities will issue advertising concessions in exchange for certain services. “So you will have advertising rights if you provide free wifi networks, or look after ablution facilities f re e o f c h a rg e .” Currently, he said, there is an opportunity

Another opportunity, he said, lies with big data. “There's a lot of big data available, especially in these commuter nodes – passenger data, there's a lot of geographic data in a specific area that you can now access, and brands in my opinion are not even close to understanding what's available, nevermind getting their minds around it and mining that data and building some intelligence off it.” He concluded with a few remarks on why transit media is so important, and will remain so – namely the ability to target geographically, with guaranteed exposure to regular audiences that are active in the e c o n o m y .

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Social media buzz

LOLU AKINWUNMI GOT ATTACKED BY MOSQUITOS Last month, we introduced Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi to you as an avid social media user, he is followed by loads of respected individuals in, around the marke ng communica ons industry and beyond. This month he got everybody body worried, so worried when he posted that he got a acked ........ on his Facebook page, I jumped up, screamed out loud and slowly read the post, but fortunately for all us all, Elder Lolu as fondly called had just pulled a fast on all of us. Facebook Prank of the Month. bellow is our social media post of the month by Elder Lolu Akinwunmi. Some of the reac ons

LOLU AKINWUNMI Ceo/ founder Prima Garnet Group Nigeria Immediate past Chairman of the Adver sing Prac oners Council of Nigeria (APCON) Lolu Akinwunmi on facebook Loluakinwunmiobservatory.com

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Before It Is Too Late For OOH Media

ast week I had a conversa on with a senior manager at an out of home, OOH company, the takeout of the engagement is that the sector in an unprecedented crisis.

It is es mated that over 50% of all hoardings are vacant. In previous mes, vacant rate was hovering between 20-30%. The current state of things shows the market has reached a make or mar state. It is no longer news that Nigeria is in a recession, but by me the market gains buoyancy, it might be too late for the OOH sector. By default any would suggest that OOH companies should cut rates to increase appe te of adver sers for the OOH media, but it not that simple. All over the country, the market has received more regula ons with new mandatory fees paid by OOH companies. Regulators must be carried along to also reduce their fees, this can then be a prac cable ra onale for rate reduc on. Also many OOH companies took loans to develop various boards, these loans have reset to higher rates necessitated by a skyrocke ng inďŹ&#x201A;a on. There is an urgent need to have a mul -sector agreement on how to save the OOH sector from collapse. State regulators have to cut fees and or give companies some concession on what they pay. Banks might have to renego ate credit repayment terms. Should everyone sit on the fence, many OOH companies would collapse before the end of the recession. Banks will be le with toxic assets while states who are in dire need of funds would get nothing.

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A s tch in me saves nine.