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Oct
18
2024
doohx - OOH's First Online Learning Platform

Where once we went to school and got certified with degrees designed to last our careers, the rapid evolution of technology takes what was mainstream practice one year and renders it irrelevant the next—or sooner.

This is especially true in an industry like OOH. The evolution from static to digital, the widespread adoption of programmatic trading, and now the integration of AI has changed virtually every aspect of how inventory is traded. This is undoubtedly for the better, but it also brings some very real challenges to the market.

Rapid upskilling is needed for seasoned OOH experts to master programmatic trading, gain a broader understanding of omnichannel planning, and move away from the more 'manual' processes that have kept outdoor advertising siloed for so long.

For those coming from a digital space, where programmatic trading is the norm, this robust medium – and its many intricacies – must be understood to buy inventory effectively. Impressions mean different things in different formats, audience measurement is not an exact science, and attribution can be tricky unless you know what OOH advertising brings to your overall campaign strategy.

Yet, until three years ago, there was only one independent, global, market, or player-agnostic education platform for OOH. Static learning was not enough to keep up with an ever-evolving industry – so at doohx, we decided to make OOH learning dynamic.



Fast-forward to 2024, and we have five certifications currently available—complete certifications in PDOOH 101, DOOH 101, and PDOOH Advanced, and specialist mini-certifications in PDOOH for Buyers and PDOOH for Publishers—and our latest course, Static OOH.

In addition, we release short-form educational content, house case studies and platform demonstrations, and share insights from experts worldwide to create a single source of knowledge in OOH for anyone willing to learn. And it's all available in your pocket via the doohx app.

Knowledge is power, and as the industry's landscape continues to shift towards automation, in-depth data integrations, unlimited creativity, and insight-infused targeting, static education is dead. Dynamic learning is the future.

For more information on the platform, visit: https://www.doohx.io/pages/membership

By
Oct
17
2024
4 Reasons Why Is DOOH Audience Measurement So Important

Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising has become increasingly popular in recent years, offering brands a powerful way to reach consumers in public spaces. However, to maximise the effectiveness of DOOH campaigns, it is crucial to accurately measure the audience that is being impacted. In this blog post, we will explore why DOOH audience measurement is so important and how it can benefit advertisers and media owners alike.

1. Targeted Advertising

Accurate audience measurement allows advertisers to target their campaigns more effectively. By understanding the demographics, interests, and behaviors of the people who are exposed to their DOOH ads, advertisers can create more relevant and engaging content. This leads to higher engagement rates, increased brand awareness, and ultimately, better return on investment (ROI). Although is always important to keep in mind the nature of this channel, and it’s One-To-Many approach.


2. Optimisation and Reporting

DOOH audience measurement provides valuable data that can be used to optimise campaigns in real-time. By monitoring audience metrics such as impressions, dwell time, and engagement rates, advertisers can adjust their campaigns to maximise their impact. This data is also essential for reporting purposes, allowing advertisers to demonstrate the effectiveness of their DOOH campaigns to stakeholders and clients.

3. Pricing and Revenue Generation

For media owners, accurate audience measurement is crucial for pricing DOOH inventory and generating revenue. By providing reliable data on the size and composition of their audience. Media owners can set competitive prices for their advertising space and attract more advertisers to their platforms. This data also helps media owners demonstrate the value of their DOOH network to potential advertisers. Making it easier to secure deals and generate revenue.

4. Industry Standardisation

The importance of DOOH audience measurement has led to the development of industry standards and guidelines. Organisations such as the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) have established best practices and guidelines for measuring DOOH audiences. By adhering to these standards, advertisers and media owners can ensure that their audience data is reliable, consistent, and comparable across different DOOH platforms and networks.

In conclusion, DOOH audience measurement is essential for the success of DOOH advertising campaigns. By providing accurate and actionable data on the size, composition, and behaviour of DOOH audiences, advertisers can create more targeted and effective campaigns, while media owners can generate more revenue and demonstrate the value of their DOOH networks. As the DOOH industry continues to grow and evolve, the importance of audience measurement will only increase, making it a critical component of any successful DOOH strategy.

By
Oct
16
2024
Out of Home Advertising Drives Significant ROI Gains Through Incremental Budget Reallocation

A new study released by the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) finds that slight reallocations of existing media budgets to Out of Home (OOH) advertising can lead to substantial gains in return on ad spend (ROAS) and key brand metrics.

“These findings reveal the powerful role OOH plays in the current media mix and demonstrate that OOH has been an under-invested media channel,” said Anna Bager, President and CEO of OAAA. “OOH performs well throughout the consumer funnel, and the analysis shows how brands can leverage that power by shifting just a few percentage points of their media allocation to OOH and generate impressive returns on their investment.”

Benchmarketing, a strategic marketing effectiveness consultancy and part of the Omnicom Media Group, employed advanced econometric modeling to assess the impact of incremental OOH budget increases on ROAS and key brand metrics in three sectors: Automotive, CPG Food, and Retail Grocery.

Entitled Media Plan Optimization: Analysis of Incremental Increase to OOH Share, the report finds that, without increasing existing media plan budgets for the Automotive, CPG Food and Retail Grocery categories, marketers can significantly increase their overall ROI on ROAS and key brand metrics such as awareness, consideration, and purchase intent, by increasing budget allocation to OOH by just a few percentage points, and decreasing allocation to media channels that are overspent beyond the point of optimization, typically  TV and digital.

The research supports a measured, incremental approach to budget reallocation. By applying small, strategic increases to OOH spending, advertisers can achieve near-optimal media performance without making drastic changes to or increasing their overall budget allocations. Notably, the study found that the initial incremental increase in OOH generated the largest portion of the total media plan optimized revenue and gain in brand metric scores.

The report provides an in-depth analysis of how incremental reallocations to OOH affect campaign performance, including the below key insights.

Modeling Analysis: Budget Shifts to OOH Yield High ROAS Gains

  • Automotive: An increase of OOH allocation from 1% to 2% in the Automotive vertical can lead to an overall media plan revenue gain of $52.1 million or 75% of the total optimization improvement.
  • Retail Grocery: An increase of OOH allocation from 8% to 14% in the Retail Grocery vertical can lead to an overall media plan revenue gain of $16.04 million or 61% of the total optimization improvement.
  • CPG Food: An increase of OOH allocation from 5% to 6% in the CPG Food vertical can lead to an overall media plan revenue gain of $2.42 million or 70% of the total optimization improvement.


As the advertising landscape continues to evolve, OOH is an increasingly critical channel for impacting consumer behavior throughout the funnel by driving increased sales, brand awareness, consideration, and purchase intent. Marketers are encouraged to leverage the insights from this study to optimize their media plans, enabling greater effectiveness and return on investment.


For more information about specific category spend, please contact Cassady Nordeen at cassady@purposenorthamerica.com.


About the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA)

The Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) is the national trade association for the entire out of home (OOH) advertising industry. OAAA represents over 850 members, including leading media companies, advertisers, agencies, ad-tech providers, and suppliers. OOH media includes billboards, street furniture, transit, place-based media, and digital formats (DOOH) across every sector of the channel. OAAA is the unifying voice for the industry, the authoritative thought leader, and the passionate advocate for advancing OOH advertising in the United States. The legislative unit of OAAA advocates for the responsible growth of OOH with federal, state, and local governments. OAAA-member media companies donate over $500 million annually in public service advertising. Founded in 1891, OAAA is headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in New York City. For more information, visit https://oaaa.org.

By
By
Oct
04
2024
The MENA Power List 2024: Embracing change fearlessly in light of AI and innovation

TITLE: Chief Executive Officer, BackLite Media

YEARS IN THE ROLE:
15 years

YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY:
23 years

YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 20 years

As leaders in outdoor advertising, we face a pivotal moment where change is inevitable and essential. The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and other cutting-edge technologies is transforming the industry, challenging us to rethink how we approach our craft.

At BackLite Media, we believe in fearlessly embracing this change – not just as a necessity but as an opportunity to lead the market through this exciting evolution. We see ourselves as drivers of innovation but, more importantly, as leaders guiding our teams and partners through this transformative journey.

