Brands have caught onto this rapid increase in transport to take advantage and use this platform for clever and effective, highly visible advertising campaigns adding a form of digitisation to go one step further.

“Traditional metered cab branding has been hugely successful,” comments Weiner. Last year, Groupon used a clear call to action inside and outside the metered cabs for commuters to download their mobile app. Whether they were at a bus stop or sitting in a coffee shop or walking to and from work and office meetings, they successfully engaged with consumers who were influenced through the clever design to do just as required – download the app.”

Head of Out of Home executive for KFC, Dudu Cindi, adds, “I am personally a firm believer in cohesive multi-channel marketing campaigns and in particular the versatility of the OOH media space, which is why we chose to do the metered cab branding with New Wave Outdoor Media. The thinking behind this specific campaign was for product awareness and education. The cabs were a perfect platform for this campaign as we could do a reach and awareness job with a fully wrapped metered cab that allowed the message to break through the clutter as well as track ROI with the added benefits by including free Wi-Fi inside the metered cabs.”

With the commuter time average in South Africa 35 – 59 minutes the implementation of digital out of home (DOOH) has given rise to more opportunities for branding of metered cabs not only on the outside but inside.

NWOM have implemented digital screens inside taxis, to capture the attention of commuters.

Nestlé Aero chocolate had the same approach but took things to the next level by incorporating a strong sampling activation to accompany their 3D roof top innovation. Says Yodi Klaasen from Nestlé, “The aim for this OOH campaign was to delight the consumer with the unexpected through leveraging the wacky Aero Bubble bar.”

Nestlé Aero cabs goal was to drive overall brand awareness while also increasing engagement with the brand by incorporating their social media platforms to drive awareness of the new Nestlé Aero Chocolate. “Consumers were introduced to the new adverts and other promotional material via a video screen within the cab then encouraged to create their own content while in or next to the branded cab and post it on Facebook and Instagram or Tweet it with the hashtag ‘#Aeroletgo.’ Each passenger received a complimentary slab of Nestlé Aero from their cab driver, whether they entered or not as an additional sampling drive. We sampled over 1 000 passengers during the duration of the campaign. Nestlé Aero gained over 7 000 more followers in the first six weeks with just eight cabs in Johannesburg and Cape Town.”

Internal advertising from NWOM goes even further by offering creative, visual ideas such as branding the interior of the passenger seats with embroidery. A successful campaign was the recent activation by Rimmel for SA Fashion Week.

The three-month campaign was initiated to bring OOH awareness to the fact that Rimmel London was the official make-up partner of SA Fashion Week AW2017 in Johannesburg.

Senior brand manager for Rimmel London Fahima Saban, says, “We wanted to create a Rimmel experience for our VIP guests from the moment they arrived in Johannesburg and while hosting them at the event. The idea was to drive awareness of Rimmel and the strong heritage of London, its partnership with SAFW and for them to feel like they were having a true British experience.”

There is little doubt that the rapid rate of urbanisation and increased demand for creative, cost effective, high volume, measurable forms of advertising makes OOH and DOOH advertising an attractive option, changing the way brands engage with their customers.

“Overall, OOH is the ‘traditional’ advertising medium benefitting most from digitisation. And we are proud to be part of growing this international trend here in South Africa,” concludes Weiner.

For more information, visit www.nwom.co.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook.