A Look Ahead at OAAA's Action-Packed Fall

It was blunt. Last summer (2014), a design studio pitched itself to ad agency Ogilvy & Mather by putting a billboard message outside O&M headquarters in New York. The CEO called; a meeting was set on September 3.

This fall, 1,600 out of home (OOH) units will carry targeted messages aimed at media planners. Called “Feel the Real,” this bold industry promotion campaign will tell ad agencies that OOH drives digital engagement.

Thank you, suppliers and media companies supporting this innovative campaign. Look for more about the campaign in upcoming issues of Outlook, as well as a case study early next year.

This fall is loaded with important, highimpact developments. As we enter the final four months of 2015, OAAA priorities include:

Litigation
Oral arguments are scheduled September 25 in Scenic America’s lawsuit against digital billboards. This case is on appeal in federal court; the industry prevailed in the first round.

OAAA represents the industry, intervening as defendant on the same side as A Look Ahead at Our Action-Packed Fall the government (Federal Highway Administration). The appeals court should rule by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, OAAA will help the industry understand the impact of the Supreme Court’s June 18 ruling in Reed vs Town of Gilbert, AZ. The Court stuck a local sign code as unconstitutional suppression of speech. Impact has been immediate, as other lower courts have knocked out restrictions on panhandling, robo calls, and ballot selfies.

Moving quickly, OAAA commissioned a top legal expert to explain that certain distinctions common in sign regulations – such as on-premise/off-premise, as mentioned by Justice Samuel Alito – are acceptable. Look for details on an OAAA webinar this fall, as part of your trade association’s no-fee communications outreach on legal, regulatory, and sales matters.

Legislation
Congress faces a showdown on transportation funding. The current Highway Bill has been extended through October 29. Working with industry members nationwide, OAAA will continue to work with Congress to safeguard the current federal regulatory system that protects property rights.

Increasingly, we like to make our case to senators and representatives at home. On September 28, we’ll be in Georgia with Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA). Last month, we were in Arkansas to meet with Senator John Boozman (RAR).

State associations are gearing up for legislative sessions in 2016; I plan to attend the North-South Carolina conference in Charleston on October 30.

Marketing
OAAA’s roadshow to ad agencies will present to 60 additional planner/buyer groups before the end of the year (Baltimore, Charlotte, Columbus, Grand Rapids, Greensboro, Greenville, Hartford, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Louisville, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Haven, New York, Norfolk, and Washington, DC).

Outreach to some of these agencies will be double. Open the door, there’s Steve Nicklin of OAAA. Look out the window, there’s a targeted ad (Feel the Real).

Across the country, future ad professionals are heading back to school. Their professors – hundreds nationwide – are receiving updated easy-to-use curriculum materials about the OOH medium. These modern, attractive instructional materials include PowerPoint decks and 17 videos. 

“A time-saver and a valuable resource,” said Dr. Rick R. Wilson, McCoy College of Business Administration at Texas State University. “The materials and flash drive provided to me by OAAA saved me hours of research. It gave me the perfect information and photos I needed to supplement my class discussion on out of home advertising.”

For more information, contact the OAAA office at [email protected] or (202) 833-5566.

www.oaaa.org