AI is reshaping the advertising landscape in profound ways. The days of traditional billboards are behind us, replaced by dynamic, data-driven campaigns that can adapt in real-time. With AI, we can analyse vast amounts of data to deliver personalised, context-aware content that speaks directly to the viewer. This shift requires not just technological advancement but a mindset that embraces possibility and is unafraid of the unknown.

At BackLite, we’ve adopted AI as a cornerstone of our strategy, harnessing its potential to create smarter, more impactful campaigns. For luxury brands, this means elevating the consumer experience, offering bespoke messages that align perfectly with the brand’s ethos and the audience’s desires.

Leading through this change means guiding our teams, clients, and partners to understand that AI is not something to fear but a powerful tool that can enhance creativity and drive results.

“The ability to adapt, pivot and innovate without hesitation is critical. We are not just reacting – we are shaping the future.”

Our recent acquisition by Multiply Group is a testament to our commitment to this vision. As part of a larger ecosystem, BackLite Media is now positioned to take bolder steps in transforming outdoor advertising in the region. This gives us the strength and resources to not only innovate but to do so on a scale that influences the entire industry.

Being part of a bigger vision means aligning ourselves with a strategy that goes beyond short-term gains. We are building for the future, and that requires leading our people through change with confidence and purpose. The ability to adapt, pivot and innovate without hesitation is critical. We are not just reacting – we are shaping the future. We are bringing our clients and partners along on this journey, helping them navigate the evolving landscape of AI, data-driven marketing, and immersive experiences.

Our role as leaders is to balance technological innovation with human-centred creativity, ensuring that every step forward enhances our ability to connect with audiences on a deeper level.

The outdoor advertising industry is at a crossroads, and the only way forward is through fearless change. For regional players, the challenge is not just about adopting new technologies – it’s about embracing the mindset that comes with it. It’s about being willing to disrupt traditional models, question the status quo, and take risks that push the industry into new territory.

At BackLite Media, we have chosen to lead with courage. We are not afraid of the changes happening around us; instead, we are driving those changes. From AI-powered Programmatic campaigns to the integration of sustainable practices, we are setting a new standard for what outdoor advertising can achieve.


----

CAREER HIGHLIGHT

Having been deeply involved in BackLite Media’s acquisition by Multiply Group, I had the unique opportunity to contribute to building a regional out-of-home (OOH) powerhouse. One of the key achievements during this journey was the creation of The Triple Crown Abu Dhabi, the only premium digital out-of-home (DOOH) format in the Emirate. This exceptional platform has successfully hosted luxury brands and received widespread praise from our clients, solidifying our position in the industry.

----

RAPID FIRE

Focus for the next 12 months?

Growth and innovation.

Buzzword we need to kill?

Bandwidth.

Marketing needs to prioritise?

Customer experience.

Marketing needs to change?

Quantity over quality content.

Top lesson learnt in 2024?

Adaptability wins and embrace change early.

What worries you the most?

Regulatory changes.

Biggest blessing in your life?

My family.

Value/principle that matters the most?

Integrity.

Next travel destination?

The Seychelles.

What is your pet peeve?

Micromanagement.

Who do you look up to?

My wife.

Favourite restaurant in the Middle East?

LPM. Just wonderful food and wonderful service.

What are you reading?

The Wealth Money Can’t Buy’ by Robin Sharma.

Favourite hobby?

Golf.

Top tip?

Do what you promise.

By
Oct
01
2024
Celebrating 3 Years of the Iconic Triple Crown

What started as a bold vision has become a defining symbol of Dubai's skyline and a game-changer in out-of-home advertising.

The Triple Crown, part of The Landmark Series, has transformed how brands engage with their audience, blending cutting-edge technology with architectural brilliance.

We reflect on the journey that brought us here—how The Triple Crown has redefined outdoor advertising possibilities, impacted the industry, and where we're headed next. Watch the video to hear from our leadership about the vision, innovation, and exciting future.


The location of The Triple Crown in Dubai near Mall of the Emirates ensures maximum exposure for premium brands, as the screens are visible to thousands of vehicles daily. This prime positioning guarantees that advertising messages will significantly impact brand awareness and engagement. The high-resolution displays showcase every advertisement with stunning clarity and brilliance.

