Top Women in OOH Spotlight 2024: Sarah Parkes

“Booking OOH should be as simple as booking a flight!”

by Amber Larkins, OOH Today

Last week, we posted our annual list of the Top Women Driving Growth in OOH. Today, we highlight Sarah Parkes, Talon‘s Group Chief Sales and Marketing Officer.

Parkes leads new business and marketing internationally and is a key board member responsible for driving Talon’s global growth.
She has over 25 years of media experience and previously held board positions at Hearst Corp and Primesight and founded Airport Media. Parks also runs a few of her owner’s businesses in the Media and Hospitality industry alongside a private consultancy specializing in start-ups and EIS investments.

A champion for equity and diversity, she is a board member for WACL (senior female media leaders on a mission to accelerate gender equality), MEFA (dedicated to closing the representation gap for ethnic minority groups in media) and board sponsor for Talon’s DEI committee, BELONG.  She also supports Speakers for Schools and NABS and is a member of YPO.

Parkes’ media career started at Hearts and spanned 21 years. She started in Telesales and progressed to Managing Director. She first started in OOH as Managing Director of EYE Airports, and then as founder of Airport Media.

“I was fascinated by the visual impact and opportunities that OOH delivered for brands and made the best career choice ever!” Parkes said.

In 2022, she switched to the agency side, becoming Talon’s Group CSMO.

Her favorite all-time OOH campaign was Pepsi Max’s AR experience. It transformed a bus shelter display in London into a window that augmented unbelievable scenarios into the real world, surprising unsuspecting commuters with laser-shotting robots, fiery shooting asteroids, and more!

“It was the first-of-its-kind and created such a massive opportunity for Pepsi Max to be seen and stand out – not only engaging audiences on the street but driving social media amplification to extend global reach,” Parkes said.

Driving Growth in OOH

Parkes’ first task when joining Talon was to launch the company’s global rebrand and reposition with a new strapline that invites agencies and advertisers to imagine what’s possible when they “Think Outside.”

Parkes works closely with trade organizations such as WOOH, OAAA, and DPAA to actively transform the global perception of OOH. She also contributes to thought leadership across industry trade press and conferences to evangelize OOH’s superpowers.

“The ultimate success is seeing the OOH media industry grow, which I am confident will happen!” Parkes said.

Parkes believes media businesses can capitalize on growth through collaboration and talking the same language. She thinks collaboration across brands, media agencies, and industry bodies is key to growth and evangelizing the medium at every chance.

But for OOH to grow, Parkes says it needs to be part of an omnichannel ecosystem.

“Brands and agencies need to view OOH for what it brings to an omnichannel strategy and not in isolation,” Parkes said. “We deliver many of the key attributes for what defines great omnichannel marketing.”

She thinks that the most important factor is to make OOH easier to buy.

“Booking OOH should be as simple as booking a flight!” Parkes said.

“The ultimate success is seeing the OOH media industry grow,

Overcoming Challenges in OOH

Parkes describes one of her greatest career challenges as switching to the agency side. For 10 years, her OOH experience was all on the media owner side. Then she switched to Talon.

“As with everything in life, the key to success is to throw yourself in fully. Push through the imposter syndrome. Find allies within and outside the business. Ask lots of questions. But most importantly, listen and learn from the answers,” Parkes said.

She’s also seen that across the globe, OOH, unfortunately, is still a male-dominated industry. She remembers one of her first OOH conferences 12 years ago. It was one of the first events she had ever been to where there was a line for the men’s bathroom but not the women’s.

“I am pleased to say we have started to balance the scales, but there is still a lot more work to do,” Parkes said.

She suggests that women watch out for imposter syndrome, and take action. They should push themselves out of their comfort zones, volunteer for projects, and network.

“Always make time to attend the work socials and industry conferences,” Parkes said. “Push through the fear and be the first to introduce yourself.”

Part of grabbing every opportunity includes getting involved with networks such as The Female Quotient, and seek out male and female allies.

“We need positive male role models, especially for young men who are bombarded with conflicting messages about masculinity,” Parkes said. “It’s crucial to recognize that the fight for gender equality is not solely a women’s issue. It’s a collective effort that requires the involvement of everyone, regardless of gender.”

She believes that the issue is not solely about breaking down barriers but also about fostering a workplace culture where everyone’s voice matters.

“Find your sisters,”

Promoting Women in OOH

At Talon, Parkes prioritizes cultivating strong relationships and elevating talent, using an inclusive, warm approach.

“I am focused on building a workforce that is reflective of the markets Talon serves and the brands they represent, creating a workplace culture where everyone feels they belong,” Parkes said.

At Talon ethnic minority representation was at 42% in 2023, a 24% increase from 2022. As the board sponsor and member for multiple DE&I groups at her organization, she is dedicated to building an industry that is diverse, inclusive, and offers equal opportunities for all.

Parkes is a board sponsor for Talon’s “Belong” DE&I committee. She also is a board member for WACL, which is comprised of senior female media leaders on a mission to accelerate gender equality. She’s also part of MEFA, which is dedicated to closing the representation gap for ethnic minority groups in media.

Talon promotes OOH United and supports young talent to apply for the OAAA Future Leaders program. Through these organizations, Parkes has been privileged to mentor hundreds of mentees, helping transform the media industry for future generations.

“It’s important to address the number of women in different positions in our industry—including looking particularly at where gender intersects, e.g., with race, class, etc.,” Parkes said. “But not just because that’s the fair thing to do. It’s also the right commercial thing to do because businesses with greater diversity in their leadership are more successful businesses.”

How can we get more women into leadership? Parkes said it is important that all employers take action and start with a small change at the entry level to create a pipeline of future leaders. For those mid-level management women seeking higher positions, Parkes recommends support networks.

“Find your sisters,” Parkes said.

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