Top Women in OOH Spotlight 2024: Lina Maggi

“An empowered woman is unstoppable.

by Amber Larkins, OOH Today

A week ago, we posted our annual list of the Top Women Driving Growth in OOH for 2024. Today we spotlight Lina Maggi, SVP of Partnerships, BCN Visuals. BCN Visuals is an award-winning innovation technology company and global production studio, most well-known for its 3D anamorphic work.

Maggi has spent most of her career in top OOH companies’ sales and account leadership roles. She has a robust network and OOH background, having spent the last 13 years on both the agency and vendor sides.

She started in OOH when she joined Kinetic LA (Now Groupm) as an intern in 2011.

“I had no idea what OOH meant, but I knew that it was a very creative medium that could take the form of many different things,” Maggi said.

She had the opportunity to see the true power of the medium working on campaigns. She planned and bought media in bars, on blimps, in Times Square, and through chalk art. Before landing at BCN Visuals, also held roles at Huge Inc, Lightbox, and New Tradition. Maggi is a native of Brazil, has spent most of her life living internationally, and most recently moved to Austin, TX.

Driving Growth in OOH

Maggie is a fan of Formula 1 (F1) racing. Her favorite campaign was for Heineken for the latest race in Las Vegas.

“It was pretty cool to see my work featured at an iconic event and then on the Netflix Formula 1: Drive to Survive show,” Maggi said. 

Maggi bridges the gap between OOH, DOOH, social, and digital at BCN Visuals.

“The power of a creative piece that lives on a billboard and can transcend geographical boundaries into social engagement is very powerful to our industry,” Maggi said. “I believe it can unlock budgets for OOH that have previously been allocated to other mediums in the media mix.”

But her successes have not come without challenges. OOH is very hard to navigate and understand for those new to the medium.

“There’s a big educational piece when introducing clients to OOH or even 3D anamorphic content,” Maggi said. “I always strive to educate first and sell later.”

She believes that “people buy from people.” It’s key for someone to feel comfortable buying from you first. The OOH industry is very much relationship-based. There’s no central database to check information, pricing, and availability. Trust and acting as a resource for the client are essential and can ultimately lead to a successful partnership.

Overcoming Challenges in OOH

She says she’s faced numerous situations in her career where her gender, age, and origin have contributed to negative comments and behaviors, but she chooses to see this as an indication that she is doing something right.

Maggi thinks looking at the industry through a male vs female lens is a losing game.

“I believe every individual brings their own experiences and expertise to the table – regardless of gender, age, or where they are from,” Maggi said. “It’s all about letting your voice be heard and having a seat at the table. However, you won’t get that seat if you don’t show up.”

She believes that success in a team is achieved by selecting people who are complementary to each other and can bring in different opinions and ideas.

BCN Visuals often fall into the OOH bucket, but sometimes it falls into the creative and social bucket. “Adapting to various mediums and bridging the gap between all is a great way to unlock additional budgets and bring more attention to the OOH industry,” Maggi said. “At the end of the day, the canvas where our work is featured is always an OOH screen.”

Though advertising has historically been male-dominated, more women are joining the OOH industry and owning their businesses.

“There’s just something about how a woman can multi-task that is very fitting to media planning, buying, and coordinating multiple things simultaneously,” Maggi said. 

She recommends anyone who wants to join the industry should find a mentor and lean on those who bring out the best in them.

“There’s nothing more motivating than knowing that you have support behind you, regardless of what you do,” Maggi said. 

Promoting Women in OOH

Maggi says we are already seeing women change the industry. Many renowned women in the space who previously worked for a holding company or OOH company are creating their businesses. But after becoming a mother, she also realized that being present with her family is crucial to her success at work.

“We are all replaceable at work, but none of us are replaceable at home,” Maggi said. 

She said that work-life balance is a huge component of professional success. We need to understand that things come up and be flexible.

“Flexibility is key to trust, and trust is a crucial component of retaining and empowering top company talent,” Maggi said.

In fact, empowerment is how Maggi believes the industry can get more women into positions of executive leadership.

“An empowered woman is unstoppable. Trust and respect within an organization, by bosses, peers and even clients, is an elemental way of empowering a woman and ultimately leading her into an executive position,” Maggi said.