OOH Media of the Year 2015

Look around you. Chances are most of the ads that grab your attention run on OOH platforms. These gentle giants of advertising have not only proven to be tech-savvy, but also command your attention in the least intrusive way possible. In this report, we take a look at which OOH media owners have most earned the love of marketers in Singapore.

1. JCDecaux

Crowned king of OOH media once again this year is JCDecaux. The company has added on several noticeable offerings over the past year and deepened its ties with its key stakeholders.

In August 2014, JCDecaux launched a world-class digital media format in T1 Changi Airport called the iconic Digital Towers. Since its launch, the Digital Towers has welcomed majors advertisers such as Bvlgari, Christian Dior Couture, HSBC and Mitsubishi Electric.

Meanwhile, across the airport, other advertisers such as Apple, ANZ, Bvlgari, Chanel, Christian Dior, DFS, Dunhill, Financial Times, Huawei, Mitsubishi Electric, Salvatore Ferragamo and UOB have also utilised its various spaces to
target travellers.

In February 2015, JCDecaux strengthened its partnership with ION Orchard shopping mall by becoming the sole exclusive media partner for all its in-mall advertising sites. The exclusive partnership will see JCDecaux investing in digital media offerings and creating a highly targeted digital media inventory in Orchard Road’s best shopping corridor.

It kick-started the fi rst phase of enhancements in July with a network of new 80-inch digital screens: the “Digital Fashion Network”. Tenants, including Clarins, Mikimoto and TAG Heuer, were the inaugural advertisers on the new digital network. To target business decision-makers and PMEBs with high spending power, JCDecaux also clinched an exclusive agreement with The Sail Residences for the subterranean advertising spaces. The media owner maintains its position in the industry with three long-term cinema partners, namely Cathay, Filmgarde and Eng Wah which recently opened a 10-screen cineplex at 321 Clementi.

In the fi rst half of 2015, JCDecaux welcomed five new advertisers to its large format billboards along Keppel Road. These advertisers are Magnum Ice Cream, Schroders, Esso, Samsung and Apple. To keep up with its ever-growing
client list, the company reappointed Lydia Lee as airport sales director and Janet Loh as Singapore sales director.

2. Clear Channel

Coming in at number two is Clear Channel Singapore. Earlier this year, Clear Channel won the contract to manage the outdoor advertising space at Peranakan Place Complex, expanding its OOH presence on Orchard Road.

It also introduced a new media format named The Wrap which spreads across two display sheet panels spanning over 2.7m in length by 1.3m in height. The Wrap can also be found at sites located in the heart of the city and
key regional hubs. Meanwhile, Clear Channel is looking to launch Play in the fourth quarter of this year. Play is expected to be the largest digital OOH expansion in Singapore.

Beefing up its business, Clear Channel Singapore hired Alison Lim, whose specialty lies in delivering operational excellence, as head of business operations for Clear Channel Singapore. Meanwhile, senior marketing manager of
the agency Sing Yee, with almost a decade of experience in CCS, was promoted to marketing director. She now leads the marketing team and assumes overall responsibilities for marketing communications, research and insights, mobile and digital developments, among other duties.

The company also hired Lynn Tan as operations director and welcomed Linda Tay as the new commercial director. Currently, Clear Channel’s key advertisers include Honda, Mentos and Fitbit. Some of the more notable campaigns that launched on Clear Channel’s OOH platforms included Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign which allowed personalisation on its OOH adverts.

Adidas also launched its mobile-enabled OOH campaign, adidas Climacool antiperspirant, on the Clear Channel platforms and offered samples to commuters through a simple tap or scan of the smartphones with the panel.

Recently, Ant-Man by Walt Disney was also featured on the platform in a comical manner where the superhero Ant-Man was seen lifting up the six-sheet poster. Walt Disney also launched a campaign for Inside Out that featured dynamic digital creatives that were weather-triggered come rain or shine.

3. MediaCorp OOH

With out-of-home veteran Henry Goh at the helm, the MediaCorp OOH unit had an amazing year as it underwent a refresh and focused on a few key areas. This year MediaCorp OOH takes the number three spot in the rankings.

This past year, MediaCorp OOH aimed to help clients increase their visibility factor through engaging and experiential campaigns. It also aimed to improve its own products and media solutions, reducing production costs
and adopting a collaborative approach with clients, partners and stakeholders. As a result, MediaCorp OOH Media has seen the launch of several reformatted platforms.

