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1.0 Background Of The Study The role of the media industry is multi-faceted, but certainly one of the most indispensable roles is to deliver advertising through a variety of media vehicles to reach the target audience with a high enough frequency that those exposed to the advertising process the messaging. For decades advertisers have gained access to our homes via radio, television, cable, print media and the internet, in an effort to expose us to messaging that ideally will motivate us to purchase the advertisers product or service and generate incremental revenue for the advertiser. As consumers become progressively more difficult to reach through traditional media, i.e. television and print; billboards, the oldest form of advertising, has experienced a steady and significant rate of growth worldwide Lopez-Pumarej (2005) .As consumers you are exposed to hundreds and may be even thousands advertising messages every day. They may appear in the form of billboards, newspapers, television commercials, sales letter, internet advertising and a host of others. These are just a few of the many communication tools that companies and organization use to maintain contact with their customers, client, and prospects, which invariably is what is referred to as advertising.
Advertising by its definitional status according to Arens (2004) is the structured and composed non-personal communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products (goods, services and ideas) by identified sponsors through various media. Based on the above on advertising whether we like it or not, advertising is all around us. The people who keep track of such things tell us that the average person is exposed to advertising
messages between the time he opens his eyes in the morning and clicks off his light at night Malickson and Nason (1977). This means that advertising has integral part of our social and economic system. Formally, the depth of importance of advertising was not adequately impacted upon the society, which was due to several reasons such as the nature of the field service to others has submerged the ability of practitioners in advertising to sell their own profession, to hoist it on the local national and international flag pole as one of the worlds leading. This is no longer the case as advertising has grown over the years as an outstanding business activity: and therefore has influenced both the business and society as a whole Dr. Josef Bel -Molokwu (1995).
According to McCann Erickson, Inc, in his perspective into advertising is truth well told? . Albert Lasker, who has been called the father of modern advertising said that advertising is salesmanship in print, but this came before the advent of radio and television and at a time when the nature and scope of advertising were considerably different from what they are now. Advertising can be defined as a communication process, a marketing process, an economic and a public relations process or an information and persuasion process depending on the point of view. Advertising is the non-personal communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about product, services or ideas by identified sponsors through various media Bovee & Arens (1986).
Advertising is a form of communication through media about products, services or ideas paid for by an identified sponsor. In its simplest sense,the word advertising is that it is persuasive communication using a particular medium about goods ,services or ideas, paid for by sponsors except for exceptional occasions to targets of clients which the essence of the medium cannot be taken for granted,most especilly the targets medium of communications.
In this perspective of the above prostulations Arens (2004) say advertising reaches targets through a channel of communication referred to as a medium.
An advertising medium is any paid means used to present an ad to its targets audience , newpaper advertiisng ,outdoor advertiisng etc .Historically , advertisiers have used the traditional mass media of radio ,television.,newpapers,magazines, and billboards to send their messages.but today technolgy enables advertising to reach us effectively through a variety of addressable media( direct mail ) and interactive media ( internet, interactive billboards).
However technology fuels the growth of billboard construction and deployment, and has dramatically improved the printing, displaying, and tracking of billboards. Technological advances have resulted in a significant increase in expenditures on billboards and made billboards comparable with other forms of media. Digital technology has created dramatic improvements in print quality, Pumarejo and Bassell (2006) over the past several years. Low quality images painted or printed on vinyl sheets that are glued onto traditional billboard structures are a thing of the past. Currently a billboard poster 48 feet wide and 14 feet high has the same high quality resolution that once only magazine publications achieved. The use of digital printing enables advertisers to print high quality posters quickly and cheaply (OAAA 2006). However, electronic billboards have become increasingly more popular as display technology becomes more pervasive and technological advances enter the marketplace. While large LCD billboard screens have been effectively used, FED, Field Emission Display, introduced by Sony and TCI in April 2007, promises greater resolution (Home Theater News 2007). Digital billboards allow an endless number of images to be projected in a short period of time. The motion of the billboards helps draw attention to the images being displayed. Interactive billboards have been gaining momentum as they prove successful in not only getting attention, but engaging the viewer.
Thus technology made the communicative efficacy of billboards skyrocket worldwide and hence their appeal to advertisers who, in the other media, are sometimes ignored by consumers. Outdoor is one of the fastest growing sectors in the U.S. advertising market. In 2006 alone, spending on these communication mediums reached an astounding $6.8 billion. This represents an 8 percent increase per year from 1995 to 2005 (OAAA 2006). Due to digital imaging, billboards and other outdoor media can now be mounted practically anywhere and have grown to unprecedented size. As a result, their power to reach consumers and to tower over and dominate the landscape has increased dramatically (Yin 2002). Alarmed municipalities have tried to control the explosive deployment of billboard images, but the industry is known for agilely circumventing most regulation
Technology and innovations in life are the key factors of perfection in any business entity. And in words of Winston church hill: to improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often. In the light of this notion, advertising in this modern age of highly competitive market economy, has became a push-botton word with a powerful communication force and a vital marketing tool helping to sell goods, services, images and ideas through channels of information and persuasion.
Channels here refer to the media, which is used to pass across persuasive messages like the television, radio, print, internet and the outdoor medium. What then is outdoor advertising? In the words of Osunbiyi (2001) Outdoor advertising is a form of advertising which is remarkable for its uniqueness, in that it does not circulate around the market but the market circulates around it with little or no audience selectivity. Outdoor advertising in Nigeria since its inception till date has witnessed technological innovations trend over the years it has witness changes that have defined its present level today and which would in the near future guarantee greater recognition of the sector. The changes in outdoor have been in form of technology, physical shape of structures and
locations as well as relationship with major players in the Nigeria economy and the outdoor advertising agencies.
Outdoor advertising has for a long time been seen as a support medium. But overtime, this concept has changed as it has acquired greater recognition through innovation and emerging trends. As outdoor Advertising gained prominence in the media world, its usage among advertising and agencies increased and it thus acquired greater value which translates to better pricing. Osunbiyi notes further that outdoor advertising reaches a large numbers of urban, semi-illiterates and the stark illiterate, rural dwellers that can neither read nor write.
Besides it is easy to understand because of its simple language. The birth of advertising agencies saw various trends which has seen them go high-tech, back then around the 1990s most billboards faces were either hand painted on plywood or metal. But today, computer painting technology has almost completely eliminated the old fashioned sign painting. The new technology has made operators more competitive and creative with advertisers also seeing the medium in a new light. In June 1992 ultra-vision/waves were introduced by Benjamin black and Co. later another new product in the outdoor agency sector which is the digital electronic billboard, installed by optimum exposure at Apongbon, Lagos Island and recently also in Ikeja, Maryland, this kind of billboard has features like a television changing messages electronically after few second.
In this content, technology and innovation cannot be ignored in this highly competitive and dynamic outdoor advertising sector due to the demand by advertising and its target audience to captivate its target to inform and sell its product goods and services, thus the survival 0f outdoor advertising agencies in business is its ability to bring fresh innovations that will entice both
advertisers and its target audience.thus in the end digital technology cannot be ignored,rather it should be used to enhance our idea values as a bait to draw the targets audience ,advertisers -consumers to a fresh way of communication or re-inventing a familiar concept or message.
1.2
Although ,outranked to the third position by electronic media-namely television and radio in the media mix in Nigeria. A study conducted by research international market trends in 2004, outdoor advertising remains a very attractive medium of advertising. This position is helped by the emerging new products in the sector,many employing electronic devices to capture attention Anyacho(2007). The outdoor medium is versatile,flexible,gives corporate visiblity, and gives motion appearances with the use of electronic devices to billboards, colourful perspiration and it gives white coverage that is seen evereywhere you go as a consumer.
Digital technology can be seen as a new innovation in the outdoor advertising practice in Nigeria . The world of outdoor-media display is continually changing with new companies investing more in innovations and new technologies.Improvement in print production and lighting have already enhanced the the appeal of the outdoor medium as a new digital technology,3-D imagery and fibre optics.Better tracking systems and the abilty to change advertisement with wireles technolgy are also on the agenda.According to the outdoor Republic in one of its article outdoor advertising in Lagos mega city the primary message of the advertisiers is up and on display 24 hours a day at rates that are far lower than a television spot.The coming of technolgy in todays outdoor advertising has gone high tech, the way billboards are made until the 1990s most billboards were using the sign painting and plywood but with the advent of digital technolgy which has given way to vinyl. In addition, huge graphics can be produced more quickly at lower cost.Also with the short
comings of power generation like generators,inverters,with also geographicla informational system has made outdoor side monitoring on the computer possible, while planning and buying are made easier at the same time within the foyr walls of an office.
We live today in what can be described as a media surrounded society where there is an overwhelming intrusion of media into our live comprising radio, television, newspaper, magazines, satellites, direct mail and billboards. It is through these different media that we get information, education and entertainment Osunbiyi (2001). Hence as innovation and technology are the driving force towards which most adverts are exposed to many advert and their influence matters significantly, of which it has a downward push forward trend towards both the advertiser and the outdoor agencies. Thus in essence of this context and point of view, it is therefore imperative to bring about innovative outdoor designs captivate its targets. All of this postulation lies the crux of the matter that influence of digital technology by outdoor agencies practice, that the role of the media industry is multi-faceted, but certainly one of the most indispensable roles is to deliver advertising through a variety of media vehicles to reach the target audience with a high enough frequency that those exposed to the advertising process the messaging. For decades advertisers have gained access to our homes via radio, television, cable, print media and the internet, in an effort to expose us to messaging that ideally will motivate us to purchase the advertisers product or service and generate incremental revenue for the advertiser.
As consumers become progressively more difficult to reach through traditional media, i.e. television and print; billboards, the oldest form of advertising, has experienced a steady and significant rate of growth worldwide, thus the study is on a search to understand the influence of digital technology on the outdoor practice in terms of its level utilization and its influence on the practice in securing advertisers patronage and preference in its campaigns for its targets.
1.3 Research Questions These questions are posed to find out the influence of digital technolgy on outdoor advertising agency practice of which the study postulates the following research questions as basis for giving fresh insights into answering the statement of the problem and to give findings for the study: 1 2 What is the role of digital technolgy in oudoor agency practice in Nigeria? What role does digital technology play in the prefernce for outdoor advertisement by advertisers in advertising campaigns ? 3 What influence does digital technolgy have on the persuasive value of outdoor advertising messages?
1.4 Purpose Of The Study The purpose of the study is to determine the influence of digital technology on the outdoor advertising agency practice, taking into focus selected outdoor advertising agencies in Lagos to assess the influence digital technology has on the advertising agency practice in Nigeria. Furthermore, the study the study was also concerned with understanding the role digital technology plays in the preference for outdoor advertisement by advertisers in advertising campaigns, so as to have a clear understanding of their preference, and also its role in Nigerias outdoor practice.
