Navigating the busy streets: The illusion of efficiency in the OOH industry

This article is sponsored by Broadsign.

In my conversations with media owners, most seem to have figured out the most efficient path to managing their workflows. But is that a true reality, or is it all smoke and mirrors? The answer: equal parts both. Let’s talk about why.

Perception versus reality

Many media owners have structured their teams in a relay race-style, in which each team or department is responsible for a specific aspect of the overall process, passing their work or results on to the next team in line.

As is the case with any relay race, effective communication and co-ordination between team members are crucial to ensuring a smooth handoff and successful completion of the race, or in the case of OOH advertising, the campaign. OOH advertising professionals must navigate various communication tools and platforms to stay connected with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders, adding another layer of complexity to their workload.

Many team members at OOH companies today wear multiple hats and perform various roles within their jobs. For example, a graphic designer may also be tasked with preparing site lists, while a head of sales may also oversee inventory levels and optimisation.

While individuals may appear to be productive and manage various tasks effectively from the outside looking in, it’s not always the case. Being busy doesn't automatically equate to productivity.

Sometimes, when focusing on too many small tasks, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture. Most of the time, this can be attributed to the siloed nature of these teams. In our industry, teams more or less operate independently, tend to focus solely on their designated tasks without considering the broader workflow or potential dependencies on other teams.

Finding your efficiency sweet spot

Running an OOH media business demands substantial investments in both capital and operational aspects. Understandably, media owners naturally prioritise revenue growth and are cautious about making additional investments, particularly in technology, unless they offer immediate returns.

While the illusion of efficiency continues, there is a need to strike a balance between profitability and workflow optimisation for sustained success. It's crucial to carefully select technologies that promise long-term benefits and immediate efficiency gains.

Investing in automation and process streamlining tools can yield substantial operational cost reductions and enhance overall productivity, enabling media owners to allocate resources more effectively.

Partnering with smart technology providers that can automate more of your back end processes, opens up valuable internal support and resources to help meet other business needs such as growth.

For instance, advertisers are increasingly demanding media owners demonstrate the return on investment of OOH advertising campaigns. Leveraging campaign analytics is one way that media owners can quantify the impact of OOH advertising on metrics such as brand awareness, foot traffic, and sales. This data instils confidence in advertisers and justifies their ad spend.

However, if the underlying technology lacks the capability to integrate with third-party software, it poses a setback to the media owner's growth plans. The inability to seamlessly integrate with other systems limits their ability to leverage advanced analytics and hinders their ability to meet advertiser demands effectively.

Therefore, by adopting a prudent, yet proactive approach to technology investment and leveraging partnerships with technology providers, media owners can navigate the challenges they face while positioning themselves for sustained growth and success in the dynamic media industry.

The writer is Veronica Ong, sales director, Broadsign SEA.