The Nation Newspaper

Tag: LASAA

  • LASAA orders TAN to remove Jonathan ‘s posters

    The Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA) has ordered the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) and its affiliates to remove illegally deployed campaign adverts of President Goodluck Jonathan in the state.

    LASAA’s Managing Director George Noah told reporters yesterday in Lagos that two outdoor agencies had their contracts worth N350 million terminated due to the flagrant act by supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Noah named the two agencies as Touch Point Nigeria Limited and Clearedge Limited, adding that two advertisers- a Chinese Telecoms Firm and Globacom- have terminated their contracts with the outdoor companies, following the parallel and illegal deployment of the President’s campaign advert.

    He said the agency was constrained by the developments in the electioneering campaign “to bring to the fore impunity and illegality that pose immeasurable and long term damage to those who erect, operate and maintain billboards in the state”.

    Noah said as a regulatory body, LASAA was willing to give approval to any party that applied to use any of the authorised places, adding that rather than follow due process, PDP and its supporters engage in unlawful acts of destroying other existing adverts paid for on the streets poles to paste that of President Jonathan and other candidates.

    Noah stressed that the development was capable of destroying the outdoor industry, particularly at this time of severe competition from TV, radio and social media.

    “This illegal and brazen act by agents of the PDP is unjust, inconsiderate and unacceptable,” Noah said, stressing that if not checked it could lead to the lay off of workers and loss of revenues by stakeholders in the sector.

    Noah said the PDP had deployed policemen in areas where this illegality was going on, adding that the agencies would remove such campaign materials in line with the enabling law setting up LASAA.

    He said the fact that the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) was also putting ‘X’ signs on the campaign materials further confirmed that the advert materials were deployed without complying with the regulatory standard.

    “What they have done now is to withdraw policemen who help us do our job, and using the same police to deploy the campaign materials in unauthorised locations”.

    “They are coming to Lagos to disrupt the outdoor business worth about N50billion and which employs about 100,000 people. They have transferred all sorts of people to Lagos State to do their dirty jobs. It is one illegality gone too far.”

  • LASAA Vs Lagos CP

    •Legality and fairness are the keys to settling this needless quarrel

    In Lagos, an election time trouble is brewing between the police and the Lagos State Signage Advertisement Agency (LASAA).  But the dispute would be absolutely needless, if both parties followed the basic tenets of legality and fairness.

    Kayode Aderanti, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CP), had it announced that he would henceforth arrest LASAA officials who removed any campaign billboard or posters, adding that his decision was based on a torrent of complaints by politicians that LASAA was unfairly removing their posters and billboards. A news report even claimed the police boss would still carry out the arrest, even if the posters were illegally erected.

    If that report was true — but we hope it was not — then the Lagos CP would be guilty of lawlessness, which would indeed be a profound paradox. There is nothing arbitrary in police arrests, only if it is based on legality. Inasmuch as the police can arrest citizens for breaking the law, it cannot touch them for obeying the law.

    So, if LASAA cadres remove billboards or posters, that, by law, have no business being erected or pasted where they are, the police cannot, by any logic or common sense, arrest those officials. Police cannot arrest citizens for doing what the law prescribes.

    But that is one aspect of the matter.

    The other leg of the LASAA response is the issue of fairness and equal access by all political parties to erect campaign messages, without let or hindrance. It is fundamental to the concept of free and fair elections.

    Reacting to CP Aderanti’s threat, George Noah, LASAA’s managing director, practically called his bluff, daring the police to go ahead, and see if they could arrest LASAA’s staff for doing what the law prescribes. That would appear a clinical response to the police threat; which also underscores the lawful limits of police powers.

    “Let me state clearly that the removal of posters that deface our environment is a statutory obligation of LASAA,” Mr. Noah said. “The agency is therefore baffled that the Nigeria Police responsible for enforcing the laws of this nation is by the statement encouraging and expressly supporting the flagrant disregard and contravention of environmental guidelines issued to all political parties.” An obviously angry  Noah said the police threat came despite that he fully explained the situation to the CP, who nevertheless went ahead with the threat, thus appearing to brush aside his explanation.