1.5 Rationale Of Study Taking a gross analysis of the outdoor practice in Nigeria it has gone through various stages, taking cue from Afro media with its introduction of the 1958,8 sheet, 16 sheet,and bulletin boards in Lagos .In 1986 the enthrants of new generation outdoor practitioners began to witness new trends and innovations. This coincided with technological advances in print production and an element of digital technology has radically transformed the way billboard are produced. The billboards used to be hand painted on plywood or metal with its attendant inconsistencies.Paints are prone to fading: wood became scotched by the sun.
Today digital technolgy has nearly eliminied the old fashioned sign-writing & plywood has given way to technologies like backlit boards wall-drapes,scrollers,outlight board,ultra-wave board and the RGB boards (Radio graphic boards) giving it more interactive nature and attractiveness to both targets and advertisiers .Thus this study was embarked upon based on the assumption that digital technolgy has a significant influence on outdoor advertising practice in terms of its patronage by advertisers and its exposure value in terms of attraction of prospective consumers
1.6 Significance Of The Study Talking a gross observatory analysis of the advertising industry, the outdoor sector has also had it own visibility, from its early old fashioned way as fabricated and designed by these outdoor agencies. However with the coming of digitalization in terms of sophistication in printing, there has been development in terms of outdoor technological advancement like the 3-D billboard in Maryland round about which has invariably changed the face of outdoor, same also is the artistic outdoor of
other agencies. The crux of this study is to find out how the influence of digital technology has improved their services, competition and even patronage on advertisers in terms of doing business as an outdoor agency. It is in the opinion of the researcher that the , the findings and the recommendations at the end of this study will be of immense benefit to outdoor agency practitioners in Nigeria in order to see how technology has improved its services in terms of competition, patronage and services to its targets and advertisers and also to know the extent of influence digital technology has on the practice Also the research study in terms of its findings will also be beneficial to the advertisers to know the latest technolgies in the outdoor practice that wil be suitable and cost efficient to his objectives and goals in terms of outdoor placement and planning. In a general perspectve the study outdoor will be beneficial in a scholarly perspective to students in the field of advertising to adding value and intellectual- impetus on the concept of the influence of digital technology on the outdoor practice . Theoretically this study as asserted by its theoretical basis in its theories utilized like the: the technological determinism theory,media dependency and diffusion of innovation which by virtue of its prostulations on the influence of technolgy individuals,society in terms of theway they feel ,think and act.Thus the findings will help to show how digital technolgy influences the outdoor practice . 1.7 Deliminitation of study This study covers few agencies in Lagos only of which selected agencies of these agencies were selected on the basis of their level of digital technology usage in their outdoor practices as to ascertain the influence digital technology has on their practice .Furthermore the is also concerned only on the outdoor practice in Lagos and will be limiting itself on this area alone .So also the study does not cover other aspects of outdoor like it business activities, production and placement
in terms of media placement with also consumer perception rather it focuses on its influence on agency practice.
1.5 Definition Of Terms Outdoor advertising agencies. In this study outdoor advertising are agencies that engage themselves using the outdoor medium in creating publicity for advertisers message using the outdoor medium which includes,rooftop billboards,unipoles,scrollers,ultrawave-billboards,etc Advertising Advertising in this study is the non-personal form of communication paid for by an identified sponsor, which is relayed through various media with the objective of influencing individual behaviour towards, the advertisers products, services or idea. Outdoor Advertising Outdoor advertising in this study is creating awareness or placing products or services in the media that is displayed outside the home that is, on the road, highways, market place, transit vans, posters and a host of other innovations in outdoor advertising with the sole objective of exposing advertising messages and creating attention to the target audience. Billboards Billboards in this study are metals or wooden panels erected for the purpose of carrying advertising messages. Media Media in this study are the various medium used by advertising like the traditional medium of radio, T. V, Newspaper also the support of medium, known as the outdoor media and other specialized media like the internet. Digital technology
Digital technology in this study enables immense amounts of information to be compressed on small storage devices that can be easily preserved and transported. Digital technology has transformed how people communicate, learn and work.
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Bovee and Arens(1989); Contemporary Advertising, New York; Richard D. RWIN 4th edition
Folarin B. (1998): Theories of Mass Communication, An Introductory Text, Stirling-Horden Publisher, Ibadan Nigeria.
AHAAMU. (2001). Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) Media University, March 16 outdoor advertising seminar at the Bravo Group, New York City.
Chinyelu, M. (2003). Harlem business alliance targets Nigerian consumers. New York Amsterdam News, December 18. Ciezadlo, A. 2004. A timeline for Manhattan outdoors. Retrieved May 24, 2005, from http://www.stayfreemagazine.org/ admap/timeline.html Crouch, S. 2006.
Lopez-Pumarejo and Bassell vital industry? Retrieved December 9, 2005, from http://www.miamin- ewtimes.com/Issues/2002-03-29/ news/metro2_print.htmlg. 2001 (February15).
Outdoor Advertising Association of America (2006). History of outdoor advertising. RetrievedFebruary,23,2006,fromhttp://www.oaaa.org/outdoor/sales/his- tory.asp PSA Research. 2005. A resurgence in one of the oldest media presents new opportunities. Retrieved May 24, 2005, from http://www.psaresearch.com/case- foroutdoorpsa.html
Reynolds, M. (2003). Branding the great out- doors. Multichannel News, June 9. Scenic America. 2006. Billboards and sign control. Retrieved February 23, 2006, from http://www.scenic.org/Default. aspx?tabid=61 Siegal,
2.0 INTRODUCTION:
Lagos consumers can now get their messages not only through the traditional media channels, but even as they down load their web based email surf, through the net, go to cinemas and check promotional text messages, in spite of all these, the growth in lighted and tri-vision displays, painted and even neon-signs, as seen in Lagos traffic filled highways and roads, highlight the growing popularity of outdoor advertising.
One hundred and twenty five million Nigerians now commute to work daily. In the last twenty years, the number of miles they travel in a week has doubled, and drivers are spending more time stopped in traffic. The nature of what outdoor advertisers call the trip chain has also changed, as the number of working mothers who commute has increased. The typical trip to work now includes dropping the kids at school or daycare, going to the daily business activities, and before returning home, shopping and seeing the kids play. With 70 percent more women in the workforce than twenty years ago, it has become increasingly difficult to reach them through what outdoor marketers call traditional media. In addition, this high spending demographic is a group they do not want to miss. They are, as a result, among the top targets of advertising. Marketers describe outdoor advertising as the catalyst between mobility and sales. Hard-eyed Wall Street analysts, on the other hand, define this important market less abstractly. For them outdoor is every media that reaches consumers out of the home, including radio. This type of advertising is increasingly convenient because of its relatively lower media cost per thousand (CPM), and
its reinforcement of other media. Utilizing GPS technology, Nielsen Outdoor uses their Npod tracking system to provide GRP, reach, and frequency information. The ability to calculate the opportunity to see a particular billboard and use this information in media planning puts billboards on a level playing field with other media forms that enjoyed measurement-rating systems for decades.
Outdoor advertising, in other words, increases the number of targets reached and easily mixes in with other media. It thus generates a continuous hum in the marketplace and has a synergistic effect. The new millennium begins as the brand century. Billboards and other outdoor advertising remind people that a brand or service is a good choice, stimulates longterm product recognition, and broadens market-wide media distribution while complementing print, radio, and television ads. Outdoor advertising has as many mass marketing applications. It safe- guards against media fragmentation (it breeds cohesive multi-media communication), capitalizes on creativity, offers directional support (indicates where to go and what to contact in strategic sites), provides point-of-sale reminders, and facilitates cooperative advertising opportunities as when. The purpose of this section is to give a brief introduction of the study in relation to the review of all known literature that has relevance to the problem being studied on the influence of digital technology on the outdoor advertising agency practice and the theory guiding it.
This chapter will be having an analytical purview into the outdoor medium, its innovations, how it was and at present, its innovations, in outdoor agency practice using theoretical and empirical
studies if any? To access the influence of digital technology on the outdoor advertising agency practice.
newspapers, video games, the Internet, carrier bags and billboards. Advertising is often placed by an advertising agency on behalf of a company or other organization. Bhatia (2000). Without any doubt, messages given in advertisements deeply affect us and our purchasing behaviours. In capitalist societies, the relationship between the industry and consumers is quite complicated; on one hand, consumers are allowed to interpret industry's messages on their own, on the other hand, the industry encourages consumers to participate actively in the interaction. It is the industry, however, that dominates the communicative processes and even though it may be possible for consumers to formulate their own needs and desires through commodities, their freedom is eventually accommodated into the capitalist system. Therefore, advertising as one of the most important weapons of the capitalist system is highly criticized by many people for creating false needs which people strive to satisfy and thus encouraging people to consume more. Kilbourne (2000). Advertising has been defined in various dimensions by reputed scholars in the field of worldwide. According to Albert Lasker (Bovee and Arens, 1989), advertising is referred to as salesmanship in print i.e. (the definition was as a result of a revolution in the printing machines, so this can be traced to his own time).
Gillion Dyer (1981) defines advertising as the action of drawing attention to something, notifying or informing somebody of something. Furthermore Burskirt(1982) defines advertising as a paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods and services by identified sponsor.
Also Bovee and Arens (1989) define advertising as a non-personal communication of information usually paid for and usually identified with sponsor through the various media. According to Woodrow (2002), who sees advertising from the perspective of a business activity and refers to it
as a group of activities aimed at disseminating information usually paid for and usually identified with a sponsor through the various media.
Advertising is an indispensable and crucial form of communication. This means that as soon as man could grant, he began to advertise. Even though advertising forces no one to make a purchase or adopt an idea or service, it exercises no sinister power of hypnosis to compel any one to part with his money. Advertising makes notification of choice freely available to ensure a claim that advertising is a cornerstone of any free society Jefkins (1982)
Daramola (2003) said the principle behind advertising is to grab attention and establish identify for the product or service and in order to achieve its goal, advertising employs the technique of dramatization, stresses urgency and appeals to audience emotions. He said further that in order to create a lasting impression about the product, service or idea advertisement is used repeatedly in the newspaper, television or radio so that the people will get familiar with it. Basically, this explains the fact that as the advertisement are used often in media until listeners, readers or viewers become familiar with the concept, idea or product and service been advertised. Shrimp (2000), Benson, (1999) says advertising is valued because it is recognized as performing a variety of critical communications functions for the business firm and other organization which includes informing, persuading and reminding. The above definition explains that advertising makes consumers and audience members aware of new brands, services or ideas, educates them about the features and benefits and facilitate the creation of positives thought towards the issue or product been advertised. Furthermore, effective advertising persuades customers to try advertised products and services, also advertising keep the brand concept or idea in consumers memory for a long time.
