Women in OOH Spotlight—Melody Roberts
OOH Today highlights how each of the Top Women Driving Growth in Out-of-Home are making history
by Sarah Druhan, OOH Today Journalist
Throughout the rest of Women’s History Month, we at OOH Today will be exploring how each of the selections on our list of the Top 24 Women Who Drive Growth In Out-of-Home have made their mark on the industry. While OOH has long been seen as a male-dominated sphere, every one of these women is a symbol of how our industry can and must change—and each of them has an important story to tell.
Today we will be hearing from Melody Roberts, Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Out of Home Creative.
1) What advice would you give to other women moving up in OOH?
Develop a network that will enable you to thrive within your skill set. As you build relationships, be willing to listen and learn because the industry is ever-evolving. Growth occurs when you are open-minded and willing to explore new opportunities, so put yourself in the company of people who inspire and challenge you.
2) How can the industry take a bigger slice of total ad spend?
From a creative perspective, we are continually challenged to consider positioning brands outside of the home, and advertisers seek maximum impact. Achieving higher ad spend requires creatives to keep pace with current trends or set new ones. As a result, we will have an increased ability to leverage memorable campaigns, making our medium stand out in the marketplace. This can yield a better ROI and attract more prospective clients for advertisers by reaching a broader audience.
There is no substitute for being outside, even in an online world. And as the industry evolves, OOH becomes more unique with innovative ideas that will continue to propel us forward. In terms of taking clients beyond what they can imagine, our options are infinite with OOH.
3) What’s the most interesting part of your job?
Learning how advertisers perceive their brands marketed in OOH and challenging myself to simplify their narrative with a single image, word, or headline that will evoke an audience response.
4) When did you first know that this was the industry for you?
On day one, when I realized I would be creatively challenged to translate an advertiser’s idea into seven words or less.
5) What’s the key to your success?
I put my passion for the industry into practice in everything I do.
To see more from Melody Roberts and other Outstanding Women in OOH, read our story on The Top 24 Women Who Drive Growth in Out-of-Home