    But is LASAA fair to all parties, in carrying out its lawful duties? If it is not, it contravenes the law, by carrying its duty in bad faith. So, LASAA must be fair to all parties.

    Having said that, however, both parties must handle the situation with tact and honour. An election year is especially delicate; and you do not need two government agencies adding fire to the tinder.

    LASAA must be careful not to create the impression that its actions are skewed towards favouring the ruling party in the state. That would be putting itself under needless controversy that would doom its brand equity and poison its public perception.

    But CP Aderanti too must be tactful in his pronouncements. He cannot afford the perception of a police officer driven by sentiments — or worse, a viceroy of the federal authorities to bring to heel some errant state rascals. That would be a wrong mindset: that the police is centrally controlled does not insulate it from local laws. In fact, the law is the oxygen of police operation. Without strict compliance with the law, the police loses its essence.

    In his reaction in the billboard/poster excitement, Mr. Aderanti sounded too close to a putative partisan-in-uniform: what the opposing politicians seem to lose in LASAA’s alleged partisanship, he seemed to ooze, they would gain in police arbitrary power! That is the illogic of threatened arrest, even if LASAA followed the law.

    Let the police and LASAA follow the law and fairness. The beautiful result would be peace in Lagos, anchored on justice and fair play. Lagos needs no less in a crucial election year.

  • LASAA to parley parties on posters, banners

    LASAA to parley parties on posters, banners

    THE Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) will hold a meeting with political parties to spell out modalities guiding the use of campaign posters and banners for the forthcoming general elections.

    The agency’s Managing Director, Mr. George Noah, said the move was aimed at checkmating indiscriminate use of campaign posters and banners.

    Noah added that the parley would seek to ensure that the use of campaign posters and banners is done with proper consideration for the environment under enabling laws.

    He said: “Our officials are being attacked and harassed daily whenever they set out to discharge their statutory duties across the state. Despite repeated appeals and warnings, we have noticed an increasing trend in this ignoble act. This has to stop.”

    “We wish to restate our commitment to our earlier directive that posters will not be allowed within unauthorised places like high streets, highways, major roads, loops, bridges, pillars and triangulars. Posters are only allowed in designated zones namely: walls of public schools, public hospitals and stadia. The guidelines published by the agency before the last general elections of April 2011 still subsist. We wish to re-emphasize our preparedness to collaborate with all political parties, politicians, campaigners and supporters in achieving a smooth electoral exercise.”

  • Ebola: Lagos mobilises outdoor advertisers for campaign

    Ebola: Lagos mobilises outdoor advertisers for campaign

    The Lagos State Government through the State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), in partnership with the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), some leading electronic billboard operators and Insight Communications Limited, will soon begin a public awareness campaign on how to contain the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

    The initiative, with the support of the Lagos State ministries for Health and Information, would involve electronic billboard operators mounting their platforms with messages on the deadly disease in strategic locations across the state.

    It is estimated that the operators would waive over N240 million in billboard space.

    LASAA’s Managing Director George Noah said the campaign would focus on key areas in the spread and management of the disease. These are: modes of transmission, preventive measures, symptoms and help lines.

    Noah said: “This initiative is designed to complement efforts by the Lagos State Government in curbing the spread of Ebola. It’s also borne out of the need to enlighten the public on the disease and the need to adopt preventive measures.

    “We hope to achieve this with the use electronic billboard ads, which we would be rolling out in collaboration with our esteemed partners who see this as a corporate social responsibility initiative.

    “In all, we would use 32 electronic billboards across strategic locations in the state.”

     

  • Index for outdoor advertising

    Index for outdoor advertising

    For long, there was nothing to show the impact of outdoor advertising to justify the millions of naira spent on it. The Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) has come to the rescue, with its introduction of the Outdoor Audience Measurement System (OAMS) in line with global practice. The system will restore advertisers’ confidence in the use of outdoor advertising to promote brands, reports ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

    The Outdoor Advertising industry faces  a lot of challenges some of which are multiplicity of taxes, over regulation, the emergence of social media, land speculation and touting. While these challenges have been cited as reasons for its shrinking advertising budget and fortune yearly, little is done about lack of audience measurement, which advertisers often use as the yard stick for determining advertising spend and its effectiveness on brands success.