Conclusively, there are varied definitions of the concept of advertising such that a better understanding of the phenomenon is guaranteed. Berson-Eluwa and Virgina (1999) emphasized that advertising provides a public service because it gives us information about products/service. No wonder the International Advertising Association states, to be properly informed the consumer and audience members of any organization, individual, government, product, service, ideas or concept need advertising.
Frank Jefkins (1973) refers to informative advertising as that which supplies the basic information about a particular product or services and it involves giving out necessary background about the qualities and benefits inherent in a product, service or idea to an identified sponsor etc. Benson Eluwa (1999:158) refers to persuasion in advertising as been the type of advertisement that tries to influence the sensibilities of its audience by providing either emotional or factual information that the recipients cannot resist.
Outdoor advertising or out of home media is part of the display advertising market which includes newspaper, magazines, television, radio and cinema. Outdoor is broadly defined as all communications that is experienced outside the home. Its main formats are billboard, transit panels (for example buses, trains and airports) and panels on street furniture (mainly bus shelters). Akinbobola (1998) Frank Jefkins equates outdoor advertising with outdoor advertisement which he defined as any word letter model, sign, placard board, device or representation whether illuminated or not used for the purpose of advertisement announcement or direction including any hoarding or similar structure used or adapted for the display of advertisement.
Although ,outranked to the third position by the electronic media- namely television and radio in the media mix in Nigeria, as confirmed by a study conducted by research international market trend in 2004, outdoor advertising remains a very attractive medioum of advertising. This posoition is helped by the emerging new products in this sector, many employing electronic devices to capture attention
LARGE FORMAT Super-sites (12.66m x 3.35m) Spectacular (anything larger than super-sites)
Airport externals
Internal Airports
STREET FURNITURE Bus shelters, kiosks, seating Illuminated street lamp poles Internal / external shopping centres Street signs
POSTERS 4 sheet (1.0m x 1.5m) 96 sheets (3.0m x 12.0m) 6 sheets (1.2m x 1.8m) 48 sheets (3.0m x 6.0m)
Also outdoor republic advertising journal march /April maiden edition, also made some classification of outdoor as (out-of-Home) PLACED BASED T.V Schools Airports Sports Bars Elevators Marine vessels Recreational Rest centres Toilet Doors Parking lots Gas pumps Bikes & Racks ALTERNATIVE OUTDOOR Stadium
STREET FURNITURE Bus shelters Bus benches News stands Public phones Kiosk in store malls.
Type 8 sheet billboard 16 sheets billboards 40 sheets billboards 48 sheet billboards Spectacular billboards,Unipole/Tower spectacular Rooftop billboards Ultrawave/vision,ultramix,ultramix (3faces) Motion/mobile advert Backlit boards Source Anyacho (2007)
Size 5ft.x10ft
Location Markets,feeder roads As above Shopping centres,markets,premises,theatres,supermarkets,airp premises,railway terminus,seaports,car parks and beaches Dual carrige ways,highways. Dual carriage ways,expressways,superhighways.
Stickers or Buses & theater,halls rollers 48ft x16ft Highways,major township roads,affulent,up market target
Osunbiyi (2001) also analysed, the types of outdoor advertising as Billboard. He says billboards are large structuring erected on highways and roads for the display of huge advertising poster Billboards expose passersby to the brief and bold advertising messages. Osunbiyi also further explained that billboard is an advertising structure composed of wood, paper (poster) or a variety of other durable materials, situated outdoors, along roads, in public places and on rooftops of building. The poster is the basic form of outdoor advertising and the least costly per unit, A poster is a structure of blank paper with a standardized size border. The poster is that paper materials on which advertising concepts are printed on to be posted on billboards for display.
SANDWICH BOARD
It consists of two placards fastened together at the top with straps supported on the shoulders of the carrier or sandwich man.
TRANSIT ADVERTISING
Transit advertising appears on the inside of public transportation vehicle buses, taxis, subways, trains and even airplanes. The outside advertisements are really moving billboards and they are designed as such, very simple in design with few words, their strength is their graphic.
STREET SIGN This is also one of the modern outdoor advertising tools. The street signs are directional signs which show vividly the road or street name. It has a glass covered surface on a pole carrying the street name. Belch and Belch (2001) also added other outdoor advertising media like:
Mobile Billboards
Another outdoor medium according to Belch and Belch is mobile billboards. Some companies paints Volkswagen Beetle with ads called Beetle boards, others paints truck and vans. Still others put ads on small billboards, mount them on trailers and around and/or park in the geographic areas being targeted.
In-store media
Advertising spend billions of dollars to promote other products in supermarkets and other stores with untypical media like displays, banners, and self signs. These point-of-purchase materials include video displays on shopping carts, kiosks that provide recipes and beauty tips and coupons at counters and cash registers boards.
Versatilty
The outdoor advertising medium presents a variety of products thereby offering a number of opportunities to advertisiers to showcase their brands in attractive and attention manner. Outdoor products available are illuminated boards,mobile ads, static,unlit versions,rooftop, high rises and suspended versions.
Flexibilty
Location flexibilty is another feature of outdoor advertising which makes it attractive to adverisers.Boards can change locations by being moved freom one place to anther .in similar manner, the messages on the boards can be changed on the same location at various times as need arises. Changes can also be made on the messages to suit changes in season, climate or business .for instance , in electioneering year boards are wusually taken up by candidates campaigning for elective postions,and as soon as the elections are over the boards are reverted to products branding .
Corporate visibilty
Many outdoor boards are large and imposing on their audince. Bilboards have enormous impacts and can create a stand out image for advertisiers . Advertisers and their agencies take delight in seeing their brands displayed in a dominant way ,ocupying strangic positipns in an important location.
Motion
The applicatiion of electronic devices to billboards operations now gives a simulation of movements on the boards. It is a well known fact that movement induces attention. Advertisements prepared with simulation of movement tend to put life into an inannimate object,making it more attention catching than iot otherwise would have been .
Colour
Outdoor advertisements can be presented in rich and attractive colours.The rich application of colours allows the presentation of the product in original form. This creates a permanent identity of the brand in the minds of the audience .
Wide Coverage
Outdoor boards have become part of us.We see it everywhere- in buses,taxi-cabs,along the roads as we are walking ,at residential places ,on the highways and beside residential places . The medium, by being ubiquitous can reach all classes of people.
painted walls in the ancient Rome and Pompeii, promoting games and local businesses, being the earliest form of marketing communication. By the 15th century, the evolution from papyrus to paper and the invention of the printing press had given advertisers more flexibility.
Messages now could easily be moved from one location to another, making bill posting an accepted practice in the word. Three hundred years later, a new printing process, lithography, improved the aesthetic quality of poster printing and expanded the creative possibilities of advertisings design.
Posters become a serious art form by the late 1800s many posters by such artists as jules cheret and Co. are considered as master pieces today. In America the poster or broadside was a major means of reporting news to the populace. Late in the 19th century, companies began leasing space on wooden boards for the placement of advertising messages. These posters were called bill and the term BILLBOARD was born
sheet locations.The West African Publicity Limitedc later gave rise to lintas, full service Ad agency and afromedia, The first outdoor hoardings company in Nigeria which was established in 1959 as full outdoor advertising company .Later , the Railway Advertising Service was formed , followed by the likes of Nigeria Advertising service .(NAS),Wilmer publicity Gilbertson Advertising Limited , Greenland Advertising ,Nigeria Commercial and industrial Enterprise And publicity Association of Nigeria Limited.However Ademulegun further asserted that these above companies that pioneered the practice right from 1959 into 1970,s ;operating within limited areas in lagos ,Aba,onitsha,Kaduna,Ibadan,Benin,ondo and Abeokuta .According to olaghere although agency practice in west africa started with the registration of west African Publicity on August 31st 1928 it did not develop outdoor Advertising beyound the posting of double and quad crown posters However Afro-media as an advertising agency championed the development of outdoor advertising in Nigeria. Many companies emerged to compliment Afro-media effort in the growth of outdoor advertising. These companies include: Railway Advertising services Nigerian Advertising services Wilmer Publicity Gilbertson Advertising Limited. Nigerian Commercial and Industrial Enterprise Publicity Association of Nigeria Limited. With the emergence of the above named companies and many others, outdoor advertising medium grew bigger and stronger. There became a need to have a body to deal with government in matters relating to bye-laws among others as practices had improved. This need led to the information of outdoor adverting contractors of Nigeria (OACAN) the Association became more effective in control and maintenance of standards in the industry.
According to Olaghere (1994), the association made strong representation to government today, we have a new regulatory body known as outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) with over seventy members (70) made of young dynamic practitioners. The association was put together after the demolition of billboards in Lagos in 1991. Presently, OAAN is doing tremendously well in controlling and regulating of outdoor advertising practice in Nigeria. In fact, it is the only outdoor advertising sub-sector recognized by advertising practitioners council of Nigeria (APCON) to practice outdoor advertising. In contemporary Nigeria, outdoor advertising formats, methods and practice were standardized. There was mechanization of procedures of erection of billboards and bill posting operations by the use of company owned vehicles in place of existing arrangement where two operations were undertaken by use of public transportation which was unreliable. Furthermore, proper planning system was set up based on research conducted. According to Olaghere (1994), this system involves proper documentation of all billboards giving such details as dated of erection, landlords name, address of billboards annual ground rent payable to land lords or rates of local government council and campaign.
Also Alhaji Garba Bello Kankarofi (2008: 5), registrar advertising practitioners council of Nigeria (APCON). In his presentation: outdoor advertising in Lagos megacity he says Lagos is already a megacity, he further added that a megacity is a new kind of market that has new requirements, but also given its big size offers a lot of opportunities to whomever recognizes it and has the skills and patience to pursue it. He however added that many consumers in Lagos now spend a large portion of their time outside the home and on the road as they go to and from the office, thanks to heavy traffic. Consumers in transit to and from a place get the advertisers message through eye catching signs tracts are colourful by day and even more at night. He also added that ironically the notorious Lagos traffic can give outdoor ads a distinct advantage since billboards, neon signs, and colourful posters cater to a captive audience.