One of the most interesting campaigns it did was for its client Unilever. As part of its Magnum Infi nity ice-cream launch, the brand partnered with MediaCorp OOH Media to install a few interactive bus panels that incorporated digital technology. Upon going through the motion of picking up a Magnum ice-cream, participants were then taken on a virtual “swing” at the top of a building.

The company also saw an increase in experiential campaigns with its fleet of on the-move billboard trucks. Morphing into a mobile gallery, its trucks were used by the ational Heritage Board for the celebration of “200 Years of Healthcare in Singapore”, a travelling exhibition that captured Singapore’s advancement in healthcare from a rudimentary system to a world-renowned medical hub.

MediaCorp OOH Media strengthened its team with a few new hires with outdoor sales experience. Other than Goh, Philip Goh came on board in September 2014 to anchor the business development team with his vast experience from the FMCG industry.

Most recently, OOH Media promoted Patrick Ong from its OOH Media sales team to assistant vice-president of sales. MediaCorp OOH Media also brought in several new advertisers with the likes of Samsung, Malaysia Tourism, Bayer’s Coppertone and Bank of China.

4. SMRT Media

Coming in at number four is SMRT Media which is the advertising arm of SMRT Corporation. SMRT Media manages and markets the out-of home advertising solutions in the SMRT network, covering the North South, East West and Circle Lines as well as the Bukit Panjang Light Rapid Transit (LRT).

SMRT Media claims its suite of outdoor platforms offers brands extensive presence and unparalleled brand visibility. Meanwhile, its digital innovations enable marketers to create experiential and inspiring campaigns. In marrying
technology and creativity, SMRT Media is able to continuously transform its assets into innovative channels.

Late last year, The Walt Disney Company, through the Disneymedia+ team, worked with SMRT for an 18-month collaboration to bring Disney into the SMRT public transport, retail and digital networks. Both companies engaged
commuters and customers through SMRT’s transit network, and also at the Kallang Wave Mall in the Singapore Sports Hub and SMRT’s e-shop, iMOB Shop.

Earlier this year, Huawei launched new campaigns on SMRT Media’s latest platform, the illuminated double decker bus, for the launch of its latest phone, Honor 4X.  The technology is a result of a collaboration between SMRT Media, A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), A*STAR’s technology transfer arm, ETPL, and local small and medium-size enterprise (SME) large-format printer Film Screen to create and launch an illuminated doubledecker bus that featured eLumiNEX. eLumiNEX is large-format back lit fi lm technology.

It allows for the illumination of large-format print surfaces for out-of-home advertising. SMRT Media also recently appointed Glenn Seetoh as assistant general manager. He joined SMRT Media from MediaCorp where he was VP of group sales and marketing.

Prior to his appointment, he was with leading OOH, print and broadcast media companies, where he drove sales, marketing, business development and partnership management.

5. Golden Village

Taking the fifth spot in this year’s OOH Media of the Year rankings is Golden Village. In the past year, a range of advertisers have benefi ted from Golden Village’s diverse product offerings which allows them to easily target
different customer segments and profiles.

An example of an advertiser benefi ting from Golden Village’s product offering was Nespresso. Through the campaign, Nespresso targeted gold class patrons and in addition to buying screen ads, Nespresso held an onground
activation targeting gold class customers by inserting a promotional leafl et in their ticket sleeves. The call-to-action, inserted as part of the campaign, also promoted the brand’s new coffee fl avour and encouraged the gifting of
Nespresso machines.

Another interesting campaign done in collaboration with Golden Village cinemas was with local brand Fragrance Bak Kwa. Apart from just screening its ads in the cinema halls, the OOH media owner also included an on-ground activation where patrons got to enjoy discounts at Fragrance Bak Kwa by consumers using ticket stubs images. This call-to-action initiative allowed Fragrance Bak Kwa to direct traffic to its stores and added an additional benefit for patrons of Golden Village when they purchased movie tickets.

Key advertisers for Golden Village include major brands such as VISA, StarHub, DBS and NTUC Income. The team at Golden Village has also been working with several new brand owners such as mobile brand Oppo, Tokio Marine, Lake Life EC, Reebok, Lacoste, Tupperware, Mount Faber, Mercedes-Benz, ECCO, MDA, Gillette, Bonia, Kose, Embry-Riddle, Metap, Sentosa Luge, Zuji, Far East Organization, Airbnb, MCL Land, IKEA and MCI.

