Outdoor advertising actually encompasses a number of different marketing approaches and can vary a great deal, which is beneficial for companies since they can then go with whatever approach or method would be more effective for them, individually. Not all companies are able to get the maximum exposure that they need when it comes to different types of outdoor advertising. As a result, it can sometimes be difficult for these companies to come to a conclusion as to why they should invest in outdoor advertising and make that type of trial and error maneuver. The fact is, outdoor advertising in virtually any capacity is influential on many people because of the way in which individuals are exposed to the marketing campaign. There are so many different types of outdoor advertising that can be used and many companies will have no problem finding which method works best for them.
Exposure is the number one reason as to why people should consider outdoor advertising for their professional or personal needs. We see all the time cars in traffic that are for sale by the owner, complete with a sign saying the vehicle is for sale and the contact information for interested parties. As cars interact with each other, we see the powerful effects of outdoor advertising. So many more people are exposed to outdoor advertising as opposed to other methods, such as advertising in a newspaper ? which is an approach only beneficial to those that read the newspaper. Compared to those that regularly read the newspaper, including the ads, more people are exposed to outdoor advertising.
Another reason that individuals would benefit from considering outdoor advertising is because of the fact that these are the approaches in which the individual will be able to have more diversity when it comes to the different specific methods of marketing. Car advertising or mobile marketing, billboard, bumper stickers and signs are all different forms of outdoor advertising that people are exposed to over time. Outdoor advertising is literally everywhere we look outside in the world today and because of the different methods it is easier for companies or individuals to find the approach that works most successfully, as a result of the individual needs, desires and marketing investment cap which have been put into place. Thanks to outdoor advertising, companies, products, services and ideas can all be revealed to individuals that may have otherwise not been able to learn about the different centerpieces of the products of outdoor advertising attempts.
I commend the sheer doggedness of Nigeria’s outdoor advertising sector, which, in spite of operating in an environment characterized by uncertainties, manages to thrive. To understand the dilemma of our outdoor advertising practitioners, take a look at some of the numerous promulgations binding on the practice: the FEPA Act 1988, Schedule IV Nigerian Constitution 1979 (which gives the various local government councils in the country the power to pass by-laws thereby enabling them to exercise control of outdoor advertising and hoardings), Control of Advertisement (Federal Highways) Act Cap 66 LFN, Control of Advertisements (Lagos State) Act, 1965, Land Use Act 1990 LFN, Lagos Local Government by-laws, 1958, and Cap 7, Laws of the Federation, 1990, otherwise known as the Advertising Practitioners (Registration, etc.) Act, etc.
How do our advertising practitioners survive all these laws? While speaking with Charles Chijide, rpa, managing director of Charella Nigeria Limited, a frontline outdoor advertising company based in Lagos, I found that multiple taxation had always been the bane of outdoor advertising practice in Nigeria. A well-traveled professional, Chijide strongly believes that there should be specific and uniform tax laws governing outdoor advertising in the country rather than the multifariousness presently being witnessed.
From Lagos to Ibadan, Enugu to Port-Harcourt, Kano to Abuja, etc. state governments struggle with their federal counterpart over the control of outdoor advertising. What is the attraction? I hear outdoor advertising is a gold-mine and this may not be far from the truth if people I know in the profession were to serve as benchmarks. Recently, I asked Mr. Ade Bamtefa (the helmsman at Corpavent Limited, another forward-looking outdoor advertising company) who, obviously, has traversed almost the length and breadth of the globe, if multiple taxation was the norm abroad.
According to Bamtefa, “In Europe and the Americas, for example, there are not multiple taxes or levies. You pay to the local authorities while evaluation appraisal and recommendation are made on you and your site if all is right." However, there is an irritating interference in the outdoor advertising practice which I find absolutely disturbing: the social miscreant phenomenon, a.k.a “area boys." There is no doubt that it is taking its toll on the practice.
A couple of years ago, I was in a practitioner’s office when two well-dressed men came to be “settled." The rapport was so surprisingly natural that I could not believe that they were “area boys." My friend addressed them by their first names and actually saw them off to their Mercedes Benz car after much assurance from the “landlords" that “nothing go touch your board, oga!"
While Bamtefa, like me, believes that the government should protect practitioners from harassment and attack by “area boys" since they diligently fulfill their financial obligations to it, Chijide would rather appreciate a comprehensive and workable rehabilitation programme for youths who have decided to opt for “area boys" lifestyles. There is no doubt that all these distractions will affect the outdoor business. Chijide confesses that the current style of regulating outdoor advertising in Nigeria adversely affects profit margins, creates a clog in the wheel of outdoor advertising progress and eventually leads to delays in the execution of contracts."
However, Bamtefa is of the opinion that regulation is a necessary evil but cautioned that it (be it voluntary or statutory) be controlled and managed by relevant bodies. That way, according to him, “outdoor advertising practice can be very interesting." I still salute the courage of our bona fide outdoor advertising practitioners for wanting to be innovative in spite of the intimidations. I commend them for the Wall Scapes, the Roller Visions, the Computer Digital Displays, etc. Of course how can I forget the imposing Bulletins and the awesome Tower Billboards? The Balloons, Motion Displays, Backlits, Lamp Posts, Bridge Posters, etc. hardly give a hint of the frustration these guys are wading through.
Even in the United States, there have been several governmental and legislative attempts to quash the progress of outdoor advertising. Like Nigeria, however, this trend has not prevented America’s outdoor advertising market from continuing to expand and prove itself a viable, effective and an increasingly attractive advertising medium. Unfortunately, cluttering is threatening the professional aspect of the business in Nigeria and I wonder why OAAN should have as many as a whopping 100 companies on its membership list- that is a crowd!
From Catford to Bermondsey, Brockley to Peckham, Forest Hill to Honor Oak, Eltham to Woolwich, Sydenham to Beckenham, High Holborn to Elephant and Castle, Vauxhall to Victoria, Surrey Quays to Charlton, Thamesmead to Abbeywood, Chelsea to Camberwell, Deptford to Plumstead, Leyton to Hackney, all in London, I could not see more than three names behind all the outdoor hoardings. Even when I made it to Manchester and Kent (Lower Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham), Clear Channel and J.C. Decaux clearly dominated ownership.
Asked if our outdoor sector would gladly welcome mergers and acquisitions, Mr. Chijide excitedly replied in the affirmative stressing that it would be the best thing to happen to Nigeria. He strongly opined that it would enable the outdoor market to easily access funds through the stock exchange. The emergence of mega outdoor companies, according to Bamtefa, would help develop the outdoor advertising industry should there be mergers and acquisitions. For him, inviting the likes of Clear Channel, incidentally an American company, to Nigeria in an M&A deal, would not be a terrible idea.
What I saw in the UK was not bad at all though Chijide believes it is better in America. According to him, Nigeria should, in the next decade, strive to be a well-organised outdoor advertising industry as obtainable abroad. What excites him about overseas practices is the fact that practitioners’ hoardings are accepted as collaterals by banks. In Nigeria, your hoarding is a risk, subject to a faceless regulator’s bulldozer! But that should not, according to Bamtefa, discourage practitioners from ensuring that advertisers get value for their money in terms of coverage and impact per Naira.
Though our outdoor advertising practice is not yet comparable to that of countries like the UK, USA and even South Africa, there is hope that things will get better with time.
Both Sign Zoo & Yusuf Danesi are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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