However, Lagos is becoming an increasingly competitive market, in which outdoor agencies will continually be challenged to reach a consumer base that is regularly bombarded with various medium of advertisement, as they watch the T. V, listen to radio and read their daily newspapers and also get attracted by innovative billboards as they go about their daily activities. Lagos consumers can now get their messages not only through the traditional media channels, but even as they down load their web based email surf, through the net, go to cinemas and check promotional text messages, inspite of all these, the growth in lighted and tri-vision displays, painted and even neon-signs, as seen in Lagos traffic filled highways and roads, highlight the growing popularity of outdoor advertising.
In the developed market like the U. S, the increasing recognition of the importance and impact of outdoor advertising can be seen in the expanding amounts allocated to it. In 2001 alone, the outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) reported that about $5.1 billion was spent on
outdoor advertising, with approximately 60% 0f that going to billboards and nearly 20% going to transit media. Thus this brings us to the concept of digital technology on the outdoor media advertising?
resourceful inventiveness of outdoor companies that seek to bring the advertiser closer to the consumer.
Most billboards are now posted with self adhesive vinyl or flex vinyl, there is also the corex materials. Corex was first used by coca-cola and later joined by First Bank, though they are no longer as popular as the self adhesive vinyl (popularly known as SAV). Initially, these materials were printed and produced abroad. But presently, many printing companies have improved and are equally producing the material locally. The new technology has made operators more creative and advertisers are seeing billboards in new-light. The board social trend is also favoring the billboards market. Nigerians are spending fewer hours at home because of the economic situation and people are spending more-time than ever in their cars, energy crisis is not helping the electronic media as most clients feel that it is a waste of money to advertise where only the few that are privileged to have generator will or hear it. Consequently upon the above, advertisers want something that will impact fully and attention getting for their brands. And over the past years, new waves of structures have emerged. These have grabbed the attention of audience and headlines. Billboards structures are becoming more sophisticated and valuable communication tools with this, increased value leads, to increase revenue and increased demand and acceptability by advertisers. According to Alimi (1990), the increase in the patronage of outdoor sector is due to the unreliability and unaffordability of other media, (T.V cost and NEPA) newspaper and magazine proscription/cost, the down turn in the economy which makes client seek alternatives which they consider cheaper and more reliable and impactful activated the latest trends in outdoor advertising industry. In June 1992, ultra-vision/waves were introduced by Benjamin Black &Co. the unique advantages of ultra-vision have been positively exploited by big advantages in different sectors of the economy.
Ultra-vision is always illuminated and switches message face electrically while ultra-waves also switch messages electrically but in blades. It has the capability of displaying more than one message. It is a remarkable innovation. The root top is another new product. It was introduced by media link in 1990. It came into existence because of the cluttering of billboards sites along the major routes of Lagos. It has the advantage of greater number of traffic due to its unique and high rise positioning. Recently too, media link brought in the backlit. Backlit is illuminated structure of about 30ft x 10ft and very visible at night (Root top picture fixed). Optimum Exposures is a major player in outdoor advertising today. In 1995, it came out with spectacular (4 poles). It has a display area of 20 feet by 50 feet. It came as the largest size and its advantage is that it is lighted at night. The unipole spectacular followed shortly. Invent media brought in the ultra waves unipole spectacular. This has the ability to switch from one message to another. The unipole are scattered all over the major cities of Nigeria with a high presence in Lagos. It is a attention grabbing and has full security guarantee from vandals. Furthermore, the industry has witnessed other new innovations such as larger life size, product replica (star bottle),40 sheet ultra waves etc. Another new product is the digital electronic
billboard installed by optimum Exposures at Apongbon, Lagos Island. It has features like a T.V, changing messages electronically after few seconds. However, the operation of this structure is affected by the problem of energy in Nigeria. The stage of outdoor advertising in Nigeria seems set for a total departure from the traditional formats. With the incursion of educated young men and women more things are yet to come. However, it is worthy to observe that most of the new structures are ideas and products existing presently in Europe and America. Attempt should be made towards developing what we can proudly call a Nigeria indigenous outdoor media.
has been fully embraced by big brand names like HSBC, NIKE, NOKIA, BAILEYS, VODKA, COCA-COLA, FORD et cetera. In their outdoor campaigns including cinemas, billboards, street panels, transport, retail and pointof-purpose media, giving their audience the opportunity download content from the advertisement on to their personal mobile device, which invariably in making a form of relationship with the advertised brand if only for a few seconds. The result of a street survey on this innovation, on Bluetooth advertising revealed that respondent asserts that: it would be good if the messages could be personalized, I know I could always ignore anything and to be honest I really dont mind this sort of marketing. Also another study as conducted by Perception Research Services (1983), and separately reported by its President Young(1984) was intended to observe the attention-getting ability of outdoor boards from the perspective of the individual in an automobile Young (1984). This work measured the eyegaze behavior of 200 licensed drivers who viewed a 27 minute video of a drive through three metropolitan areas to observe the stopping power of outdoor. Although insufficient detail was presented in the published reports to independently review the research, the results are illuminating. First, the author suggests that recall scores (based on questioning of the participants immediately after the simulated drive) grossly (understates) the true impact of outdoor advertising that outdoor is generating approximately two and one-half times as much attention as recall scores would ever indicate (Young: 20). Second, the research found that outdoor advertising located near highway signage tends to generate greater attention. We hypothesize that the highway signage tends to wake up the driver; his state of alertness increases and his attention to advertising and signage in the immediate area tends to get enhanced (Young). Finlly, the research found that outdoor advertising attracts attention regardless of whether the displayed message is of interest/relevance to the driver or not. These findings, and particularly the last, obviously intended for an audience within the billboard industry, provide a useful comparison
to the findings of several of the studies. In particular, Youngs finding that billboards attract a drivers attention whether or not the message is of interest or relevance, is quite similar to the findings of Crundall, et al. (1999), and Theeuwes, et al. (1998, 1999), both of whom showed that drivers do not, and cannot, ignore such irrelevant stimulation, even during the performance of a high priority task. Interestingly, Youngs findings run directly counter to arguments routinely made by industry representatives in discussions with regulators that there is no adverse safety consequence of billboards because, when a driver is engaged in a demanding task, he simply ignores the advertisement. Holistically on the point of view of these empirical studies, its posit that innovation are pertinent to gaining attention, awareness and brand recall for advertisers, messages, due to its uniqueness and its characterisitics of being able to gab attention .
Theoretical Framework
In giving the research study a theoretical basis/background a number of selected theoretical framework were tied to the study of digital technolgy and the outdoor advertising agency practice.Thus in essence of this postulations thev outdoor which is a medium through which outdoor advertising uses to pass across its message ,which by virtue of its psycology needs to attract its target .And innovations in the form of digital technology will as a matter of necessity add more impetus in improving its status .Theories of media innovations asserted for this study are; Technological determinism theory Media dependency theory Diffusion of innovation theory
Diffusion of innovations
Diffusion of Innovations according to its postulations is a theory of how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology spread through cultures. The concept was first studied by the French sociologist Gabriel Tarde (1890) and by German and Austrian anthropologists such as Friedrich Ratzel or Leo Frobenius. Its basic epidemiological or internal-influence form was described by H. Earl Pemberton, who provided examples of institutional diffusions such as postage stamps or compulsory school laws. The publication of a study of Ryan and Gross on the diffusion of hybrid corn in Iowa was the first sustainably visible contribution in a broader interest in innovations which was especially popularized by the textbook by Everett Rogers (1962), Diffusion of Innovations (Rogers :1962). He defines diffusion as "the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system." According to Daramola (2001) diffusion of innovation theory is to communicate to members of a social system a discovery or ideas based on research. Diffusion however, refers to a process by which new ideas are communicated to members of a social system. Innovation on the other hand means new ideas or inventions (outdoor media innovations) that are to be diffused to members of a social system. This may include ideas, practices, and behavior... to be diffused to members of the social system. The process consists of: A new idea The individual with knowledge of innovation... Thus holistically on the theories given above consumer perceptions in terms of their selection exposure, retention, perception, determines their attitude, formation, which invariably is based on the level of the Diffusion of Innovation. The origins of the diffusion of innovations theory are varied and span across multiple disciplines. Rogers identifies six main traditions that impacted diffusion research: anthropology, early sociology, rural sociology, education, industrial, and medical sociology. The diffusion of innovation theory has been largely influenced by the work of rural sociologists. In the book
Diffusion of Innovations, Rogers synthesizes research from over 508 diffusion studies and produces a theory for the adoption of innovations among individuals and organization.
KNOWLEDGE
In this stage the individual is first exposed to an innovation but lacks information about the innovation. It should be noted that during this stage of the process the individual has not been inspired to find more information about the innovation.
PERSUASION
In this stage the individual is interested in the innovation and actively seeks information/detail about the innovation.
DECISION
In this stage the individual takes the concept of the innovation and weighs the advantages/disadvantages of using the innovation and decides whether to adopt or reject the innovation. Due to the individualistic nature of this stage Rogers notes that it is the most difficult stage to acquire empirical evidence Rogers (1964).
IMPLEMENTATION
In this stage the individual employs the innovation to a varying degree depending on the situation. During this stage the individual determines the usefulness of the innovation and may search for further information about it.
CONFIRMATION
Although the name of this stage may be misleading, in this stage the individual finalizes their decision to continue using the innovation and may use the innovation to its fullest potential.
Rates of adoption
The rate of adoption is defined as: the relative speed with which members of a social system adopt an innovation. It is usually measured by the length of time required for a certain percentage of the members of a social system to adopt an innovation Rogers(1962). The rates of adoption for innovations are determined by an individuals adopter category. In general individuals who first adopt an innovation require a shorter adoption period (adoption process) than late adopters. Within the rate of adoption there is a point at which a innovation reaches critical mass. This is a point in time within the adoption curve that enough individuals have adopted an innovation in order that the continued adoption of the innovation is self-sustaining. In describing how an innovation reaches critical mass, Rogers outlines several strategies in order to help a innovation reach this stage. These strategies are: have an innovation adopted by a highly respected individual within a social network, creating an instinctive desire for a specific innovation. Inject an innovation into a group of individuals who would readily use an innovation, and provide positive reactions and benefits for early adopters of an innovation.
Characteristics of innovations
Rogers defines several intrinsic characteristics of innovations that influence an individuals decision to adopt or reject an innovation. The relative advantage is how improved an innovation is over the previous generation. Compatibility is the second characteristic, the level of compatibility that an innovation has to be assimilated into an individuals life. The complexity of an innovation is a significant factor in whether it is adopted by an individual. If the innovation is too difficult to use an individual will not likely adopt it. The fourth characteristic, trial ability, determines how easily an innovation may be experimented with as it is being adopted. If a user has a hard time using and trying an innovation this individual will be less likely to adopt it. The final characteristic, observability, is the extent that an innovation is visible to others. An innovation that
is more visible will drive communication among the individuals peers and personal networks and will in turn create more positive or negative reactions.
