Full-speed ahead for Roadside Digital Network

Continental Outdoor Media has installed 7 digital Datatronics roadside billboards in Sandton, bringing South Africa in line with international standards.

The Daktronics screens, offer an image quality of 280 pixels tall x 560 pixels wide, and are made with components using the latest global digital technology.

The screens offer the widest colour palette (144 quadrillion colours) ensuring content creator’s have the ability to digitally duplicate ad copy reproductions. Increased contrast with zero perceived tiling, minimized lines between modules, blacker blacks, richer colours, and bolder images equal one great-looking display. This technology also encourages energy efficiency. A further enhancement is the addition of proof-of-play webcams which have been installed on each screen to provide advertisers real-time reassurance that their ad is being flighted.

‚”This brand new network reaches up to 6,7 million people per month (JRA) and offers advertisers tactical messaging, day-part message management and real-time updates. This allows for strategic, location-based multiple impacts throughout the consumer’s day, creating seamless conversations with consumers and fitting in with their lifestyle or life flow and can be sewn together to create a coherent story. Our clients are very excited at the pioneering and innovative way in which we’re taking their advertising messages to the consumer‚”, confirms Lelanie Butler, Sales Director of Continental Outdoor Media (SA).

First off the mark embracing this ground-breaking technology in South Africa, is Samsung with the launch of their new Galaxy Note 3 device. Celia Collins, Deputy MD of Starcom Mediavest, states that, ‚”Samsung and Starcom partner with media owners that are forward thinking and moving with the digital age, thus making it easier for clients such as Samsung to reach their consumers in a more engaging and interactive way. The quality of Continental Outdoors’ screens during the day, as well as evening, ensure that we make an impact throughout the day and night to drive innovation through the launch of the new Galaxy Note 3 device.‚”

‚”The advancement of technology and its ability to personalise and encourage interactive behaviour is redefining Outdoor Advertising’s role. This reinforces many of out-of-home’s (OOH) inherent strengths, providing new opportunities and further flexibility for brands to converse with consumers‚”, states Bazil Lauryssen, CEO of Continental Outdoor Media, ‚”The company has led the digital revolution in SA (and now also into Africa) in airports, the Gautrain, pubs/clubs and restaurants, medical suites, malls and now with roadside networks. The ever increasing size of LCD and LED TVs, combined with their decline in cost, means that digital-out-of-home (DOOH) is going to get larger in format and more prolific‚”.

Continental Outdoors’ digital networks offer marketers creative flexibility which enables them to target audiences with different messages at different times of the day, on weekdays and weekends, according to the time of year and they offer location-based messaging. Digital networks allow for relevant messaging when the consumer is in a relevant mindset and likely to act upon it.

Digital screens allow for tactical messaging with a network of LED billboards and screens in a multiplicity of environments and allow for site-based or time-based information to be adapted tactically, in a quick and inexpensive manner. The message is updated simultaneously across the digital network, enabling timely brand reinforcement.

Day-part message management means that messages can be changed across the network or by site, to pick up on local lingo and events. A range of brands or sub-brands can be interchanged within an advertiser’s slot to allow message rotation and greater relevance. The network allows for real-time updates. The digital network will be set-up to allow direct data feeds, enabling relevant content (e.g. financial indicators, news headlines, weather updates) to be downloaded directly to a site, in a pre-defined, branded template, thus increasing relevance and flexibility.

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