In line with the vision to foster the unrelenting pursuit for excellence in providing innovative and cutting-edge solutions that elevates consumer engagement, the maiden edition of the Location Marketing Awards, LOMA held amidst a fervent appeal for the rapid integration of technology to fuel the ongoing expansion of the Out-of-Home Advertising sector.
The award event which held at the prestigious Marriott Hotel, G.R.A, Ikeja, Lagos was preceded by a summit, dedicated to examining the latest trends, technological innovations, and their influence on the Out-of-Home sector
The industry experts who spoke as panelists on the theme: “Pioneering the OOH Revolution: Exploring Artificial Intelligence and Innovative Technology.” were Nkasiobi Chukwu – Wakati Media, Producer of First African Al Power Music Album; Orakwe John-Al Programs/Digital Transformation Lead Facilitator, Applied Al for Business Leaders; Miguel Castanon, Business Development Director, EMEA, BroadSign and Rilwan Ajiferuke, General Manager, Plural Media & Technologies Ltd.
While stressing the need for practitioners to embedded AI driven technology to improve overall operational efficiency, drive growth and enhancing customer satisfaction, these accomplished professionals emphasized that the advantages of artificial intelligence are vast and should be fully leveraged by industry stakeholders for efficient resource management, data optimization and consumer engagement.
Miguel Castanon, Business Development Director, EMEA, BroadSign, urged practitioners to expedite the utilization of technology, pointing out that Nigeria is currently lagging behind in technological adoption.
He emphasized that the industry should keep pace with global trends and innovations in technology.
“The future is here. theses technology is working well across Europe and Nigeria can benefit from it. There is a lot of competition, we need to fight that war as an industry. We cannot do it by ourselves. We need to come up with industry standards, greater perspectives and consolidate as an industry. We need to be accountable and measurable so that we can compare ourselves with online advertising and TV advertising which seems to be declining. We don’t want all the advertising money to be moved from us. That money needs to come to us and technology can provide us that liberty” he said.
In an exclusive Interview with The Brand Colossus, LOMA Organizer Kingsley Onwukaeme said the event aims to promote professional excellence in outdoor advertising and to honor those who have over the years demonstrated steadfast dedication to excellence.
“This event is designed to acknowledge and applaud the remarkable accomplishments of stakeholders who have not just embraced the challenges of the ever-changing media landscape but have also showcased exceptional excellence.
“There is a need to enhance the quality of our services to improve the confidence of clients within the industry and to foster efficiency and professionalism in this field” he stated.
“Key focus we plan to drive for next year is programmatic executions. Right now, we want to see how the industry can embrace this fully. that is why you see our partners from Broadsign, a technologically driven company are here to talk about this. Polygon from South-Africa is also supporting us. We want the industry to get to that place where they can compete on the global space” he added.
Highpoint of the event was the announcement of winners of the different categories and the presentation of awards. Some of the recipients who bagged the LOMA awards include, New Crystals Communications, JC Decaux, MediaReachOMD, Optimum Exposures, Cueball Communications, Eye Kontact, among others.
Other winners include Johnnie Walker, Heineken, Nigeria Breweries, Frieslandcampina Wamco, MTN, SevenUp Bottling Company, Guinness, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Dufil, Unilever, Nestle, Cadbury and Promasidor.
The award criteria cut across recognition for OOH Legend (Hall of Fame), Longest Standing & Functional Structure, Most Iconic Billboard of the Decade, Legendary OOH Advertiser as well as OOH Operations Personalities, OOH Sales Personalities, OOH Agency Personalities and several others for corporates and individuals.
Mr. Adekunle Adeshina of Invent Media, the late Mr. Orife Moses of Outreach Media and Mr. Robert Oji of Rocana ltd were all inducted into the prestigious LOMA hall of fame, while a posthumous award as the Most Influential Personality in Media Advertising was conferred on the late Tolulope Ogunkoya of MediareachOMD.
The event was well attended by industry icons which include Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), who was represented by the Senior Corporate Affairs Executive of ARCON, Winifred Akpan; Mr. Idorenyen Enang, President of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN); Mr. Emmanuel Ajufo, President of the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN); Mr. Femi Adelusi, President of Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), among other distinguished guests and international delegates from four continents.