Adopter categories
Rogers defines an adopter category as a classification of individuals within a social system on the basis of innovativeness.. The categories of adopters are: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards Rogers (1962)
Innovators
Innovators are the first individuals to adopt an innovation. Innovators are willing to take risks, youngest in age, have the highest social class, have great financial lucidity, very social and have closest contact to scientific sources and interaction with other innovators.
Early Adopters
This is second fastest category of individuals who adopt an innovation. These individuals have the highest degree of opinion leadership among the other adopter categories. Early adopters are typically younger in age, have a higher social status, have more financial lucidity, advanced education, and are more socially forward than late adopters Rogers (1962 ).
Early Majority
Individuals in this category adopt an innovation after a varying degree of time. This time of adoption is significantly longer than the innovators and early adopters. Early Majority tend to be
slower in the adoption process, have above average social status, contact with early adopters, and show some opinion leadership
Late Majority
Individuals in this category will adopt an innovation after the average member of the society. These individuals approach an innovation with a high degree of skepticism and after the majority of society has adopted the innovation. Late Majority are typically skeptical about an innovation, have below average social status, very little financial lucidity, in contact with others in late majority and early majority, very little opinion leadership.
Laggards
Individuals in this category are the last to adopt an innovation. Unlike some of the previous categories, individuals in this category show little to no opinion leadership. These individuals typically have an aversion to change-agents and tend to be advanced in age. Laggards typically tend to be focused on traditions, have lowest social status, lowest financial fluidity, oldest of all other adopters, in contact with only family and close friends, very little to no opinion leadership.
Diffusion in organizations
However Rogers further asserted that Innovations are often adopted by organizations through two types of innovation-decisions: collective innovation decisions and authority innovation decisions. The collection-innovation decision occurs when the adoption of an innovation has been made by a consensus among the members of an organization. The authority-innovation decision occurs when the adoption of an innovation has been made by very few individuals with high positions of power within an organization Rogers ( 2005). Unlike the optional innovation decision process, these
innovation-decision processes only occur within an organization or hierarchical group. Within the innovation decision process in an organization there are certain individuals termed "champions" who stand behind an innovation and break through any opposition that the innovation may have caused. The champion within the diffusion of innovation theory plays a very similar role as to the champion used within the efficiency business model Six Sigma. The innovation process within an organization contains five stages that are slightly similar to the innovation-decision process that individuals undertake. These stages are: agenda-setting, matching, redefining/restructuring, clarifying, routinizing.
Consequences of adoption
There are both positive and negative outcomes when an individual or organization chooses to adopt a particular innovation. Rogers states that this is an area that needs further research because of the biased positive attitude that is associated with the adoption of a new innovation Rogers (2005). In the Diffusion of Innovation, Rogers lists three categories for consequences, desirable vs. undesirable, direct vs. indirect, and anticipated vs. unanticipated. Prior to the introduction of the Internet, it was argued that social networks had a crucial role in the diffusion of innovation particularly Tacit knowledge in the book The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it. The book argued that the widespread adoption of computer networks of individuals would lead to the much better diffusion of innovations, and with greater understanding of their possible shortcomings, and the identification of needed innovations that would not have otherwise occurred - the Relevance paradox.
diffusion of innovations theory Diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system. Diffusion is a special type of communication concerned with the spread of messages that are perceived as new ideas. An innovation, simply put, is an idea perceived as new by the individual. An innovation is an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of adoption. The characteristics of an innovation, as perceived by the members of a social system, determine its rate of adoption.Thus by virtue of this the influence of digital technology on the outdoor practice and the competition that has set in terms of remaining relevant to the practice to both advertisers and consumers,the agency practice has seen theadoption of various digital technologies to sustain its business. Thus the diffusion of innovation theory by its postulates has meant that organisations adopting digital technologies as a bid to remain relevant in business the opyion left to them is that it is either they flow with the latest trend or stay irrelevant to its targets.
questions posed by so-called technological determinists remain untheorised or even unaddressed. Indeed I shall also argue that these questions are difficult to deal with in any sustainable way within the framework suggested by many of technological determinisms critics, at least those most rooted in social constructivism. Implicitly, of course, I am suggesting that these questions asked by so-called technological determinists are important ones. And indeed I believe their importance explains why so many writers on technology are continually drawn to the thesis of technological determinism, accounting for the often noted fact that "as moths to the flame we [theorists of technology] find ourselves continually attracted to technological determinisms alluring but dangerous glow" Smith ( 1996). It is fair to say that technological determinism is most usually referred to in a crude, undifferentiated manner. To the extent that different strands of the technological determinist argument are distinguished, it is most common to find discussions of hard and soft technological determinism Smith & Marx, (1996). The hard-soft distinction is based upon a spectrum of technological determinisms with movement along the spectrum involving the degree of agency, or the power to effect change, attributed to technology. At the hard end, technology has certain intrinsic attributes that allow little scope for human autonomy or choice. At the other end of the spectrum, soft determinism, simply emphasises the large scope for human interventions and choice. Indeed, for Smith and Marx at least "the soft determinists locate [technology] in a far more various and complex social, economic, political and cultural matrix" (1996,). The immediate problem with such accounts, however, is that it is not clear why they should be considered to be deterministic at all. Neither hard nor soft are deterministic in any sense, given that some scope for the human choice is accepted by both, the disagreement being over how much. Indeed, this point seems to be the motivation for Bimbers very useful if rarely cited, distinctions between nomological, unintended consequences and normative uses of the term technological determinism (Bimber, 1996). The nomological is that which takes the 'determinism' in technological
determinism most seriously: "technological determinism can be seen as the view that, in the light of the state of technological development and laws of nature, there is only one possible future course for social change" (1996: 83). There is no scope for human desires or choices. Now, although this definition accords most closely with the philosophers (or common sense?) meaning of the term, Bimber argues that it is actually almost impossible to find any examples of technological determinism if such a definition is strictly adhered to. The most likely candidates (perhaps unsurprisingly?) emanate from the economics domain. The most familiar of these is Marxs famous statement that "the hand-mill gives you society with the feudal lord; the steam-mill society with the industrial capitalist" Marx, (1971). However, it is very difficult to attribute anything like a hard or nomological form of technological determinism once a wider reading of Marx is undertaken Dickson, (1974); Rosenberg, (1976); Harvey:(1999). One sense in which Marx might be understood as encouraging such an interpretation is in his insistence that history or sequence matters, and indeed this can sound unduly mechanistic, and has been interpreted by later Marxists in an unduly mechanistic way (an obvious example is Heilbroner: (1967). But the crucial point that Marx, and indeed Heilbronner, are making is that some kinds of technology could not happen without others and some kinds of technology could not happen without others and that some kinds of social organisation could not happen without certain technological developments. This idea of the importance of sequence recurs throughout accounts that have been held up as examples of technological determinism. However, neither the nomological nor the unintended consequences uses of the term are, Bimber argues, the most familiar face of technological determinism within the technology literature. Rather, in what he dubs the normative version of technological determinism, technology appears to us as autonomous because the norms by which it is advanced are "removed from political and ethical discourse and goals of efficiency or productivity become surrogates for value-based debate over methods, alternatives, means and ends" Bimber, (1996). Here technological
development is an essentially human enterprise in which people who create and use technology are driven by certain goals that rely unduly on norms of efficiency and productivity. Thus other (ethical, moral) criteria are excluded, producing a process that operates independently of larger political processes and contexts. The end point is one in which society adopts the technologist's standards of judgement. Thus there is a technological domain, which includes elements of society generally, which acts as constraint and causal force on other aspects of society. \
Ontological Assumptions:
Humans do not have much free will at all. Whatever society as a whole is using to communicate, they too will use to communicate. Therefore they will adapt to the medium they are using so that they can send and receive messages like everyone else.
Epistemological Assumptions:
We know that there is one truth by observing what has happened over time. As the medium changes so does society's way of communicating. People can only use the medium for which it was created (phone for talking over lines or electronic mail for talking via computer). If the medium is impersonal (television) then the message too is impersonal.
Axiological Assumptions:
This theory is objective in that everyone will act and feel the same no matter what the medium they are using provided that they are using the same medium. Values are not involved because evidence is seen strictly through observation. Holistically the technological determinism theory states that media technolgy (digital technolgy) shapes how we as individuals in a society think,act,and how the society operates as we move from one technolgy to another,which invariably means that looking at a gross analysis of the Mcluhan theory . The outdoor practice has transisted overtime and due to the fact that the society is dynamic and trends in the society changes with the time thus technological advancement in the practice is the only driving force that propels the sector which most advertisers and targets focus
on in terms of doing business.In lieu with this technology becomes the determinant to the growth of the practice.
media as having a significant effect on public opinion and behavior (Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur 1976, Ball-Rokeach (1985), Miller (2005).
information needs individual personalities (i.e. values) stage of development (i.e. age)
These factors cause media to have a selective influence on any particular member of an audience. For instances, the lyrics of an explicit song may not register to a young child, but may be the epitome of popularity to a teenager or college student, while maybe being socially unacceptable to parents and grandparents Miller ( 2005).
Current uses
In modern society, media-system dependency is utilized most significantly by political and economic systems. Ball-Rokeach (1985) suggests that there is even interdependence between them, with each helping the other attain fundamental goals. The goals of each system create a symmetrical, mutual need or contingency with the other. These systems, known as the central dependency systems rely so heavily on one another that effort to create asymmetry by one system or another are generally circular in nature. The same contingencies are not present in family, educational, religious, and those other systems not considered as central dependencies BallRokeach ( 1985).
Current research
Much of the modern research on media-system dependency focuses on hot button political items such as abortion Ball-Rokeach and Power ( 1990), health care Wilkin and Ball-Rokeach (2006); Morton and Duck (2001, 2000), and internet usage Patwardhan and Ramaprasad (2005). There has also been a great deal of research surrounding the events of September 11, 2001, producing such titles as Dependency During a Large-Scale Social Disruption: The Case of September 11 Lowrey (2004), Media System Dependency and Public Support for the Press and President (Hindman (2004), and Agenda Setting in a Culture of Fear: The Lasting Effects of September 11 on American Politics and Journalism Matsaganis and Payne (2005). This solidifies even more the notion of interdependence between media, economic, and political systems.
Technology's impact
In 1976, Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur stated that as technology increases the way in which media can be delivered, its influence becomes even more powerful. Today, with TiVo, podcasts, smart phones, and ever expanding ways to stay connected, this assertion could not be more true. Business transactions can be made electronically in real-time anywhere in the world. News is known internationally almost as quickly as it is known locally. Businesses and individuals depend so heavily on media systems that even small outages seem catastrophic. Media-system dependency has, in a sense, become a global pandemic. Holistically based on the postulates of the media dpendency theory it asserts that " the more a person depends on having his or her needs met by media use, the more important will be the role that media play in the persons life, and therefore the more influence those media will have on the person" thus in lieu with this postulates it means that going by the assertion of this theory it means that to survive in business means that the outdoor agency practice needs to be in tune with the latest media channels thus presuposes that the outdoor practice creating a form of dependence on it for competitive survival .
CONCLUSION
The study had an analytical view into the the influence of digital technolgy in the outdoor agency practice for which the study intends to take a gross analysis into the outdoor medium looking at how the practice was in its crude and raw form how it has metamorposized to its present trend of digital technolgy for which this study intends to fill in the gap in terms of digital technology in the outdoor practice its influence on the practice for which the findings of this study hopes to be beneficial to the outdoor practice to ascertain the potentialty of digital technology and how it has
created an impact on the sector adding more attraction to both advertisers and target audience in the busines of outdoor .
References
Ademulegun k.(1998): outdoor Advertising A critque Article,70 years of outdoor Advertising in Nigeria OAAN. Akinbobola F. (1998): Effective use of outdoor Advertising , in 70 years of outdoor Advertising in Nigeria ,Lagos: OAAN. Akinbobola,Folusho B.(1995): selling outdoor to clients;OAAN .workshop on outdoor Advertising (unpublished). Alimi (2000): The problems and prospects of outdoor Advertising in Nigeria with the theme the outdoor advertising in the New Millenium challenges.Apcon/OAAN joint Seminar(unpublished).
Alimi L.(1999): New Trends and Innovations in outdoor Advertising in Nigeria ,in Advertising Annual, vol.III.APCON. Arens.W.F. (2001): Contemporary Advertising ; ILLINOIS;Richard. D. Irwin Belch & Belch (2001): Advertising and Promotion;An integrated marketing communications perspective,5th edition;Mcgraw-Hill Companies,New York. Bovee & Arens (1989): Contemporary Advertising, New York;Richard D.Irwin 4th edition . Daramola.I.(2001) : Introduction to Mass communication ,Lagos; Rothan Press Limited. Folari B. (1998) : Theories of Mass communication,An introductory text,stirling-Horden Publisher, Ibadan ,Nigeria. Googlesearch.com Jefkins .F. (1985) : Advertisng; M and E. Series ,London . Kankorfi G.A: Advertising in Lagos Megacity- Outdoor Republic, Nigerias Premier Journal on Out-Of Home dvertising. Maknjuola A: Advertising Practitioner Council of Nigeria(APCON)b 13th Advertising Day Redefining The Outdoor Environment Marc.Q.(1999): The Great Outdoors,Fortune Magazine,united states of America . Molokwu B.(1995) :The Nigerian Advertising Environment; Past ,present and the future,seminar paper,APCON.(Unpublished). Momeke .I. (1996) The Development and future of advertising in Nigeria in Nigeria,Seminar paper,APCON.(Unpublished). O.A.A.N (1998);Seventy years of Advertising in Nigeria. OGuinn et.al.(1998); Advertising;South Western College Publishing,cincinnati ohio. Osunbiyi ,Bedemi :Advertising principles & Practice ; Lagos : Sholak Printing Press Otokiti .S: Strategies for Resource Conciousness, creation and control in Lagos state ,The Cultral Determinants- vol 3. Lagos organistion Review.
CHAPTER THREE METHOD OF STUDY 3.0 INTRODUCTION After a serious analysis of all study techniques used in data gathering, the survey method was adopted. Survey research studies both large and small population by selecting and studying samples chosen from the population to discover the relative incidence, distribution and interrelations of sociological and psychological variables. Also the survey method was chosen to its numerous advantages and peculiarity. It is suited to studies which have individuals as the unit of analysis to represent a larger population.
The respondents of the survey are often opinion, attitudes, belief and interests and the reason people give for their action. Osuala, (1981) in his book, attempts to determine the incidence, distribution and interrelation among variances. It also involves drawing up a set of questions on aspects of a subject to which selected members of the population are requested to react. Survey researchers do not study the whole population but samples drawn from the population. The researcher can then utter the characteristics of the defined population. Survey research focus on people, the vital facts of people, their beliefs, uncovering data, motivation and behavior. Surveys do more than mere covering data, they interpret synthesize and integrate these data and point to implications and interrelationship.
What this study focuses on is the influence of digital outdoor advertising on the outdoor agency practice in Lagos.
Generally survey method enables the researcher to make generalizations about the characteristics of, or predictions about the behavior of a great body of people requiring measurement along a broad spectrum of opinions, attitudes, feelings, beliefs, ideas, information and understanding which is why it has been considered the best methods for my study topic.
3.1 RE-STATEMENT OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1 2 What is the role of digital technolgy in outdoor agency practice in Nigeria? What role does digital technology play in the prefernce for outdoor advertisement by
advertisers in advertising campaigns? 3 What influence does digital technolgy have on the persuasive value of outdoor advertising messages?
3.2 Research Design The research design for this Qualitative study is the survey method. It adopted the descriptive survey design which was used for the study. A descriptive survey is concerned with the gathering of data for the purpose of describing and interpreting existing conditions, prevailing practices, belief, attitudes and ongoing process.
3.3 POPULATION OF STUDY The research population of the study is selected outdoor advertising agency in Nigeria. The Selected sample frame were chosen on the basis of their structure and innovative practice / pattern of digital technology in their Agency practice from various outdoor agencies in Lagos and also based on the fact that they are members of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria. Of which they include. New crystal communication limited 17A,Wilmer street off town planning way Ilupeju, Lagos Nigeria WeatherHeads International Nigeria Limited, 294, Ikorodu Road Anthony Village Lagos. Spectacular Outdoors Limited 17, Adekitan Street ,off Palm Avenue Mushin Lagos Nigeria Tripple A Outdoor 51A, Faramobi Ajike Street Anthony Village, Lagos Nigeria Media Link Limited 6,Oyetola Idowu Street ,off sura Mogaji Street, Ilupeju Lagos Nigeria. Unik Sites Nigeria Limited Tapa House ,3/5 Imam Dauda Street,Off Eric Moore Road, Surulere-Lagos Nigeria .(source Adnew:2006). 3.4 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE AND PROCEDURE A simple size of five selected outdoor advertising agency was selected using Purposive sampling Technique on the basis of their structure and innovative practice on outdoor service.
Selected on the basis of specific characteristics or qualities and elimination of those who fail to meet these criteria. Purposive sample is deliberately chosen and it attempts to represent a specific portion of the population and not all and sundry (Tejumaiye: 2003).
3.5 SAMPLING PLAN In other to have equal representation of the outdoor advertising practice on the digital technology and outdoor advertising agency practice a sample frame of 5 selected agencies was selected on the basis of their structure and innovative practice and also based on the fact that they are members of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria .
3.6 RESEARCH INSTRUMENT The data collection instrument used in this research is the in-depth interview method for which interview questions will be raise to address the raised research questions so also the interview will be conducted in the premises of respondent to also have on ground experience on their practice, making use of recording aids, noted pad and other electronic means(like Blogging ,Internet chat ,face book ,twitter,Myspace,Hi5, to aid the retrieval of data, for the study which will be analyzed. In the administration of the In-depth Interview first after thorough research analysis on the selected outdoor agencies then reservations will be booked from the outdoor agencies. Then an introductory letter, accompanied with demographic variables will be attached alongside the interview guide questions arranged strategically with simplicity and cohesion, to be either administered by self and immediate retrieval or by e-mail channeling because of their busy schedule.
3.7 VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF STUDY The research instrument will be designed in such a way to generate responses that would directly address research question to elicit finding for the study. Also the objective of the study will be used to know the influence of digital technology on the performance of outdoor advertising agencies practice, this study puts in place an appropriate research design, research technique and research procedure while it sought to provide answer to all research questions and ultimately, the research problem. The research instrument adopted (In-depth interview) will be designed in such a way that it has an introductory approach that introduces both the researcher and study itself to elicits finding and responses for the study.
3.8 DATA COLLECTION METHOD In other to adopt the desired responses, the data collection method will be the In-depth interview to which the Interview will follow the pattern of an introductory letter, and the questions will follows suit arranged strategically to elicit desired responses from respondent. This method will be used to elicit responses, making use of a self administration of the Interview and either electronically retrieval or by self. Also in its collection due to the busy nature of Agency practitioners, the electronic- mail method of e-mailing will be adopted to administer and retrieve data from respondent to assure accuracy and prompt gathering / collection of data for analysis.
After collection of gathered data, the data were analyzed according to the personal interview conducted with five selected agencies, using descriptive analysis of the responses of the interview guide to elicit findings for the raised research questions.
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4.0 Introduction
This Chapter would present the data collected for the study on Digital Technology and outdoor agency practice, a study of some selected outdoor advertising agency practice and the interpretation of the findings based on the research questions and objective of the research.
The data retrieved for the study was derived from an interview conducted on 5 selected outdoor agencies in Lagos to include:
New crystal communication limited 17A,Wilmer street off town planning way Ilupeju, Lagos Nigeria WeatherHeads International Nigeria Limited, 294, Ikorodu Road Anthony Village Lagos. Spectacular Outdoors Limited 17, Adekitan Street ,off Palm Avenue Mushin Lagos Nigeria Tripple A Outdoor 51A, Faramobi Ajike Street Anthony Village, Lagos Nigeria Media Link Limited 6,Oyetola Idowu Street ,off sura Mogaji Street, Ilupeju Lagos Nigeria. Unik Sites Nigeria Limited Tapa House, 3/5 Imam Dauda Street,Off Eric Moore Road, Surulere-Lagos Nigeria .(source Adnews:2006).
By the researcher in response to the interview questions raised for the study on Digital technology and outdoor Advertising agency practice in response to the following outdoor agency practitioners were interviewed for their responses:
Mr.Henry Agu (wetherheads Outdoors) Omotse Joseph of New crystal communications (Business development Manager) Mr. Azeez Hassan the site acquisition Manager of Tripple A Mr. Henry Ewere of Medialinks outdoor advertising
Funke Solanke Marketing Strategy/Chief Operating Officer Spectacular Outdoor advertising. For which a descriptive analysis of the responses was made to fit in to the asserted raised research questions. These questions are posed to find out Digital technology in outdoor agency practice: a study of selected outdoor agencies in Lagos of which the study postulates the following research questions as basis for giving fresh insights into answering the statement of the problem:
1 What is the role of digital technolgy in outdoor agency practice in Nigeria?
2 What role does digital technology play in the prefernce for outdoor advertisement by advertisers in advertising campaigns? 3 What influence does digital technolgy have on the persuasive value of outdoor advertising messages? The chapter is divided into two sections. Section 1 gives a descriptive analysis of the Profile of the selected outdoor Agencies respondents and the demographics of respondent, while Section 2 gives the interpretation of the objectives and research questions.