By
Sep
24
2024
DOOH
2024
Creativity is the key to unlocking the power of DOOH

Creativity is the key to unlocking the potential of Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising by revolutionising our urban landscapes with dynamic and engaging content, messaging and activations. Of course, I would say this... I've spent the last 20 years of my professional life devoted to ensuring this is the case. However, it's important to note that it's only possible with the perfect synergy between the media and creative worlds.What good is the world's best DOOH campaign if the intended audience doesn't see/care/act?

 

By merging innovative concepts with technology, DOOH has transformed boring old static billboards into interactive opportunities, a chance to engage with consumers like never before, to excite, entertain, inform, interact, and communicate. The world's oldest medium is arguably the most trusted and rewarding for brands to play with creatively as part of the modern marketing mix.

 

Creative content that captivates audiences by leveraging location-based targeting and real-time data to deliver relevant messages is a real game changer for OOH and has been made possible through the investment that media owners worldwide have made in on-the-ground technology and screens.

 

Data-driven dynamic creative can ensure your campaign is always relevant to OOH audiences at given times. In some circles, this is known as Dynamic Creative Optimisation or DCO, aligning itself with the online world. We talk about this technique internally as AMM –Audience + Moment = Message. Who's around, what factors might affect them, and how or what should we communicate with them?

 

Whether immersive storytelling to gamification, augmented reality, anamorphic content, CGI, technology or technique-driven, creative executions can help elevate brand visibility, drive consumer engagement, and improve effectiveness on DOOH screens.  

 

Creativity in the DOOH media space helps campaigns transcend traditional advertising boundaries, it amplifies brand narratives and helps foster memorable connections between brands and consumers. It's the catalyst for transforming urban environments into dynamic canvases, where brands come alive to leave lasting impressions on audiences worldwide.

 

There's a quote I love to use from one of the most decorated creative advertising people in the world Mark Tutsell, who I interviewed on my Behind the Billboard podcast:

 

"Think of the streets as your stage and your goal is to earn a standing ovation."

 

 

ABOUT:  Grand Visual

Grand Visual is a unique, global production agency providing creative and production services for Out Of Home. They craft compelling OOH activations, shaped around audiences, locations and mindsets using various creative techniques; joining the dots between brands, agencies and media owners to activate creative Out of Home campaigns in the real world. 
 

Grand Visual has been operating in and helping define the OOH channel for almost twenty years and became part of Talon through acquisition in 2019.

By
Sep
23
2024
BackLite lights a candle on 15 screens for International Peace Day

BackLite Media lit up 15 digital screens across Dubai with the universal symbol of peace — a single candle — in solidarity with the Essays for Peace global campaign, which marked International Peace Day on Saturday, 21 September.

The Dubai Gateway, part of The Landmark Series


The burning candle creative — which included no words, no logos, and no political affiliations — was part of a worldwide initiative, which spanned more than 40 cities and more than 15,000 screens across the globe.

Digital Icons, part of The Outdoor Collection



Speaking to Campaign Middle East, James Bicknell, CEO, BackLite Media, said, “We are humbled to have taken part in the Essays for Peace initiative to commemorate UN International Peace Day by illuminating digital screens across Dubai, including high-traffic areas along Sheikh Zayed Road. The campaign successfully reached thousands of residents and tourists.”

Essays for Peace OOH

On the night of September 20th, when the clock struck midnight to mark the start of International Peace Day, this global action began in several cities in New Zealand and concluded in Honolulu, Hawaii, 36 hours later.

Out-of-home (OOH) companies from all over the planet joined the initiative, from Grupo Vía in  Buenos Aires, Argentina who displayed the candle over 400 screens to LUMO Digital Outdoor who lit the candle on digital screens in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch to inspire global unity on International Peace Day.

The candle on the OOH screens replaced normal advertisements on the screens for a maximum duration of five minutes with either the image or a video of a lit candle. Spanish musician Llorenç Barber, renowned for his minimalist-inspired compositions, created a score for peace to accompany this action.

BackLite Media‘s Bicknell added, “As part of a global campaign that involved over 15,000 screens in 40 cities, the peaceful display of a single glowing candle served as a reminder of the power of unity and reflection. At BackLite Media, we believe in the responsibility of Out-of-Home advertising to support meaningful causes that transcend borders.

