DailyDOOH

Daniel Fleischer has joined Screenverse as Vice President of Supply Partnerships.

Universally admired and respected, Daniel started his career in Out-of-Home at BroadSign over a decade or so ago. He spent eight years with Ayuda in his dual role as VP Business Development and Marketing, culminating in Ayuda’s acquisition by BroadSign.

Daniel’s history of accelerating what are now globally renowned OOH technology giants continued with his work at Blip as they aimed to revolutionise the way digital billboards are transacted (where he was General Manager of Blip Canada, and Vice President of Publisher Marketing internationally).

Alycia Mason has been named CEO of GroupM’s Wavemaker agency.

She was most recently Field Vice President at McDonald’s, helping to support 1,000 restaurants. Prior to that, she was the restaurant chain’s first chief U.S. customer experience officer, a role that had her leading digital experiences through the company’s apps, delivery services and in-restaurant kiosks. She also worked as a vice president of digital customer experience and media.

Alycia will lead the Wavemaker’s U.S. operations and client relationships and will begin
at the end of July. She will report to Sharb Farjami, CEO of GroupM North America.

Prior to McDonald’s, Alycia spent nearly seven years at Publicis Groupe, most recently as EVP Managing Director and North America Publicis Groupe Lead for Kellogg’s. Her agency experience also includes leadership roles at Starcom, Mindshare, and OMD, working with clients such as Kraft, BP, Castrol, JCPenney, and Dell.

She is also the founder of a confectionery startup, Candycopia, which she launched in 2021 with her family. She will be based in both Chicago and New York.

It looks like UK startup Ultraleap is in real trouble as news trickles out that it is halving its workforce.

An Ultraleap spokesperson said “Since the company was established in 2019, Ultraleap has gained international recognition as the leading innovator in mid-air haptic and hand tracking technologies. During this period, customer needs and behaviours have continually evolved and we need to adapt our strategy to reflect these changes. After much consideration, we have made the difficult decision to reshape some of our divisions and reduce the size of our team. This decision has not been taken lightly, but it is necessary for us to adapt our business to better serve our market and our customers. We deeply appreciate the hard work and dedication of everyone who has contributed to building Ultraleap.”

It looks like Ultraleap, formerly Ultrahaptics (who acquired Leap Motion in May 2019 and then rebranded six months later) will spin out its ‘haptics’ arm into a new company that would be owned by Ultraleap’s existing shareholders once a buyer for its hand-tracking business is found.

The ‘new’ haptics business would then seek to raise additional external funding, according to sources.

ICON Multimediab has been awarded the contract to implement its DENEVA Passenger Information Display System (PIDS) on the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Tram’s Green Line, managed by the Metropolitan Mass Transit System Ltd (NTA).

We re told that this project, carried out in collaboration with Alstom, will significantly enhance passenger experience through cutting-edge technological solutions.

The centralized communication solution will be integrated into various LED display formats placed on platforms, lobbies, and in videowall formats across the 62 stations of the Green Line, which will span 39 kilometers and connect various key areas of Tel Aviv. This will ensure that passengers receive clear and real-time information about tram schedules, service announcements, and other important communications. The line is expected to open in the first half of 2027.

Enrique Hornos, CEO of ICON Multimedia, told us “We are very excited that our DENEVA PIDS has been selected for this important project and very grateful to be able to collaborate with Alstom and the NTA in the development of the city’s rail communications network. Our commitment is to provide innovative solutions that enhance the passenger experience and contribute to the operational efficiency of rail operators. For us, this project is not only a technological challenge but also reinforces our presence in the global market.”

One of the major challenges of this project is the integration of DENEVA with the subsystems of the Israeli Ministry of Transport (MOT), along with the centralized PA system. These integrations are crucial to ensure that the information provided to passengers is accurate, timely and secure. Additionally, they will contribute to the vision of a more connected city by improving connectivity between different modes of transport such as buses and trains. This will not only optimize travel times but also enhance urban mobility. Close collaboration between ICON Multimedia, Alstom, and the Israeli Ministry of Transport will be essential to overcome these challenges and deliver an integrated and efficient public transport system.

Out of Home specialist 75Media has launched its first Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) plan, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The business has identified four of the UN-defined goals where it believes it can make the most impact and has set precise targets to ensure progress over the coming years.

In 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals, which aim to tackle global challenges, including poverty, inequality, and climate change, by 2030.

75Media has already qualified for a four-star SDG rating, which puts it in the top 10% of over 5,000 businesses researched by Support the Goals.

Data from Outsmart, the trade body for the UK OOH advertising industry, found that OOH is the most sustainable advertising platform for brands, producing the least amount of carbon emissions per impression when compared to other major media.

The four UN goals 75Media intends to focus on are:

·        Goal 3: Good Health & Wellbeing

75Media is committing to promoting good health and wellbeing in its own workforce and society. Targets include partnering with an organisation to run two mental health awareness campaigns every year until 2030 and helping to support 60 disadvantaged young people to connect with nature.  The company has an ongoing partnership with the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust which enables vulnerable and marginalised groups to access the Dales.

·        Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth

The company has committed to creating safe working conditions, an inclusive workspace, and fair pay within its business and supply chain, with defined targets around increasing diversity in the workplace and working with suppliers which pay the living wage.

·        Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production

75Media will practice responsible consumption and production as well as commit to reducing waste generation throughout its operations. By 2029, it pledges to reduce waste by 50% and introduce three new circular economy projects into its portfolio maintenance programme, focused on reusing, repairing and refurbishing materials in order to maintain billboard assets.

