Experts in the nation’s integrated marketing communications space have called on the Out-of-Home (OoH) Advertising practitioners to rejig their strategies by embracing technology, introducing flexible pricing options and offering value-added services, among others to enable them attract more clients and reposition the practice for growth.
The experts, comprising practitioners from the nation’s advertising space, regulators and representatives of state governments, gave this charge at the 39th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), held in Ibadan, Oyo State, at the weekend.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Prima Garnet, Lolu Akinwunmi, in his paper titled, ‘Redefining OOH Media in Nigeria: The Practice, The Business and Value Creation,’ noted that though OoH has evolved over the years, the practice is still confronted by challenges, which have continued to hold down its growth.
The former APCON (now ARCON) boss identified regulatory environment, policy changes, volatility of the naira, insecurity, infrastructure deficit, digital disruption and keener competition and market saturation as some of the challenges presently facing the practice.
According to him, the advent of technology has caused some disruptions in the practice, thereby, posing threats to traditional OOH advertising.
Besides, he stated, insecurity has been a huge challenge holding down the growth of the practice since OOH assets and furniture are always vandalised or stolen, resulting in huge losses for practitioners.
Akinwunmi also believed the deplorable state of the nation’s infrastructure and the hostile regulatory environment have not helped the cause of the practice in the past few years.
The former APCON Chairman also stated that the market is getting more saturated, especially the cityscapes, thereby limiting the options of practitioners.
He, therefore, advised practitioners on the need to restrategise and rejig their operations to enable them to scale these hurdles and reposition their businesses for the much-desired growth.
For instance, Akinwunmi believed the time has come for practitioners to diversify their client base and also explore businesses in the public sector.
“Practitioners should be thinking about doing business with government since there are a lot of business opportunities there,” he stated.
Besides adopting a flexible pricing model, the Prima Garnet’s boss also charged practitioners on the need to embrace technology to enable them to cut cost, enhance their efficiency and positively impact their bottomline.
In his remarks, the President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) and Heads of Advertising Sectoral Group (HASG), Lanre Adisa, congratulated OAAN on its 39th anniversary, while assuring the association of the readiness of AAAN and HASG to support it.
“While we at the AAAN will always be ready to collaborate with you, at HASG also, we will ensure all stakeholders’ interests are protected,” the Group CEO, Noah’s Ark, stated.
The President of Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), Mr Dozie Okafor, commended the association on its exploits over the years, noting that despite the achievements, the sector has remained largely unsung.
According to him, some of the innovations the practitioners have brought into the practice have been able to attract huge investments to advertising.
“I believe some of the innovations you have brought into the business have actually resulted in huge investments from clients. A testament to the fact that OOH is not getting as much credit, as it should,” he added.
While also congratulating the association on the AGM, the acting Governor of Oyo State, Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal, however, charged the leadership of the association to quickly address the issue of indiscriminate display of signages in the state.
“The environment is fouled. Billboards are being erected anywhere and everywhere in the state. There is this new road that we have just commissioned and what we are seeing there now are different posters, defacing the whole median.”
“I think there should be a way of regulating all these. For instance, there is a way you can insist that those posters should bear the telephone number of whoever is posting them to enable you track owners of such posters,” he stated.
He also called on the association’s leadership to do everything within its powers to fight charlatanism within the practice before they put the real professionals out of business
While insisting on quality signages and billboards that will enhance the cityscapes, the acting governor assured the association of the state government’s commitment to ensuring an enabling environment for the practice to flourish.
In his remarks, the President, OAAN, Sola Akinsiku, highlighted the importance of the Bill for a Charter for Out-of-Home Media Assets Ownership and practice in Nigeria presently being debated on the floor of the National Assembly.
While insisting the Bill is not designed to contend with the current powers of ARCON, he however believed it would go a long way in sanitising the practice when passed.
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