fbpx

Outdoor shrinkage continues, but not as cold as last year

The Outdoor Media Association of New Zealand (OMANZ) has released its first quarter gross media revenue results. And, while it has shrunk 1.7 percent on the same period last year, with $13.618m spent outside, OMANZ says it is a significant improvement on the 8.1 percent shrinkage the out-of-home sector experienced in 2009.

Pauline Hanton, chairperson of OMANZ, which includes full display members ISite, Adshel, APN Outdoor, Eye, Oggi and M5, says it’s a far from a satisfactory result, but she’s confident that all the indicators hint at a return to modest growth throughout the remainder of 2010.

Of course, the outdoorsfolk don’t have quite as much to crow about as the interactive types (first quarter figures released last week show online advertising spend increased 12 percent on the same period last year). But there have been some interesting developments in the out-of-home sector recently, such as Adshel’s Bluetooth enabled, mobile friendly bus shelters and use of Telecom’s payphone network as a new form of outdoor media, as well as APN Outdoor’s ‘Friends in High Places’ campaign, which show some outdoor outfits are coming up with and implementing ideas that will help to push revenue into positive territory.

The Australian Outdoor Association has also been doing some experimenting in the run-up to its Outdoor Awards in order to show “the potential of what outdoor can achieve”. And the rather unique billboards of the ‘Someone Will’ project have so far achieved a few smiles and more than a few furrowed brows (particularly the ‘Welcome to Adelaide’ effort).

OMANZ also announced the appointment of Jo Davenport as its project manager. She will be responsible for implementing its business plan which includes investigating the establishment of an industry code of practice, a new research and insights programme and the scoping for a return to an annual OOH Awards by 2012.

Davenport, who starts on 31 May, has a wealth of knowledge and experience in developing and delivering on strategic business plans, building brands and executing marcomms plans, working on both agency and client-side.

“I love the creative potential OOH offers and as a previous custodian of my clients’ brands, I bring to this position a natural empathy for brand communications. One of my first jobs will be to work with our agency to develop a new brand and logo for OMANZ and to establish a new and more useful website. This will be done in between meeting with the OMANZ members and key clients of the industry which will help me get up to speed over the next several weeks.”

About Author

Avatar photo

One of the talented StopPress Team of Content Producers made this post happen.

Comments are closed.