·        Goal 13 – Climate action

75Media commits to keeping global warming below 1.5^oc by reducing its carbon footprint. This will involve becoming net zero by 2040, and by 2029, pledging 90% of spend to suppliers who have net zero targets. The company already uses 100% certified renewable energy to power all of its digital billboards.

According to the World Economic Forum, only 60% of organisations have a sustainability strategy.

Katy Conway, Brand Communications & ESG Director, said: “The first step in any sustainability journey is having a solid strategy in place to help drive action towards what matters most – making the world a better place by 2030. We have identified four priority goals where we feel we can make the most impact and we have already started undertaking activity to help us meet those targets. In April, two members of staff qualified as Mental Health Workplace First Responders and over the coming weeks, we will begin the process of calculating our carbon footprint for scopes 1 and 2. The more positive steps all of us in the OOH industry take, and any commitment we make to change, is a move in the right direction.”

75Media’s full strategy can be found at www.75media.co.uk/esg

Branded Cities has announced the acquisition of operating rights to the highly anticipated Woodbine Entertainment digital network.

Fresh from their win of the coveted ‘The Well’ in Toronto’s west side, and the major redevelopments and additions to their flagship venue of Yonge and Dundas, Branded Cities continues to be the choice for brands for premium venues.

Woodbine Entertainment has plans for the most exciting development project in Canada by developing much of the 684 acres on which the historic Woodbine Racetrack is situated. The Woodbine Community Plan is the vision motivating the redevelopment of the property to create new, sustainable revenue streams to support and grow the horse racing industry and the approximately 25,000 jobs it supports across the province. The first phase of this development includes the recently expanded casino, which is now known as Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto and consists of the largest gaming floor in the country, a 400-room trackside hotel overlooking the world-renowned E.P Taylor Turf Course, a 5,000-person live entertainment venue and a brand-new parking structure.

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PMA Research, worldwide market information experts on large displays, have published their latest sell-through tracking reports on large-format (32-inch and larger)flat panel displays being sold by leading North American distributors who typically serve commercial markets.

After a slow start to the year, spending for professional flat panel display technology is on the rise. Month-over-month, May 2024 unit volume grew nearly 10% and revenues grew more than 15% compared to April 2024.

Year-over-year, May 2024 unit volume and revenues grew by single digits compared to May 2023. Some of the sales improvement is linked to increased corporate AV spending which has been slow since the pandemic.

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Join VIOOH experts on Tuesday July 9 at 10AM BST as they discuss the latest creative innovations in programmatic DOOH in the DACH region to inspire your next campaign, covering everything from dynamic creative optimisation (DCO), to 3D and more.

Registration can be found here.

Outdoor Advertising Collective has unveiled an initiative aimed at empowering Australian-owned independent OOH owners. Initially OA Collective has united over 14 independent OOH owners, offering advertisers and brands unparalleled access to a network of premium assets, predominantly large format billboards, across Australia and New Zealand.

Co-founded by industry leaders Grant Kirkby and Warren Moore, boasting a combined 40 years of experience in OOH and various technology and media sectors, OA Collective introduces a transformative model designed to empower Australian-owned independent OOH owners. By grouping independent OOH players together all under one roof, OA Collective has made it easier for advertisers to buy and access these market leading assets all from one place – one contact, one contract.

Grant Kirkby, Co-founder of OA Collective, told us “Our vision is to unite every independent out-of-home media owner under one roof, simplifying the buying process for advertisers and granting them access to market-leading assets—all from a single source. What sets our model apart is that we don’t own any OOH assets ourselves, so we aren’t prioritising and pushing revenue to our owned assets. Instead, we’re solely focused on providing brands and advertisers with the optimal solution for their needs, unlocking new opportunities for independent OOH owners by giving them a seat at the table with national advertisers”.

Through OA Collective, independent OOH owners can harness the collective purchasing power of a network, enhancing the appeal and market reach of their sites. Additionally, the platform offers centralised selling, access to joint marketing efforts, distribution agreements, and collaborative project empowering owners with a stronger voice and positioning within the OOH landscape.

Australian Outdoor Media, CEO & Founder, Rob Lane says, “Our focus as a business is unlocking the potential of our brand partners across our digital billboard network. Partnering with OA Collective allows us to amplify our reach, offering greater scope and scale which is an exciting prospect.”

For more information about OA Collective and its innovative approach to out-of-home advertising click here.

The PowerUp Ukraine conference took place June 18, 2024 in Kyiv demonstrating that Ukraine’s tech ecosystem continues to thrive despite the war.

The event organised by Glovo, one of the largest European tech firms present in the country, and the Ukrainian Startup Fund had a simple message: Ukraine is open for business and international companies should invest to support innovation and growth in the country.

Ukraine’s blend of talent and startup culture has already garnered attention from international tech firms, recognizing Ukraine as a fertile ground for technological innovation and entrepreneurship and there is a lot more potential.

During the conference, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to welcoming foreign investors, supporting their presence, and advocating for reforms to enhance the business environment. “In the context of a full-scale war in Ukraine, it is crucial to develop the startup ecosystem and create conditions for the development of technology companies. We are systematically improving the work of the Diia.City space, which more than 1,000 companies have already joined. The Ukrainian Startup Fund has financed more than 750 startups with over $16 million, showcasing a technological and innovative Ukraine.”

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