While the team has not seen any new hires, Katherine Lim, previously senior account manager, has taken on added responsibilities as group head of media sales.

6. SPH MediaBox Office

Taking sixth spot this year is SPH MediaBox Office (SPHMBO), the out-of-home media arm of Singapore Press Holdings. In the past year, SPHMBO has continued to firm and expand its foothold in the CBD by acquiring exclusive rights to the advertisement sites at one of Singapore’s most prestigious underground pedestrian networks.

This extended reach connects from its own flagship screen at Chevron House, through Ocean Financial Centre, One Raffl es Quay to Marina Bay Link Mall. Large and iconic sites such as Rendezvous Hotel and Bugis Village have also been added to its portfolio.

As part of its growth strategy, the Chevron House and Toa Payoh Hub outdoor LED screens were revamped to be bigger, sharper and brighter in display, the platform owner said. New branding space opportunities, equipped with backlightings, was made available for advertisers who wished to further amplify their brand presence in the hub. StreetSine Singapore was the first to capitalise on this new feature. Besides expanding its product portfolio,
SPHMBO continuously offered creative displays and executions on traditional wallscapes along the underground linkways to meet advertisers’ demands to attract and engage target audiences.

Most recently, Tenet Sompo Insurance launched a campaign combining “trick art” and social media to lure audience’s participation and awareness to its product offerings. In addition, for the Oscars, HBO recreated the red carpet event along the linkway, enhanced with interviews, photo opportunities and paparazzi fl ashes; and
other campaigns improvised with sequential LED displays, 3D displays and interactive screens by global brands such as Natixis Global Asset, Citibank and Schroders Investment.

Through SPHMBO’s integrated sales efforts within the SPH group, the agency saw many new brands such as Qatar Airways, Marina Bay Sands, Turkish Airlines, Zara, McDonald’s, LG, and a wider suite of product sectors on its OOH platforms. Moving ahead, SPHMBO will continue to focus on strategic sites and increase its OOH product offerings to the marketplace.

7. Moove Media

Moove Media claims seventh spot this year. As the advertising arm of ComfortDelGro the platform owner has had plenty of new creative campaigns in the past 12 months. With fun and colours, multi-sensory experiences and
creativity, Moove aims to reach out and captivate commuters on the move.

Key organisations involved in Moove’s advertising come from sectors such as banking, schools, FMCG and entertainment. One of its campaigns this year included Eva Air which launched a SBS Transit Hello Kitty concept double-deck bus as a part of its Hello Kitty Jet Launch campaign with Moove. The Facebook post garnered more than 1,300 likes and more than 4,700 shares within 10 days.

Another campaign was a multi-platform one launched for Sentosa’s Wings of Time show in July 2014 which involved a sculptured 3D top on taxis. In addition, Moove and SAFRA Radio teamed up for the first time to bring its two
anchor radio stations to Ang Mo Kio, Bedok and Boon Lay bus interchanges with specially designed electronics to ensure prominent sound quality to liven up the commuters experience.

Unilever Singapore also launched an inaugural ad campaign where a 35-metre square wallscape ad at North East Line, Dhoby Ghaut Station, emitted a refreshing fl owery scent to commuters at the station.

In addition, ComfortDelGro, along with Moove, launched the “My Little Red Dot My Home”, a “Red Dot” initiative in support of Singapore’s jubilee celebrations. “Spot Me” was pasted on buses, taxis, trains and bus hubs to effectively spread this message (#SpotMeRedDot).

Meanwhile, for the jubilee year, Moove launched its iconic cows SG50 Moove Cows which represented Coolie, Rickshaw Man, Kacang Puteh Man, Satay Man, Ma Jie, Samsui Woman, Nyonya and Wayang – eight pioneers who helped build Singapore into a strong and prosperous nation. Moving forward, Moove aims to provide an array of solutions for clients’ marketing campaigns.

8. Focus Media

Clinching eighth spot is Focus Media. This past year, the company has expanded its business portfolio to include big-format out-of-home sites. These sites include LED screens at One Raffles Place, a digital screen at Orchard
Gateway underpass and a static large format site at Bharat Building, 3 Raffles Place, which faces the Raffles green.

On top of the new additions, Focus Media locations can be found at elevator lobbies of premium offi ce and commercial buildings located in the prime business districts in Singapore to reach the highly desired, but hardest-to-reach groups of business executives in a captive environment.

