OOH Today Weekend Update —OOH the new Pusherman

Jim Johnsen, Managing Director, for Johnsen, Fretty & Co., and Monday’s ‘OOH…Here’s One Thing’ writer for OOH Today, posits the argument in his latest post, is the OOH industry taking the correct path in reliance on AND should we be even advertising the product weed? Johnsen raises the question of too much reliance and concerns of not self regulating could cause issues ‘similar to what occurred in the late 90’s with OOH’s reliance on tobacco business. Many OOH Owners reason they are going to get it (the revenue) while they can. Claiming it is easy money. “I only took the money because it was legal a the time”

That is until it’s not —legal or easy money.

“I only took the money because it was legal a the time”

Does the Industry get caught with its proverbial pants down and find itself with occupancy issues if the weed business goes away? I don’t think so. Tobacco advertising went away April 23, 1999.  It was not a law which was passed banning it but an agreement between state Attorneys General and the tobacco industry.  When that writing started to appear on the wall in the the mid ’90’s 1996/1997, a few OOH companies panicked and sold their business. When the agreement went into practice, others floundered, some eventually regaining their sales skills. And a few like Martin Media, where I was a limited partner, took advantage of the opportunity to acquire OOH plants at a discount, buying ‘smokestack markets’ called such because they were heavy industrial towns. The population was generally with a high number of blue collar workers and heavier tobacco users and nothing to do with cigarette’s smoke. It did not take long for advertisers, like Miller Beer and Chevrolet to move on the cherry picked inventory of best OOH locations the ciggie butt companies procured over the decades. Those great locations were now available as OOH Companies realized the pent-up demand for the premium space.  

“Daddy what did you do in the billboard business before it got banned?” “Son, I promoted dime bags and it was only for a two week period. “

Second, weed, though legal in many states, is still under scrutiny. Check late breaking news here⇒ New Cannabis Advertising Law Goes Into Effect – NBC Connecticut

Regulators, legislators and the like, along with the ‘green groups’ like Scenic America, use our weed greed as a reason to demand regulation of OOH. Though for different reasons, the convenience of ‘doing it for the children’, ala Hilary Clinton’s Health Care mantra in ’93 to guilt congress into action—which failed by the way. Does our accepting dollars for marijuana advertising makes us guilty by association? I don’t think so! 

If weed dollars go away and that is likely many years off, if ever, the end of the marijuana buying as we see it today would mean we only lose that easy money category and go back to working for a living.

But what if the sentiment evolves to more of controlling our ad rights?  As a dear departed old friend of mine, Esquire Tom Nolan, once said while defending me before a Charlottesville City Council determined to vote billboards out of the city, “Just because the Council has the naked legal right to do something, doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.” (I don’t know if naked was appropriate legal term to use but it sure got everyone’s attention) There are still billboards in Charlottesville by the way. 

One might ask, is OOH the new pusherman?  “Daddy what did you do in the billboard business before it got banned?” “Son, I promoted dime bags and it was only for a two week period. “

Using Jim Johnsen’s clever format of tying music to his message in every story, here’s one of my all time favorites—from 1972 Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly album, Pusherman.

“I’m your doctor when in need, want some coke, have some weed
You know me, I’m your friend, your main boy, thick and thin
I’m your pusherman, I’m your pusherman”.

Reminds me of another absolute hit from the same Mayfield album. Freddie’s Dead.

(OOH, you), “Don’t wanna be like Freddie now
‘Cause Freddies dead.

Nominations are now open for the DPAA’s first annual DOOH-E Awards (pronounced Dewey) powered by Quotient. The Digital Out-of-Home Excellence (DOOH-E) awards recognize top performers in digital out-of-home (DOOH) media by showcasing the best campaigns that integrate ad-tech, targeting and dynamic creative approaches as a vital part of the omnichannel ecosystem. The deadline to submit is June 30.

Exceeding 2019
I am as happy as the next OOH sales person/owner/vendor (yes I am all three) that business is good. Good not great. Consider the numbers compared to pre pandemic across the board, as Anna Bager, President / CEO of OAAA quoted “we are on track to reach or exceed pre-pandemic spend in 2022.”  And I hope like hell we do exceed 2019.