    At a presentation, the President of Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), Mr. Tolu Ogunkoya, said outdoor spend declined from 40 per cent to 27 per cent between 2010 and 2011.

    Reacting to the decline, Babs Fagade, publisher of Outdoor Republic said: “What can be attributed to the lack of justification for spends on outdoor by advertisers is the absence of matrix and reliable data.”

    Indeed, what is affecting the industry, most is audience measurement. These worries appear over as the Lagos State Government has introduced the Outdoor Audience Measurement System (OAMS). The system produces audience estimates for Out-of-Home advertising and the data captures how many people saw an advertisement, how often they saw it and the profile of those who saw it.

    The system fundamentally changes the focus of outdoor media planning from panels to audience. It is designed around people’s daily movements on a hyper-local level, making it possible for planning by each geographical area at day time.

    How it works

    The system, the first of its kind in West Africa, follows the global practice of published audience research for radio, television and press. It will produce audience estimates for Outdoor advertising.

    The published data will tell advertisers how many people see an Outdoor advertising campaign in specific locations in the state as well as how often they do so. The audience will be broken down into many typologies, including age, sex, class, and lifestyle. The information is expected to be used by advertisers in planning and evaluating advertising campaigns in the Outdoor medium.

    The need to introduce audience measurment has become a subject of debate in the last 50 years when outdoor advertising business started, but the Managing Director of LASAA, Mr. George Noah, said: ‘’This is a defining moment in outdoor advertising practice in Nigeria. For advertisers to make informed buying decision, data analysis of the target audience is very essential.

    “Outdoor advertising markets in developed economies are flourishing because data is available for both buyers and sellers of outdoor spaces to make informed choices and careful planning. We need to embark on a scientific audience research measurement to enable the sector compete favourably with radio, TV and press.”

    Noah said the Outdoor sector needs a people focused measurement system which will analyse audience estimates.

    In his words: “Scientific audience measurement will provide details of Realistic Opportunity To See (ROTS) with eye-tracking studies which will gauge the likelihood to see (LTS) factor of the various types of display. This will also account for scale, orientation, distance, movement, illumination and spatially analyse the sites in relation to competitors, customer locations as well as traffic patterns.”

    He promised that traffic audit would offer immense value to advertisers in accurate audience figures and also encourage advertisers in making informed outdoor advertising purchase.

    “The medium is changing at a rapid rate and we must think from the point of view of the audience, not from the position of a billboard structure. If we start with a deep knowledge of how people move about, advertisers can have the flexibility to decide what they put in their way in terms of communication opportunities.

    He said by defining the audience, it will be possible to use the data to plan, trade and compute valuation for the medium, adding: “We need to encourage outdoor advertisers to consider more populated areas, such as Ikorodu and Alimosho. The LASAA Outdoor Audience research we believe, will reveal the marketing potential of previously ignored areas.”

    Global examples

    The Lagos initiative followed breakthroughs in Europe and America. Only recently, ROUTE, an outdoor audience advertising measuring system, was launch in the United Kingdom (UK) where there has been a huge £19million investment   in its research. Also, a report by Outdoor Republic, a publication for outdoor advertising, stated that the launch of POSTAR in the UK in 1996 marked a further improvement in measurement with the audience estimation process involving six stages: Traffic counts, Pedestrian counts, Coverage, Estimate of dispersion factors, Visibility Adjusted Impacts (VAIs) and Refinements (illumination factors). This is an indication of a continuous study dating back to 1952 when travel patterns were conducted among 5,359 people in nine towns.

    Also, the Traffic Audit Bureau (TAB) in the United States of America introduced EYES ON Impressions (EOIs) as the new audience measurement currency for buying and selling out of home media in the US, to replace Daily Effective Circulations(DEC) as the core metric.

