OOHMAA’s CEO reflects on 2023 and looks at what 2024 holds for Out of Home in Aotearoa
Article from OOHMAA'S CEO – Natasha O'Connor
For all of us, I would say there are many ways we will be describing 2023: challenging, frustrating, manic, concerning, and all are bang on for us in the Out of Home Industry; however, there have been many positives to come out of 2023 so the overarching description I'm going to use to describe 2023 in Out of Home is 'thriving'.
An industry that is thriving is always first and foremost defined by its revenue performance; we are businesses, after all, and in 2023 Out of Home in Aotearoa is on track to have the highest-performing year ever with approximately 10% growth – the ongoing adoption of pDOOH and continued investment into the development of adtech are significant contributors to this; DOOH accounting for 76% of all revenue and pDOOH nearly accounting for 10% of all DOOH revenue and have assisted advertisers in using the channel in many new and innovative ways to meet campaign objectives.
However, there is more to thriving than simply great revenue numbers; a strong industry needs to be a unified one, and in 2023, we built on the existing unity with OOHMAA welcoming GO Media, LUMO and Hyper Media – now representing 90% of Aotearoa's Out of Home operators and looking to increase this in 2024.
OOHMAA members' focus on driving growth and innovation in our industry placed us in a strong position to take advantage of the continued fragmentation of traditional media channels.
And what a year of development, innovation and community support it has been so far;
OOHMAA members understand the important role their businesses play in the public domain and actively give back and support Aotearoa’s communities. In 2023, they committed tens of millions of dollars worth of their stock to help broadcast important information and give a voice to not-for-profit groups.
Creative teams in Aotearoa have explored the use of new(ish) technologies and developed 3D anamorphic large-format campaigns
Real-time viewing, more suppliers have introduced this innovation across their networks - a great thing for buyers and increased industry transparency
The ongoing commitment by Out of Home businesses to develop a deeper understanding of their audiences to identify where and how Out of Home advertising fits into consumers' days. Via operators Audience Measurement Systems.
The focus on becoming a more sustainable industry is stronger than ever with the development of Net Zero print options available and OOHMAA and some of its members joining the Comms Council Ad Net Zero project
New channels have developed primarily in the retail environment but also with JOLT's EV Charging offering.
Upgrading existing portfolios to ensure the continued delivery of a world-class offering, mainly via the conversion from Classic to Digital screens
In Q4, OOHMAA will release its Verification Standard to deliver greater transparency around Third Party Verification (3PV) campaign verification
Members delivered numerous research projects:
o Perfecting Portrait Creative
o How the public screen strengthens the private screen: why cross-media works
o JCDecaux’s Airport Neuroscience Study
OOHMAA continued its education programme with Out of Home 101 and its Guide to Inspire the Creative Process
Pausing to take stock of what's been achieved this year has confirmed just how far this Industry has come and reaffirmed to me the level of commitment, passion and drive OOHMAA and its members have; however, a pause is all that time allows as 2024 will again be an incredibly productive year for OOHMAA and its members as we continue to strive to show Advertisers and agencies that Out of Home is the most dynamic, evolving and relevant channel today through the ongoing development of a world-class portfolio, delivery of an Industry AMS, new training and education programs, delivery of research and insight projects and the continued investment in the development of technology and innovation within the channel.
So, on behalf of the team at OOHMAA and its members, I wish you a safe and relaxing summer holiday and look forward to sharing our updates with you in 2024; till then, Meri Kirihimete me te Hape Nū Ia!