DailyDOOH

JCDecaux has expanded its digital street furniture presence in the UK nationally to Bradford, launching 10 new 86” digital six-sheets in the heart of the city centre, delivering 1.6m weekly viewed impressions.

Bradford becomes the fifth major city in JCDecaux’s nationwide digital street furniture portfolio, adding to an existing presence in Edinburgh, London, Hull and Bristol, giving brands the reach and scale needed for brand building.

A growing economy worth over £9.5bn, major companies have their headquarters across the Bradford district including Morrisons, Provident Financial, Yorkshire Building Society and Hallmark, and is home to more FTSE 100 companies than any other northern city.

With a proud cultural heritage, Bradford was named the world’s first Unesco City of Film in 2009, a permanent title that bestows international recognition on Bradford as a world centre for film due to the city’s rich film heritage, its inspirational movie locations and many celebrations of film through the city’s film festivals – I bet you didn’t know but for many years Bradford had the only IMAX cinema in the UK (at the National Science and Media Museum, Bradford), Ed.

DPAA, the leading global organization for everything digital out-of-home announced today that it will hold a special promotion at its Video Everywhere Canada Summit, in conjunction with sponsoring company Media City, that will send an ad agency media professional to the June 2020 Cannes Lions Young Media Academy held at the Cannes Lions in France.

The Young Media Academy is open to media professionals 30 years of age or under. Delegates to DPAA’s Video Everywhere Summit Canada who meet this criteria will be invited to enter the random drawing at the Summit.

The winner will be announced immediately following the day’s sessions. In addition to the seat at the Young Media Academy, the winner’s accommodations and travel will be included. DPAA has held similar promotions at its events during New York Digital Signage Week.

Read the rest of this entry »

Diversified has announced the acquisition of Rutledge AV, described as one of the top integrators in Australia,.

Fred D’Alessandro, Diversified founder and CEO was quoted as saying “I’m very excited for this endeavour, expanding our capabilities into the Australian market and being a true global technology partner for our clients,” said The Rutledge team and everything they’ve built is a testament to their strengths as an organisation and the synergy of our cultures, always a key deciding factor, promises continued growth and opportunity”.

Founded from humble beginnings in 1979 by Michael and Sandy Rutledge, Rutledge AV has grown into Australia’s largest AV integration specialist with offices across seven states and territories and over 350 AV professionals.

Andrew Morrice, Rutledge AV’s CEO said “We are very excited to be part of Diversified. The merger was a logical choice with numerous similarities between our businesses and Diversified’s innovative approach to the technology services industry. We can’t wait to start working together as one team.”

Rutledge AV will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Diversified, continuing to be a trusted partner to its clients while introducing Diversified’s portfolio of offerings and adding incremental value for their organisations. Andrew Morrice and team will lead Diversified’s expansion into Australia, helping establish Diversified’s operations in the region.

Alex Hughes is co-founder and creative director at award winning, London based agency Amigo and we are truly delighted that he has agreed to host and present a small workshop during London Digital Signage Week.

Masterclasses, Town Halls, Thought Leadership Summits, Breakfast Debates and even ‘Unconferences’, are all part of our event repertoire.

As we have said many times before; rather than simply put on, a summit with panel after panel, or a conference with folks, simply standing in front of a lectern, we are always challenging the industry to get the BEST people to share, impart their knowledge and passion in unique and interesting ways.

Think back please to the ‘Coffee & Controversy Breakfast Debates‘ which, with the help of the Digital Signage Federation we brought to life for New York Digital Signage Week several years ago, or indeed the incredibly popular ‘Dino Deconstructs’ which took place this time last year during London Digital Signage.

In this exclusive 90 minute session, Alex Hughes will present ‘Mastering Corporate Media Walls‘. It is for anyone in the AV, digital signage or creative space that wants to know more about how to integrate content delivery and technology to create, maintain and refresh a Media Wall in a corporate, education or public sector setting. Amigo’s work in this space reads like a who’s who of blue-chip clients; Bloomberg, Conde Nast, EY, HSBC, KPMG, the London Stock Exchange, PwC, ODEON Cinemas, Société Générale, Schroders and the University of Northampton.

The event takes place on Tuesday, May 14, 2019 between 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM BST at etc.venues Garfield House, 86 Edgware Road, London, W2 2EA.

The ticket price of GBP 45 includes free admission to the last two sessions of The Global Digital Signage Conference that takes place at the same venue on the same day, namely; Eagle Eye Solutions’s Head of Industry Insight Miya Knights presenting ‘How Amazon will Continue to Revolutionise Commerce’ and Openeye Global CEO & Founder and SEGD President Board of Directors Bryan Meszaros discussing ‘Balancing Physical Design and AV Integration Within Immersive Environments’.

Registration can be found here.

The Female Quotient (FQ), a female-owned business committed to advancing equality in the workplace, has partnered with the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) and Geopath to bring its FQ Lounge and programming to the 2019 OAAA\Geopath OOH Media Conference + Expo to be held May 20-22 at the Aria Las Vegas.

The FQ Lounge is a pop-up destination at conferences, companies and college campuses where attendees can unite and activate solutions for change.