    EOIs represent the average number of persons who are likely to notice an ad viewed on an outdoor display. EOIs are available in all US media markets and are reported as weekly impressions, reporting all demographic audiences available to other media. This helps marketers to understand the true value of the medium when combined in a multi-media campaign.

    In 2005, Nielsen Outdoor in collaboration with South African Advertising Research Foundation (SAARF), the advertising industry sponsored body that controls advertising audience research in South Africa harnessed the power of the GPS through the market-proven Npod™ device (Nielsen Personal Outdoor Device) to provide demographic audience information plus reach, frequency and outdoor ratings data, to all SAARF stakeholders — advertisers, agencies and outdoor media companies. Outdoor media buyers and sellers in South Africa got empowered to use audience measurements that are similar to traditional ratings data used to plan radio, television and print.

    In 2007, Outdoor Finland released an audience measurement system that provides the planners and buyers of outdoor advertising with commensurate and reliable performance indicators. Visibility Adjusted Contact (VAC), which is more highly developed and appreciably more precise than the traditional performance indicators used by the media. The Outdoor Impact system is based on a landmark international research concept as well as on extensive Finnish research and research data. A project conducted by Outdoor Finland and the association’s corporate members, Clear Channel and JCDecaux, that lasted many years, and was the largest development investment in the industry’s history in Finland. Key of note is that the system is based on an international concept derived from the well-known British POSTAR.

    Upon the birth of this in Finland, the association’s Executive Manager was quoted to have said: “The system’s enhanced measuring accuracy substantially boosts the competitiveness of outdoor advertising in Finland. Now advertisers can use precise facts and figures on outdoor advertising, so they can be certain about what they’re buying. We fully expect Outdoor Impact to increase outdoor advertising’s share of the media market.”

    In February 2010, the Outdoor Media Association (OMA) launched Australia’s first industry-wide audience measurement tool for outdoor media known as MOVE (Measurement of Outdoor Visibility and Exposure). MOVE is owned by the OMA and its five largest members – APN Outdoor, EYE, Adshel, oOh!media and JCDecaux. The OMA represents the interests of other OMA Media Display Members with inventory in the MOVE system.

    With this new system introduced in West Africa by LAASA, industry observers, especially advertisers, believe the outdoor advertising budget will increase.

  • LASAA unveils outdoor magazine

    LASAA unveils outdoor magazine

    he Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) has unveiled Outdoorable magazine, its trade publication.

    The magazine is designed to provide information on the agency’s initiatives and happenings in the Outdoor Advertising sector.

    Its Managing Director George Noah said: “The goal of Outdoorable is to provide a platform for accessing information about LASAA and on the latest trends in the outdoor advertising industry, new initiatives and campaigns breaking forth, ideas and institutional development, fundamentals of outdoor advertising practice as well as promote a ‘one corporate culture’ in the industry.”

    The glossy publication will be published bi-annually. Noah explained that Outdoorable “will fully represent the Nigerian outdoor advertising industry while reaching a mass audience and readership that cuts across the borders of Nigeria and extends to the rest of Africa and beyond”.

  • LASAA chief promises quality service

    LASAA chief promises quality service

    Managing Director of the  Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA) Mr George Noah, has assured members of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) of quality services. This, he said, would ensure that stakeholders operate in a healthy environment in the state.

    Speaking when OAAN executives hosted him at the association’s secretariat in Lagos, Noah said: “I want to assure you that any decision we take at LASAA, is in your best interest. We want to reduce the burden on practitioners. Our job is to create an enabling environment for any practitioners.’’

    He said the formation of Outdoor Advertising Regulatory Association of Nigeria (OARAN) is to solve the problem, adding that beyond rate reduction, there is the problem of mobile adverts across the states, which could be better resolved through the OARAN platform. “We want you to see our collaboration with other states as being a good step for the outdoor advertising industry,” Noah said.

    On the forthcoming conference slated to hold from June 25 – 27, Noah said: “It is in our best interest to host the conference regardless of whether you or LASAA organises it. What is important is for our industry to provide a platform to resolve the myriad of industry issues facing us through effective dialogue.”

    He promised to look into the discount to be offered OAAN members to attend the exhibition. At the end of the meeting, it was agreed that a working committee be established between OAAN and LASAA foster harmonious relationship.

    Earlier, OAAN President, Mr. Charles Chijide,praised the LASAA team for delivering on its mandate.

    Chijide, however, decried some of the agency’s activities, saying: “My members are concerned that there is a plan by LASAA to increase rates. We also understand that the cost of attending the forthcoming exhibition is high for our members.”

    He noted that OAAN members had also expressed fear that OARAN would do more harm than good.

     

  • LASAA boss win Lagos man of the year award

    The Managing Director of the Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA), Mr. George Noah, has emerged winner of this year’s Lagos State Man of the Year Award (LASMAYA).

    Noah, who won the award having polled the highest number of votes, said it was put in place by the organisers to recognise exemplary public service.

    According to him, “The award is a vindication of the efforts we put into our work at LASAA both individually and collectively as an agency. The award means people are watching us and appreciative of what we are doing to making Lagos better.”

    Some of the former winners include Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, who is the Lagos State commissioner for Works and Infrastructure.

  • LASAA hails Hyundai Motors

    The Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA) has lauded Hyundai Motors Nigeria for lending credence to the 2013 ‘Lagos Countdown’ event, where the auto company donated one Hyundai Veloster sports car as grand prize to winner of the grand raffle draw at the annual event to wind up an outgoing year and herald a brand New Year.

    LASAA Managing Director, Mr George Noah, who made the remark at the grand finale of the 2013 Lagos Countdown said: “Hyundai’s support is in line with the agency’s intent to leverage the countdown event as a platform to deliver joy to the people.”

    Noah enjoined other corporate bodies to emulate the magnanimity of Hyundai Motors Nigeria and support subsequent events in future.

    The highlight of the 2013 Lagos Countdown that attracted sponsors from wide-ranging blue chip companies and organisations was the presentation of one Hyundai Veloster car to a lucky winner of the grand raffle draw, Ahmed Aluko of Mobil Oil.

    Head – Sales and Marketing, Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited Jatin Nadkarni, said: “Hyundai is delighted to partner with the Lagos State Government on this annual year-end event, which is a period of sharing and merrymaking. Our company is passionate about offering products and services that are targeted at improving the quality of life of both our customers and the society where we operate.”

  • Stallion Motors donates to Lagos Countdown 2013

    TALLION Motors Nigeria has reinforced its corporate social responsibility with the donation of a 2014 Hyundai Veloster to the Lagos State Government in support of this year’s edition of its Cross Over Festival, otherwise known as Lagos Countdown 2013.

    The car will be won as the grand prize of the countdown event’s raffle, which will be drawn on December 29.  The car will also be unveiled formally at the Bar Beach, venue of the countdown, by Stallion Motors.

    The foremost auto company has also been named the Official Automobile Sponsor of the Lagos Countdown 2013.

    Commenting on their support to the Lagos Countdown 2013, the Managing Director of Stallion Motors Nigeria, Mr. Pavir Singh, said, ‘‘Stallion Motors is delighted to partner with the Lagos State Government on its annual year-end event, which is a period for the sharing of joy. At Stallion Motors, we are passionate about offering products and services that are targeted at improving the quality of life, both for our customers and the society where we operate.’’

    Speaking on the support received from Stallion Motors, the Managing Director, Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), Mr. George Noah said, “We appreciate this kind gesture by Stallion Motors. This support is in line with our intent to leverage the countdown event as a platform to deliver joy to the people as we celebrate the New Year. This support has indeed, raised the profile of the Lagos Countdown event.’’

    To win the exotic 2014 Hyunda Veloster, Noah said interested persons would need to visit the Bar Beach, venue of the countdown activities and register for the free draw.

    “The lucky winner will be randomly selected via raffle draw, it is that simple. The winner will be one of the first few to own the Veloster in Lagos. The car will also be unveiled at the countdown venue by Stallion Motors”, he said.

    The vehicle, which is already on display at the Bar Beach, will be showcased till January 1, 2014 from where the lucky winner will drive it home after the grand draw that would have held two days earlier.