Insider is continually amazed at how technology benefits Out of Home. It also changes at lightning speed and we need to have operating platforms that can keep pace. We asked Mike Donaldson, Chief Growth Officer, at BillboardPlanet to provide his perspective on 2023 and a look ahead to the new year.
What is your impression of 2023 in OOH?
In all of my, too many to count, years in OOH, I am not sure I have ever seen a year like 2023. There is an industry drive and collaboration worldwide between companies that is rejuvenating.
Buying tendencies, connectivity, operational efficiencies and, without a doubt, digital evolution have made 2023 a pivotal year for all of us.
How have Operations Systems for Out of Home changed over this last year?
As with tech outside of OOH, operating systems are always evolving. We are asked for more features and more integrations while ensuring ease-of-use.
This is not an easy ask. Obviously, there is a talent in making a system easier to use with more features and options. Managers, directors and owners running OOH plants are always looking for the right information at the right time to assist them in making decisions. Looking at your financials on the 7th of the following month to see how you did or what you can improve on is too late in today’s business environment. There is a desire for accurate insightful and timely data that provide the insights needed to adjust, push, and adapt daily operations to squeeze the most juice out of their inventory.
OOH is not the same industry as it was even 5 years ago. The operating systems used to run our companies cannot be the same either. This year BillboardPlanet made more enhancements and connections than in any year of our over 20-year history. We have had to completely change our internal processes in order to go faster.
What were the most common requests from your clients in 2023?
Enterprise Resource Planning Software, like Quantum, is always sought out to improve daily operations. However, this year as in 2022 most of our new clients approach us talking about ways to manage and optimize their digital operations and about what data via reports, dashboards, queries, BI and APIs (you lost me on the acronyms) we can provide so they can better manage their business.
Some of the other hot topics are agnostic schedulers, programmatic, impressions, install apps, POP efficiencies.
What area of operations do you think has been most under-utilized?
Many times we focus on the hot industry topics, but successful businesses dominate the fundamentals first. A few examples in OOH are:
- Local Sales – this will always be the bread & butter revenue
- Leases – your largest cost. Are you following best practices?
- Asset Analysis – which of your boards are most / least profitable?
- Cost Optimization – ie, lighting controls, install costs, printing quality and coordination
- Pictures – Sales & POP – we are a visual media – they need to be breathtaking!
No matter what is going on in outdoor, if you dominate the fundamentals, you will be successful.
BillboardPlanet also serves Ad Agencies and Media Buyers. Any developments this year that are of interest?
We may need another article. The buy-side of OOH is soaring. The shift to Omni-Channel budgeting and buying, the efficiency and sophistication of programmatic, impression data and buys, accountability and reporting, real-time data, and the creative….. not sure where to start.
As with the supply side, there is a ton of innovation and cooperation on the buy-side that is driving everyone to better.
Looking forward to 2024, where will BillboardPlanet be focusing their attention?
As in years past BillboardPlanet will be keenly focused on improving our software and growing our client base. However, more than ever before we are looking for partners. Worldwide there are amazing companies serving media owners and buyers. Whether the latest and greatest digital screens, data, measurement and metrics, the evolving programmatic world or better, faster media buyers, there are so many people bringing wonderful tools to OOH. We are increasingly seeking out and looking to integrate with and strategize with these companies that compliment us.
Although I believe we have the best ERP software in the OOH market worldwide, we are not good at everything. We are going to keep our IT team busy enhancing and improving our platforms, but more than ever, we are going to strive to work with others that can assist us in delivering the best OOH tool set in town.
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