Each year, StopPress asks a group of talented professionals in the local industry for their reflections on the year that was. Brought to you by NZME, this year we speak to individuals who made their mark on 2022 and brought us truely impactful work.
There is no doubt about it. It’s been an eventful year for the Out of Home industry. Nick Vile, General Manager at oOh!media NZ, reflects on the work done in 2022, the lessons it brought with it and the changes set make a mark on the OOH sector in 2023.
2022 summed up in three wordsโฆ
Another challenging year! Or What the AF?!
A personal achievement Iโm most proud of in 2022โฆ
Weโve been really focused at work around Tikanga Mฤori and what it means for our sector. Itโs been a real discovery project as weโve challenged ourselves to go deep and develop an understanding of what it means philosophically, spiritually, commercially and from a community perspective. Thereโs been lots of fantastic learning and proud of myself and the team for challenging ourselves to really embrace what is a super important program of work.
OOH campaigns that have caught my eye in 2022 areโฆ
Specsaversโ โShouldโve gone to Specsaversโ campaign โ great example of a good idea that was executed well and was able to be used across a variety of mediums, from static to digital. A versatile and overall effective campaign.
How did this yearโs events change the way you approach your work?
Well coming into this year we were optimistic about what the year held in store for us, and for a large part of the year it was certainly delivering on those expectations. Like most businesses we had identified inflation and interest rates as a key risk, but we didnโt predict the Ukraine situationโฆ (but who did?). No doubt all three are impacting the macro environment. So we havenโt really adjusted too much, just a more watchful eye on what we are spending, more caution around planning for next year, being really focused on our formats and how they are positioned to support brands in recessionary times, and really understanding how the lessons weโve learnt over the last three years can be applied as part of our day to day operation.
How will Calibre and the arrival of an industry standard change the OOH landscape in 2023?
Finally, after a long period of negotiation between multiple parties, in 2023 we will have the majority if not all the sector on one audience platform. Itโll take some time to realise the value and establishing Calibre as the currency for the sector, but weโve made the first biggest step in the right direction.
Predictions for OOH trends in 2023โฆ
- Consolidation
- But in short term more competition
- Growth in Programmatic will continue
- Increase in dynamic campaigns as advertisers realise the value of dynamic DOOH
- Continued focus on the attention economy
What were the biggest lessons brands learned in 2022?
While it remains important to put consumers first, brands need to actively start putting our planet first through legitimate action and be sharing our authentic sustainability stories. Not only is there raised awareness of sustainability-related concerns among consumers, but as cheesy as it sounds, the future of our planet depends on it.
Best innovation/invention/launch of 2022โฆ
Not necessarily new to the industry or OOH in general, but weโre very excited about the launch of pDOOH (or oOh! Programmatic), this year. The fact that you can now buy oOh! panels programmatically has been huge for us and weโre so excited to see what the future of pDOOH holds for us and advertising as a whole.
Biggest mistake brands will make with OOH marketing in 2023โฆ
Not prioritising the thinking around how to maximise the opportunity that OOH presents, the right mix of OOH + other media, the creative execution, the use of audience targeting and dynamic capabilitiesโฆeverything that can add significant value. In summaryโฆdonโt be haphazard with your out of home spend in 23.
A person who inspired me the most this year wasโฆ
Not a person but a teamโฆthe Black Ferns, were incredible in the way that the brought the nation together. Iโve been a rugby nut my whole life and I have to say, hand on heartโฆIโve never seen a better game of rugby at Eden Park in the last decade, as the Black Fernsโ final against England. For me it was a reminder of the reasons we used to love rugby. The womanโs game has all the characteristics of the game we grew up withโฆespecially the community aspect. They play for the communities they represent as much as they play for each other. I read something interesting in the aftermath of that win which was along the lines of men play well to feel good, whereas woman feel good to play well. Itโs a subtle but powerful perspective on the different approaches.
If I did have to pick one inspirational person from the yearโฆitโd be the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He depicts himself as an everyman man with humble tastes and a deep sense of humanity, the resilience and fortitude of the Ukrainian people comes from his leadership. The fact that he comes from a comedy and TV production background, playing he president in a TV seriesโฆits gold!
In 2023 I want to perfect the art ofโฆ
Being wrong!
Quick fire 10
Most memorable local campaign: I think Iโd have to agree with the industry and go with the winner of the 2022 oOh! Innovation Awards, New Zealand Defence Forceโs Codewords campaign which used push-button activated sound panels and QR codes to drive intrigue and recruitment.
Favourite international campaign: The recent โliveโ Gorillaz performances in Times Square and Piccadilly Lights by Nexus Studios and Google โ such a fun and innovative way to experience live music!
Campaign I wish I worked on: Same as above.
Best news of 2022: Easily the reopening of borders and being able to travel again!
Biggest flop of 2022: The economy..
Top artist on Spotify Wrapped: Family Spotify so not necessarily my top pick, but top songโฆLiving Life, In the Night (Cherimoya). Just listened to it for first time, great track!
Best part of being back in the office: Collaboration, connection, LOLS.
A 2022 trend Iโm looking forward to leaving behind: Talking about recession.
Furthest place travelled in 2022: Fiji, twiceโฆparadise.
Best book I read in 2022: Gods Without Men by Hari Kunzruโฆconcentration required, but itโs worth it!