“Our participation in this initiative aimed to inspire a collective moment of peace, reinforcing our commitment to using our platform to support important global movements,” he concluded.

By
Sep
18
2024
IAB MENA releases programmatic DOOH guide for advertisers

The IAB MENA DOOH Task Force has announced the release of its Guide to Programmatic Digital Out-of-Home (pDOOH).

The advertising group has shared that the guide is “an essential” resource to transform the digital advertising landscape in the MENA region.

Even though 30 per cent of the total OOH investment in the region is spent on digital screens, IAB found that only 1 per of the digital screens were purchased programmatically. In contrast, as found in the ‘IAB MENA’ Attitudes to Programmatic’ survey, the region’s perceived scale of Programmatic DOOH is significantly higher than the current figures.

Given the positive market sentiment towards the pDOOH, the guide aims to educate and highlight the potential and growth opportunities of pDOOH.

The free whitepaper aims to equip advertisers, agencies, and stakeholders with insights into Programmatic DOOH in MENA.

The guide compares traditional DOOH advertising with programmatic DOOH (pDOOH), looking at the workflow differences, data-driven planning, targeting, and monitoring benefits.

It also discusses pDOOH’s flexibility, real-time optimisation, and targeted advertising, offering a roadmap for its integration in media strategies.  It lists regional pDOOH suppliers and the digital screen formats available in the MENA region.

The guide was developed collaboratively by 20 industry professionals from 17 member companies such as BackLite Media, Choueiri Group, Elan MENA, GroupM, MCN, Omnicom Media Group, Talon, Publicis Media, Pikasso, The Trade Desk, and Seventh Decimal.

“Collaborating together really drives increased collective knowledge.  By doing this, we aim to shed a light on the huge potential of pDOOH across MENA as a key part in the future growth of our region,” said, Ian Manning, Executive Director at IAB MENA.

Programmatic DOOH is poised for exponential growth in the region. In 2023, investment in DOOH was estimated to reach $350 million, and forecasts suggest that this figure will more than double to over $700 million by 2029.

According to IAB, the growth is primarily driven by the rapid digitisation and automation of OOH screens in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, coupled with the increasing demand from advertisers seeking dynamic and measurable ways to connect with audiences.

By
Sep
17
2024
DOOH
2024
Adoption of DOOH in the Middle East

It’s no secret that Out-of-Home (OOH) is a significant medium within the MENA region. Still, the rapid digitisation and automation of OOH screens in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar are transformative.

IAB MENA estimates that Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) spending was around $350m in 2023 and on a growth trajectory that could reach $700m by 2029—driven both by new inventory availability and the ability of DOOH to marry the best of mass reach and targeted, measurable delivery.

As the market for DOOH grows, we will also see an increase in programmatic buying and selling. This is still a fraction of the overall Digital OOH market in MENA, with many barriers to overcome. Still, the benefits of superior audience targeting, flighting flexibility and real-time optimisation will likely increase demand and adoption over the coming years.

IAB MENA DOOH Taskforce

The IAB MENA DOOH Taskforce, comprising 21 people from 15 member companies, released a series of papers and videos in 2023 covering the DOOH market, including a perspective on the available inventory, glossaries to set standard terminologies and a detailed whitepaper. This year, based on our members’ potential in Programmatic Digital Out-of-Home (PrDOOH), we are delving more specifically into this area.

We see a positive upside for both advertisers and media owners. For advertisers, amongst other things, the opportunity to target and optimise campaigns in real-time to specific consumers using data across different networks is a considerable effectiveness boost. For publishers, the ability to maximise revenue opportunity through optimising inventory, leveraging different audience values and real-time measurement alongside the operational efficiencies created suggests it needs to be part of any successful offering.

The development of PrDOOH suits both buyers and sellers, making it an essential contributor to a vibrant MENA advertising ecosystem. Over the coming months, we aim to collectively and collaboratively develop resources that help the broader market fully understand the opportunity that PrDOOH brings, the routes to overcome challenges, and the practical steps to create and implement it.

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