Since launching in 2013, The Female Quotient has hosted more than 200 experiences at dozens of high-profile events—including the World Economic Forum (Davos), SXSW, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Advertising Week and more. It has seemingly become the largest community of corporate women, female entrepreneurs and male allies working together to transform workplace cultures. In the FQ Lounge, conference attendees can connect and collaborate, participate in impactful conversations about rewriting the rules of work, and listen to panel discussions on the topic, as well as find value-added services such as professional headshots.

Shelley Zalis, The Female Quotient CEO, told us “Producing creative that is inclusive and reflects the world as it really is will help advance equality and benefit the bottom line. Women make or influence 85 percent of the purchasing decisions, so brands who don’t connect with this audience will miss out. OOH media can be a positive force for change when it comes to creating more inclusive cultures. Through the FQ Lounge, we will channel the power of collaboration at the OOH Media Conference by creating a space for brands, marketers, advertisers, and others to drive conversations that will lead to action steps for a lasting impact.”

On May 21, the FQ Lounge will feature panels made up of OOH and advertising professionals, both men and women, who will discuss perceptions and lessons learned in overcoming gender and cultural challenges in the workplace.

FQ special programing includes:

• A Conversation with Nancy Fletcher
  The Female Quotient CEO Shelley Zalis will sit down for a personal one-on-one conversation with Nancy Fletcher, who will reflect on her nearly 30-year career leading OAAA.
• The Not-So-Messy Middle: Managing Up, Down, and All Around
  The ‘messy middle’ is the challenging middle management level where women struggle to juggle the new demands of leadership with their personal or life-stage commitments. Women in OOH will share their experiences and insights as middle managers.
• Allies + Champions: We’re In It Together
  Today’s most inspiring workplace leaders combine high performance with a commitment to creating change in the industry. This means practicing collaboration over competition and leading with empathy. Join us for a conversation with senior executives in OOH (women AND men) on how purpose-driven leadership is creating better advertising and a better world.

On May 22, Zalis will moderate a panel discussion with top female brand marketers during the morning Brunch and Learn. She is joined by Alicia Hatch, CMO for Deloitte Digital, and Lillian Tomovich, CMO for MGM Resorts.

A full agenda of the FQ Lounge programming and events, along with details about and registration for the OOH Media Conference, can be found on the conference web site here.

The Foundation for Outdoor Advertising Research and Education (FOARE) has made a new scholarship available to female students pursuing academic degrees. The Nancy Fletcher Leadership Scholarship, in the amount of USD 5,000, will be awarded annually to a woman with a connection to the out of home advertising industry who has demonstrated leadership qualities and skills.

The deadline to apply for the 2019-2020 academic year is June 12.

The scholarship recognizes the work of Nancy Fletcher, who has served for nearly three decades as the president and CEO of the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA).

An attorney and former billboard company executive, she began her career as a lobbyist and spent more than a decade with Naegele Outdoor Advertising in various capacities, including serving as president/general manager of the Minneapolis/St Paul division and general counsel for the parent corporation.

The scholarship, which was endowed by the Fletcher Family Foundation, is designed to recognize and encourage young women to aspire to leadership positions. Candidates for the scholarship must demonstrate leadership qualities and skills through their academic life, community activities, and career goals.

Nancy told us “Throughout my career, I have strived to support female colleagues and all women in the workplace. I am proud the Fletcher Family Foundation will provide this scholarship to young women who aspire to reach their goals. I look forward to seeing recipients grow, succeed, and pay it forward. When women help women, we all win.”

More than 150 students have received FOARE scholarships to pursue a higher education since the Scholarship Program was established in 2001. Applicants have received scholarships for pursuing study in a wide range of fields ranging from marketing to medical sciences.

For more information about these scholarships and to apply download the 2019-2020 FOARE Scholarship Application here.

DPAA, the leading global organization working to drive out-of-home into its digital future, announced today that MobileFuse has joined its membership ranks.

New York-based MobileFuse is a leading, moments-based advertising company focused on delivering receptive moments and real-time insights and results to agencies and brands. MobileFuse is partnered with thousands of premium publishers across multiple verticals to develop and deliver ads that reach the most receptive, appropriate audience.

Barry Frey, DPAA President & CEO, told us “MobileFuse is in a great position to help advertisers capitalize on the tremendous synergy between out-of-home and mobile, and we look forward to helping them in that regard. Ken Harlan and Val Katayev are industry visionaries and we welcome them and their team to our community of members.”

Ken Harlan, Founder & CEO, MobileFuse, said “The combination of mobile and out-of-home represents a powerful marketing opportunity for brands. MobileFuse is a leader in this arena, and joining DPAA will enable us to fully capitalize on our proprietary technology as we work more closely with the DOOH community.”

MobileFuse is focused on delivering receptive moments and real-time insights and results to agencies and brands. Through cutting-edge analytics, precision targeting capabilities, and sophisticated proprietary technologies, MobileFuse delivers unique and impactful campaigns for our clients. With a presence across the country, this New York-based company is 100% focused on customer service and exceeding client expectations.