Section A
4.2
WetherHeads International Nigeria limited is perhaps the most dynamic company in the outdoor subsector of the integrated marketing communications industry in Nigeria (AdNews: 2006). Incorporated in August 1994 as an out of the home media and advertising agency providing media planning buying and management services. Within a short period on the advertising landscape, the company has
pioneered the introduction of electronics ultra wave /Ultramix and ultra large boards. It also pioneered scrollers,muppies ,spectacular ultra large format boards and LED screens. In addition, the agency is currently rolling out Rotanels trivision boards and polycomps digital screen in key cities in the country. The company has various strategic but autonomous departments like Metrocorp, Signcorp as sister companies in the articulation of its activities. Another company is Spectacular outdoor a fast growing outdoor agency that provides a basket of top flight services to discerning clients. Founded in October 7 2004 with a mission to drive home client message in a way that enhances outdoor advertising service delivery. Their product/services includes backlit boards, unipole spectacular, rooftop, fleet ads, and conventional (wall drapes, portrait). New Crystal communication Limited is a registered company incorporated in Nigeria in 1986. Their focus is on complete outdoor Advertising and printing solutions .New crystal communication offers a diverse portfolio of outdoor services including large format roadside panels, backlit, bus shelter, Gantries, portraits, rooftops,scrolling boards Unipoles ,Wall drops.etc. Its large array of clients includes: Coca-cola, Zenith Bank,LG Electronics,UBA Bank,pepsi,British council,CFAO Motors, Sharp electronics, A-Z Petroleum products. Media links limited is an outdoor advertising agency that specializes in the fabrication, erection and display of billboards and other signages; painting and sign-writing of advertisement messages on panels, canvas, printing, etc and sports communications and media advisory services. As an outdoor company in the outdoor business its objective is to change the face of the outdoor business by creating non-conventional sites and being proactive to clients need and contributing to the improvement of the outdoor sector. Unik sites as another outdoor advertising agency came into existence in 1999 to provide a dynamic and innovative outdoor company that delivers outstanding campaigns that ripples the advertising sector. Because of the creativity and uniqueness of the company their offering ,today the young company has not only lived up to its billings and philosophy it has become a company to reckon with
in the outdoor advertising .Its major outdoor products includes the Unipoles, branded bus shelters, Public information panels, Backlit etc. Triple A outdoor Limited is a Lagos based outdoor advertising agency that has branches in Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, founded in September 24, 1992.The strength of the agency lies in the strategic locations of their billboards, efficient monitoring team and unpararelled visibility. The company has come to become a force to reckon with in the outdoor advertising world. 4.1 Demographics of Respondent Joseph omtse is the Business development Manager of New Crystal Communication Limited, he is a graduate of Business Administration from the University of Nssuka, and he attained another degree in Marketing at the Nigerian Institute of marketing. And presently he is an associate Registered practitioner of APCON.He has worked in a number of organizations like the Goodwill Properties and investment company,Colour Image Publicity and a host other companies Also another respondent for the study is Mr. Henry Agu of WetherHeads International Nigeria Limited, as a graduate from university of Lagos Akoka with a Bachelor of science in Psychology, with also a Diploma in Sociology from the University of Essex.Mr.Agu has served in a number of organizations for which he worked with UBA, Wamco, Dormann Long Nigeria Limited before coming in to Wetherheads.
Another respondent interviewed for the study is that of Mr. Henry Ewere the chief operations Officer of Media Links, a graduate from the University of Lagos in English, with a master degree in Mass communication from the University of Calabar in cross Rivers state.
4.3 Re-statement of Research Questions 1 What is the role of digital technolgy in outdoor agency practice in Nigeria?
2 What role does digital technology play in the prefernce for outdoor advertisement by advertisers in advertising campaigns? 3 What influence does digital technolgy have on the persuasive value of outdoor advertising messages?
Section B
Research Question 1: What is the Role of Digital technology on Outdoor Agency Practice? Based on the responses digital technology in the outdoor practice as according to a respondent from the interview (Omotse Joseph of New crystal communications) he asserted that, Innovation points mainly at all communication aspect of the communication process of the outdoor process, the designs go a long way in giving it precision, style and attractiveness to the outdoor Medium that go a long way in brand building .Also enhancing corporate image of clients, thereby giving the finished products of the designs more possssiblities. Digital technology also has gone along way in giving the structures more attention for which according to him the latest of technological advances on the practice has seen more agencies creating state of the art outdoor boards, in terms of fabrication of : electronic boards, digitalised and interactive but yet attractive and incisive to both targets and clients .This in essence means that digital technology has given the practice more advertisers prestige, target audience patronage and loyalty.
According to one of the respondent (Mr Agu of wetherheads) digital technology has seen agency practice to transcend beyond the crude frontiers to a stage where newer forms like in its extra additional facilities, its fabrication and design which transforms into making people pick interest in it causing fascination and interest on the boards and generally on the practice. But mostly according to him asserts that the practice money is still the driving factor because every innovation all boils down to its fabrication and designing .
Research Question 2 What role does digital technology play in the preference for outdoor advertisement by advertisers in advertising campaigns? Digital technology in the agency practice is according to another respondent (Mr. Azeez Hassan the site acquisition Manager of Tripple A )client prefer Innovative and distinctive boards that is cost effective ,and yet attractive to its targets giving it better attraction .Another respondent (Mr. Henry Ewere of Medialinks outdoor advertising) also added that, asserts that Innovation is born out of newness of which the move from static boards to moving electronic boards has meant that creativity and fascinating design has been the trend in the practice for which the designs not only satisfies client objectives and goal but also in its adding of beauty and elegance in the form of environmental beautification that adds more impetus to the practice of outdoor .So also such creativity in innovation has meant that these are the driving force to the growth of the practice many agencies now come up with various technological advancements like Optimum exposures came out with the Unipole,as a strategy to attraction of targets on the highways for better visibility ,attraction and cost effectiveness .As technological advancement become dynamic so also has the outdoor sector in line with these issues in the practice newer patterns are discovered with the discarding or consolidation of older patterns of bring about creativity. He also asserted that to remain in business and still be relevant there is still need to be creative in your designs which according to him the research team makes sure that fabrication of newer creative and designs of boards is of priority to give the medium better and edifying status in the minds of clients. Furthermore he asserted that clients look out mainly for innovative practices in billboards fabrication and designing in line with the fact that it should be cost effective, so thus they get fascinated when they are presented with these innovative designs which go a long way in increasing their preference for it in terms of observing its functionality and the visibility it would give to its targets in terms of its exposure to its products, goods and services. Thus this in essence
of this as asserted by him moves preference more and higher cost effectiveness to campaigns to advertisers using billboards that endorses the use of creative designs that would give it visibility and creativity. However another respondent(Ayokunle Oyesile the AGM marketing Unik) sites added that digital technology gives the advertisers the opportunity to showcase its product, to give it better brand visibility, innovative and creative displays that enables brand retension,brand Recall,comprehension,and message retension, due to the fact that the fascination in the innovative designs makes target audience marvel at its awesome displays and this in turn increases advertisers patronage due to its functionality to is goods and services. Research Question 3 What influence does digital technolgy have on the persuasive value of outdoor advertising messages? Another Respondent in the study as elicited from the interview (Funke Solanke Marketing Strategy/Chief Operating Officer Spectacular Outdoor advertising) she asserted that digital technology in the outdoor practice, in terms of its influence has seen the Advertisers message go beyond mere fascination but having the potentiality to catch target audience on the move. She asserted that the fabrication of creative designs in the practice has seen more preference and from client towards the demand for digital cinematic designs that would take their product to greater heights. This was also buttressed by Another respondent (Mr Joseph Omutse of New Crystal Communications) , he asserted that digital technology adds value to the environment while standing out; its size helps make impacts spectaculars to the practice to both client and targets of clients also Its latest trends as according to (Funke of Spectacular outdoor Advertising) she asserts that the outdoor medium has gone beyond the traditional reminder medium to a more Lead Medium that creates opportunities, brand interface with targets,thus making he outdoor be a preferred medium
to showcase product goods and services to large array of targets in unbelievable points which could not be reached at cost effective options that adds value to the business of advertisers .
5.2 Discussion
Change is the only aspect of human existence that is constant in this vein, outdoor Advertising in Nigeria has undergone great changes in the last decade through new trends and innovations and today, the industry is the better for that change. Innovation in the outdoor advertising agency practice points mainly at all communication aspect of the communication process of the outdoor process, the designs go along way in giving it precision, style and attractiveness to the outdoor Medium which goes along way in helping in brand building and also enhancing the corporate image of clients, thereby giving the finished products of the designs more possssiblities.Digital technology also has gone along way in giving the structures more attention for which the latest of technological advances on the practice has seen more agencies creating state of the art outdoor boards, in terms of fabrication of electronic boards digitalised and interactive but yet attractive and incisive to both targets and clients .This in essence means that digital technology has given the practice more advertisers prestige, target audience patronage and loyalty. Digital technology has seen agency practice to transcend beyond the crude frontiers to a stage where newer forms like extra additional facilities its fabrication and design: (UltraWave, Hot-Air Balloons adverts, Electronic moving Billboards, Flying Billboards, Backlits, Scrollers, Gantries etc) meaning that this will make people pick interest in it causing fascination and interest on the boards and generally on the practice.