It continues to operate a vast in-store digital network that provides a point-of-sale advertising platform for brands sold at leading retail chain stores in Singapore. For its commercial network, the media owner is at more than 500 locations and buildings with traffi c of about 3.77 million PMEBs on a daily basis. It has also expanded its Watsons retail network to more than 80 stores nationwide.

According to the agency, it is “the most sizeable operator in Singapore for deploying fl at-panel displays at the elevator lobbies of office and commercial buildings”. The company also operates the digital in-store networks for
Watsons Personal Care stores in Singapore. The agency promoted its sales director Bernard Tan to the role of assistant general manager.

Key campaigns in the past year on its commercial network included work for brands such as M1, AXA, Exxon Mobil, Sony Mobile, HSBC and Nikkei, among many others. Some key advertisers that are partnering with Focus Media this year include government agencies such as the Public Utilities Board for its “Save Water” campaign, National
Crime Prevention Council, Ministry of Communication and Information and Land Transport Authority.

Meanwhile, clients from the private sector added to the agency’s list this year are Shiseido, Tourism Northern Territory, M2 Academy, Pokka and Burger King to name a few.

9. MediaTech

Mediatech clinches ninth spot this year. The past year saw the agency focusing strategically on expanding and developing new OOH digital formats in key locations.

As of today, it is the leader in outdoor digital LED screens in locations such as Orchard and Bugis, the company said, in addition to a greater market share and an even stronger presence in OOH digital LED screens.

To establish a greater outdoor presence inOrchard Road, the media owner acquired the largest LED screen at a main junction which is located at New Robinsons Orchard at Heeren. The flagship $40 million platform commands a striking presence, offering advertisers amulti-sensory canvas to showcase their latest offerings with thought-provoking vitality and defi ned quality, the media owner said.

With its sheer size, high footfall traffi c and cutting-edge technology, the platform is a premium and targeted spot for advertisers who are looking to make an impact on the millions of people who patronise the area. On the cinema front, apart from its success with IMAX, more exciting new Shaw cineplexes are in the pipeline; one of them was the launch of Shaw Cinemas at the new Seletar Mall and the next will be the launch of Shaw Cinemas at the upcoming Watertown in Punggol.

Mediatech worked with numerous advertisers in the past year, notably Tourism Malaysia, leveraging on the extensive reach of the Robinsons Orchard platform to communicate its latest tourism offerings in Malaysia as part of
its 2014 “Malaysia – Truly Asia” campaign. The campaign’s objective was to introduce and create mass awareness of discovering the beauty of Malaysia.

Key advertisers working with Mediatech this year included luxury labels such as Lamborghini, MasterPass, Tissot, Coach, Chanel, Burberry, Givenchy, Bvlgari, Cartier and TAG Heuer, among others.

10. ActMedia

ActMedia takes 10th spot this year. ActMedia Singapore was incorporated in March 1996. As a media planning and buying agency, it prides itself on being an in-store marketing specialist.

With its various media networks, it offers a portfolio of advertising and marketing services. One of its offerings includes the on-shelf advertising format, ShelfVision Banner. In addition to this, ActMedia also offers
in-store radio advertising in supermarket destinations such as FairPrice. It also offers on-shelf advertising, ShelfTalker TV, in grocery retailer Giant.

Aside from its media offerings, ActMedia also provides a suite of marketing services such as walking ads and bicycle ads to offer brands a street presence as well as in-store sampling and demonstration. These services tie in with services from its events arm Demo Power which provides events management capabilities. Beginning operations
in Asia in 1995, Demo Power established itself as the pioneer in providing professional “in-store product demonstration” services in the region.

Its customised total brand experience campaigns earned it the accolade of the largest “in-store demonstration” agency in Asia with representation in eight countries, according to the agency. Actmedia also provides a complete suite of innovative in-store media products and solutions that are specifi cally designed to engage shoppers through sensorial-based mechanisms, the agency said.

For example, these in-store media devices are placed strategically within key touch-points in the retail outlets, as required by its clients. The agency’s work and innovative ideas have made it both a marketer and retail partner
that aims to achieve strong brand recognition and sales uplift for brands.

At the same time, the agency boasts consistent revenue growth and high profit margins that have rewarded its stakeholders in the business, the agency said. With an estimated total of 36 million consumers passing through
the doors of OMG Asia’s retail network annually, ActMedia aims to continue being the leading communications provider in Asia Pacific.