Epic content from The Planets, a ground-breaking new BBC science series presented by Professor Brian Cox, is being showcased on the iconic Piccadilly Lights screen in collaboration with Landsec and Ocean ahead of its TV transmission.

The story of the new BBC Two series uses the most accurate and detailed imagery of our solar system ever produced, bringing each of the worlds vividly to life. It was made in association with Academy Award winning VFX company Lola Post.

Dramatic sequences featuring Neptune, Mars and Jupiter will appear on the huge Piccadilly Circus advertising screen, which is owned by Landsec, over the next seven days.

Ocean head of content and sponsorship Kevin Henry told us “Taking the BBC’s content and projecting it at scale on a globally recognised advertising space is a milestone moment in both TV science and digital out of home. Ocean’s partnership with BBC Studios reflects our ambition to use digital out of home in inspirational and educational ways, demonstrating perfectly the impact and power of iconic screens and broadcast when they are brought together. This is drama on a planetary scale and a striking spectacle for outdoor audiences.”

The Piccadilly Lights are marketed and operated by Ocean on behalf of Landsec. The digital content concept was designed by Ocean and the 4K display solution was designed and manufactured by Daktronics.

The Planets, a 5×60’ BBC Studios Productions with NOVA and WGBH Boston for BBC, PBS, is co-produced by Tencent Penguin Pictures and is an Open University partnership.

The Executive Producer is Andrew Cohen, and it was commissioned by Patrick Holland, Controller, BBC Two and Tom McDonald, Head of Commissioning, Natural History and Specialist Factual.

Outsmart, the Out of Home (OOH) advertising media owners trade body, today launched its ‘Get Smart, Outside’ campaign to work in partnership with public authorities to promote healthy living campaigns in their areas.

Outsmart members have pledged to provide unsold advertising space to the value of up to GBP 15m annually to support the campaign. A new website containing further details about the campaign has also been launched here.

The initiative recognises the importance of the problem of childhood obesity and builds on previous moves by the industry to tackle the issue such as voluntarily removing advertising of food and drink products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) close by schools.

Tim Lumb, Director of Outsmart told us “We’re really excited to be launching our ‘Get Smart, Outside’ campaign today. It’s based on our core belief that we can harness the power of advertising to effect real behavioural change as a force for good. Whilst some bodies are looking at imposing further media restrictions, a better way to tackle the issue is for public authorities and business to work together in partnership, and that is the heart of the ‘Get Smart, Outside’ campaign we are launching today. We aim to go around the country speaking with local authorities and working in collaboration with them to publicise evidence-based solutions that will reduce childhood obesity, promote a healthy and active lifestyle and effect real behavioural change in kids. Importantly, this will have no cost to already hard-pressed local authorities.”

In addition to the centrepiece of the campaign of voluntarily donating advertising space to partner authorities, the sector is looking to discuss a wider package of other measures, including voluntarily adoption of:

• additional advertising guidelines on children’s food preferences
• restrictions on multi-buy HFSS promotions
• extending the existing ‘schools exclusion zone”’ with partner authorities
• promoting a healthy lifestyle tagline message on HFSS advertising

These measures underline the determination of the OOH sector to play a positive role in tackling the issue of childhood obesity in partnership with public bodies. They mirror the large body of evidence on childhood obesity which supports a whole systems approach that is proven to work and in-line with public opinion.

Tim Lumb concluded “Children and families are faced with a huge number of food choices but less messages about healthy lifestyles. We want to help create a balance and promote smart choices for all.”

Outsmart members have always recognised the seriousness of childhood obesity, back in July 2017 they went on the front foot to remove voluntarily the promotion of all HFSS food and drink products within 100m of all school boundaries (the Outsmart ‘Schools Exclusion Zone’). This has resulted in HFSS adverts being removed from over 23,000 sites across the UK, representing 14% of the total number of static outdoor advertising sites in the whole country. Advertisers and their members have rigorously complied with this voluntary initiative, with just a few inadvertent transgressions across the tens of thousands of sites since the initiative came into force.

Last week Global, the Media & Entertainment group, confirmed the key executive appointments for its newly created outdoor division, formed from the acquisitions of Outdoor Plus and Primesight (September 2018), and separately Exterion Media (October 2018).

Leon Taviansky, formerly CEO Exterion Media, has been appointed CEO – Outdoor and Jonathan Lewis, previously CEO Outdoor Plus has been named as Executive Director – Outdoor, both of whom will report directly into Stephen Miron, Global’s Group CEO.

Stephen Miron, Group CEO, Global, told us “I am delighted that Leon Taviansky has agreed to become CEO of our new outdoor division. His excellent track record in transforming and building companies, particularly at Exterion, makes him the ideal person to lead Global’s outdoor division, one of the largest outdoor advertising companies in the UK & Europe. Together with Jonathan Lewis, Leon has the skill and knowledge to enable Global to expand its expertise and scale across these territories. I would like to extend my congratulations to our newly appointed outdoor leadership team and welcome them to the Global family.”

Jason Cotterrell, formerly Chief Strategy Officer & Managing Director, Exterion Media UK, is appointed COO – Outdoor, and will report directly into Leon Taviansky.

Read the rest of this entry »