Digital technology in the agency practice sees client taking preference for Innovative and distinctive boards that is cost effective ,and yet attractive to its targets giving it better attraction also that Innovation is born out of newness of which the move from static boards to moving electronic
boards has meant that creativity and fascinating design has been the trend in the practice for which the designs not only satisfies client objectives and goal ,but also in its adding of beauty and elegance in the form of environmental beautification that adds more impetus to the practice of outdoor , so also such creativity in innovation has meant that these are the driving force to the growth of the practice .Many agencies now come up with various technological advancements like Optimum exposures came out with the Unipole,as a strategy to attraction of targets on the highways for better visibility ,attraction and cost effectiveness . As technological advancement become dynamic so also has the outdoor sector in line with these issues in the practice newer patterns are discovered with the discarding or consolidation of older patterns of bring about creativity. So to remain in business and still be relevant there is still need to be creative in your designs which according to him the research team makes sure that fabrication of newer creative and designs of boards is of priority to give the medium better and edifying status in the minds of clients. Furthermore he asserted that clients look out mainly for innovative practices in billboards fabrication and designing in line with the fact that it should be cost effective, so thus they get fascinated when they are presented with these innovative designs which go a long way in increasing their preference for it in terms of observing its functionality and the visibility it would give to its targets in terms of its exposure to its products, goods and services. Thus this in essence of this asserted by him moves preference more and higher cost effectivensess to campaigns to advertisers done using billboards that endorses the use of creative designs that would give it visibility and creativity. Digital technology gives the advertisers the opportunity to showcase its product to give it better brand visibility, innovative and creative displays that enables brand retention, Brand Recall, comprehension, and message retention, due to the fact that the fascination in the innovative designs makes target audience marvel at its awesome displays and this in turn increases advertisers patronage due to its functionality to is goods and services.
Digital technology in the outdoor practice, in terms of its influence has seen the Advertisers message go beyond mere fascination but having the potentiality to catch target audience on the move. She asserted that the fabrication of creative designs in the practice has seen more preference and from client towards the demand for digital cinematic designs that would take their product to greater heights. Digital technology adds value to the environment while standing out; its size helps make impacts spectaculars to the practice to both client and targets of clients also ,Its latest trends has taken the outdoor medium beyond the traditional reminder medium to a Lead Medium that creates opportunities, brand interface with targets, thus making he outdoor be a preferred medium to showcase product goods and services to large array of targets in unbelievable points which could not be reached at cost effective options that adds value to the business of advertisers.
CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Summary This study has explored, investigated and described the digital technology and outdoor advertising agency practice studying selected outdoor advertising agencies in Lagos . Chapter one of the study gives a vivid description of the concept of outdoor advertising while also giving the general overview of the research study giving it a broader perspective on literature on the digital outdoor practice in its contextual value and context. The chapter analyses the objectives of research, the purpose, scope and significance of the study as well as the research questions relevant to the scope of the study. In chapter two, literary and empirical studies are reviewed and the study is given a theoretical basis making use of theories like the diffusion of innovation theory, Media dependency theory, Technological determinism theory etc . Chapter three of the study explains the method of data collection and the research instrument, mainly the interview used. Chapter three also gives a description of the population of the study as well as the method of data analysis. While finally the chapter four of this study analyses the data retrieved from the study through the in-depth- Interview method of the selected outdoor agencies. And finally the study made its findings, recommendations and eventual conclusion for the study.
5.2 Conclusion
This study set out to contribute to the increasing body of knowledge on digtal technology and outdoor agency practice in Lagos .The investigation Innovation in the outdoor advertising agency practice points mainly at all communication aspect of the communication process of the outdoor process, the designs go along way in giving it precision, style and attractiveness to the outdoor Medium which goes along way in helping in brand building and also enhancing the corporate image of clients,
thereby giving the finished products of the designs more possssiblities.Digital technology also has gone along way in giving the structures more attention for which the latest of technological advances on the practice has seen more agencies creating state of the art outdoor boards, in terms of fabrication of electronic boards digitalised and interactive but yet attractive and incisive to both targets and clients .This in essence means that digital technology has given the practice more advertisers prestige, target audience patronage and loyalty. Digital technology has seen agency practice to transcend beyond the crude frontiers to a stage where newer forms like extra additional facilities its fabrication and design: (UltraWave, Hot-Air Balloons adverts, Electronic moving Billboards, Flying Billboards, Backlits, Scrollers, Gantries etc) meaning that this will make people pick interest in it causing fascination and interest on the boards and generally on the practice.
Digital technology in the agency practice sees client taking preference for Innovative and distinctive boards that is cost effective ,and yet attractive to its targets giving it better attraction also that Innovation is born out of newness of which the move from static boards to moving electronic
boards has meant that creativity and fascinating design has been the trend in the practice for which the designs not only satisfies client objectives and goal ,but also in its adding of beauty and elegance in the form of environmental beautification that adds more impetus to the practice of outdoor , so also such creativity in innovation has meant that these are the driving force to the growth of the practice .Many agencies now come up with various technological advancements like Optimum exposures came out with the Unipole,as a strategy to attraction of targets on the highways for better visibility ,attraction and cost effectiveness . As technological advancement become dynamic so also has the outdoor sector in line with these issues in the practice newer patterns are discovered with the discarding or consolidation of older patterns of bring about creativity. So to remain in business and still be relevant there is still need to be creative in your designs which according to him the research
team makes sure that fabrication of newer creative and designs of boards is of priority to give the medium better and edifying status in the minds of clients. Furthermore he asserted that clients look out mainly for innovative practices in billboards fabrication and designing in line with the fact that it should be cost effective, so thus they get fascinated when they are presented with these innovative designs which go a long way in increasing their preference for it in terms of observing its functionality and the visibility it would give to its targets in terms of its exposure to its products, goods and services. Thus this in essence of this asserted by him moves preference more and higher cost effectiveness to campaigns to advertisers done using billboards that endorses the use of creative designs that would give it visibility and creativity. Digital technology gives the advertisers the opportunity to showcase its product to give it better brand visibility, innovative and creative displays that enables brand retention, Brand Recall, comprehension, and message retention, due to the fact that the fascination in the innovative designs makes target audience marvel at its awesome displays and this in turn increases advertisers patronage due to its functionality to is goods and services. Digital technology in the outdoor practice, in terms of its influence has seen the Advertisers message go beyond mere fascination but having the potentiality to catch target audience on the move. She asserted that the fabrication of creative designs in the practice has seen more preference and from client towards the demand for digital cinematic designs that would take their product to greater heights. Digital technology adds value to the environment while standing out; its size helps make impacts spectaculars to the practice to both client and targets of clients also ,Its latest trends has taken the outdoor medium beyond the traditional reminder medium to a Lead Medium that creates opportunities, brand interface with targets, thus making he outdoor be a preferred medium to showcase product goods and services to large array of targets in unbelievable points which could not be reached at cost effective options that adds value to the business of advertisers. The findings of this study is digital technology on the practice has given the medium more advertisers patronage and
increased the level of creativity which since the birth of Ultra-wave in Nigeria and other digitalized means of outdoor advertising the practice has grown astronomically with competition setting in ,standards raised with also responsibility and the creativity in the designs putting more environmental beautification into Lagos which the Lagos State Advertisers signage body has put more interest it. Thus the practice has seen so much development in creativity for which attracts advertisers patronage due to its activities and putting value to the messages as perceived by respondent and targets alike.
5.3 Recommendation Taking a gross analysis of the outdoor medium technology fuels the growth of billboard construction and deployment, and has dramatically improved the printing, displaying, and tracking of billboards. Technological advances have resulted in a significant increase in expenditures on billboards and made billboards comparable with other forms of media. Digital technology has created dramatic
improvements in print quality, over the past several years. Low quality images painted or printed on vinyl sheets that are glued onto traditional billboard structures are a thing of the past. Currently a billboard poster 48 feet wide and 14 feet high has the same high quality resolution that once only magazine publications achieved. The use of digital printing enables advertisers to print high quality posters quickly and cheaply . However, electronic billboards have become increasingly more popular as display technology becomes more pervasive and technological advances enter the marketplace. While large LCD billboard screens have been effectively used, FED, Field Emission Display, introduced by Sony and TCI in April 2007, promises greater resolution (Home Theater News 2007). Digital billboards allow an endless number of images to be projected in a short period of time. The motion of the billboards helps draw attention to the images being displayed. Interactive billboards have been gaining momentum as they prove successful in not only getting attention, but engaging the viewer.
In view of the above if digital technology has the ability to create possibilities of such magnitude thereby giving the medium more value and impetus for development than it is recommended that: Agencies should as matters of necessity imbibe the habit of making innovation their driving force that propels them in business. Researches should be done on a yearly and quarterly basis to update itself in business. Also due to the fact that competition is the key to survival in business in the outdoor agency practice it is important to adopt the strategy of being unique through updating the agency with state of the art technologies that would enhance advertisers patronage and business relevance. Also it is recommended that the government through LASAA should act as sourcing off Latest trend to make them both beneficial to the system and growth of the outdoor practice. It is also recommended that since technology puts more persuasive value to the system more studies should be conducted on this study to create more knowledge in this key and valuable area in the field of outdoor.
5.4 Suggestion for Further Research: Future studies on this topic should build on the findings of this topic by investigating the attitude and perception of consumers towards digital outdoor advertising and its effectiveness to purchasing Decisions in Nigeria.
LIMITATION OF STUDY The researcher while conducting this research encountered some constraints, which in one way or the other affected the quality of the study. These difficulties includes: The researcher's inability to lay hands on cogent information that will give the study an in-depth analysis of the study thus giving it a deep insights into the subject of study .Also due to agency policies and regulations important data that would be have been very relevant might be withheld due to company policies in divulging information to competitors which in this situation might limit the study
5.4 Recommendation The new trends in the outdoor advertising agency practice in Lagos make it comfortable to recommend that. The new structures are more impactful with higher opportunities to see and thus guarantee value for money for the client and the advertise4r. The cost effective nature, higher mileage and attention grapping is a sure bet to create a better brand benefit and yet giving value to the practice. Creative designs and research should be embarked upon to create a better opportunity to the increase in patronage and advertiser benefit to its business.
APPENDIX
INTERVIEW GUIDE
Dear sir/ma I am a final year student of Lagos state university school of coounication Surulere Lagos . I am Conducting a study on digital technology on the outdoor advertising agency practice ; A study of some selected agencies in Lagos of which your agency has been selected as a study subject to seek the perception of practitioners on digital technology on the outdoor practice . You have been selected as a respondent for this study to add your own professional point of view on the study to broaden the academic intellect of digital technolgy on the outdoor practice.
Thank you.
1. Could you describe your outdoor agency service 2. What are your areas of expertise in the outdoor advertising agency practice ? 3. What are the latest trends in the outdoor advertising agency practice in Nigeria? 4. Does digital technology affect /influence your practice as an agency? 5. Does your client prefer innovative media in their outdoor advertising business activities? 6. Is there any influence in the old pattern of outdoor advertising agency practice and the new pattern? 7. In terms of patronage do clients go for innovative outdoor services or the old formats?
8. Do you think digital technology has improved the services offered to clients? 9. In your own perspective do you think digital technology has come to stay in the outdoor agency service ? 10. In your own opinion do you think that digital technology in terms of its persuasive value in outdoor advertising messages has created more attraction on the medium, due to its creativity? 11. Do you think the persuasive value of digital technology in the practice transforms into client parronage?
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