Adcomm's first two issues May 2012 Launch issue | Page 20

out of home

Adcom media

CHANGING DIRECTION
have led to many media owners having
unapproved assets. This, among other
factors, has led to a number of legal
battles among the players as well as the
powers granting site advertising rights.

In South Africa it is only 4.5%. “South
Africa’s should be a lot higher. There
are thousands of households without a
television, but all can be targeted with
outdoor media.”

An OHMSA (Out-of-home Media South
Africa) Exco meeting revealed a lack of
industry collaboration. OHMSA needed to
address the following:

She feels the industry must be
repositioned. “We have to improve the
way we portray ourselves, especially to
agencies, and show what benefits outdoor
advertising has to offer.” There has been
insecurity related to approved sites and
boards but this is changing. “It is not a

• In-fighting with regards to
secured site space.
• Smaller players leaving the
association.
• Smaller members not heard;
larger players running the show.
Ad Outpost CEO, Sonnette Swanepoel

• Total ad-spend for out-of home advertising only 4.5%.

• Challenges with councils and
Company restructuring and turn-around
site rights.
specialist, Ad Outpost CEO Sonnet
Swanepoel speaks about developments in
• Poor public acceptance of outthe out-of-home media industry.
of-home medium.
A career heading project finance in
merchant banking and years in investment
Solutions proposed
banking, enabled Sonnet to develop
One of Ad Outpost’s eyecatching billboard
insight into companies and methods to
visible from the N1 en route to Pretoria
“In terms of the changing
maximise their potential. This led to her
economic landscape, we decided
becoming a company restructuring and
the time is right to re-look at
turn-around specialist.
pleasant space to be in. Boards go up
OHMSA’s structure and that of our
and then pulled down, inevitably leading
member companies.” Discussions to
to legal concerns. There is no benefit for
overcome these challenges are underway.
Pinpointing weaknesses
clients, agencies, marketers or the public,
An important focus is building the
and the affect on the industry is already
industry and increasing out-of-home adShe says that after a month at the
known.”
spend.
helm of Ad Outpost she came to the
conclusion that the out-of-home industry
To begin with, out-of-home companies
Sonnet has established corporate
is, embarrassingly, “a rogue industry
must have approved assets. Ad Outpost is
governance at Ad Outpost and the
with apparent substantial bribery and
underway with this process.
corruption.” Some of this can be attributed company is run in line with the Companies
Act. Measures have been implemented
to the lack of clear regulations which
to avoid legal disputes
Public perception
where possible but to
engage with others
Erecting and dismantling billboards
to find solutions.
causes havoc and some boards are an
‘eye-sore’. To overcome this, media
Competitor
owner collaboration is being extended
to municipal councils. “This added value
collaboration
to our collaborative effort,” Sonnet is
convinced, “will help us produce product
“We are also making
that is acceptable to the public.
an effort to work with
competitors to create an
increase in ad-spend.”
She says internationally
ad-spend for out-of-home
averages around 15%
Continued on page22
of industry ad-spend.
Ad Outpost Billboard on the M2 in Wynberg
20

May 2012