Twenty-five years ago, I signed a contract to lead OAAA (October 1991). A few months later, my husband and I moved our family from Minnesota to Washington, DC.
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Thinking back on a quarter century, I’ve assembled a list of 25 highlights in 25 years (scroll down for full list). From then till now, working together, we’ve made real progress:
- Advertising revenue reports used to put our medium in the “other” category, if it was mentioned at all. Now OAAA is a central source for OOH revenue reporting (and is cited by The New York Times and other reputable press outlets.)
- We used to avoid the press (or run). Now we embrace the press, ready to tell our story. The New York Times just published an article urging the world to “Look Up” to see the innovations in OOH, and Ad Age Creativity magazine just covered the industry’s Vote to Count campaign.
- Naysayers wrote us off in hard times. But we were resilient through recessions (2008-09), terrorists’ attacks (2001), and the loss of tobacco advertising (1998-99).
- We used to reluctantly work with government. Now we are partners to the FBI, the US Marshals Service, FEMA, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
- In the 80s, OAAA would revert to special assessments to make ends meet. Now your trade association has a healthy “rainy day” fund. Meanwhile, OAAA evolved from a billboard-lobbying group to a full-service trade association proudly representing all OOH.
- We used to worry about raised eyebrows from environmentalists. Last year, conservationists launched the centennial of the National Park Service in Times Square using OOH – with the Secretary of the Interior. Next year, the power of our medium goes to work on behalf of endangered species.
- Digital billboards advanced from new to accepted product. The rollout was aided by pioneering industry research on traffic safety, standards on security and lighting, new privacy principles, and partnerships that showcased effectiveness. And, digital billboards just won a big victory in court (OAAA represented the industry.)
As I jot down these trends, I realize that the last 25 years were built on the previous 100 years.
We did not invent resiliency or relevance in this generation. We inherited these traits – our industry DNA — from those who built this industry and its 125-year trade association.
Please accept my gratitude for the chance to learn from industry legends like R.O. Naegele, Hal Brown, John Kluge, Lew Manderson, Kevin Reilly Sr., Scott Miller, Dean White, Karl Eller, Dan Simon, Arte Moreno, Tom Norton, and many more. Thank you for the opportunity to represent you at The White House, the Capitol, and the marketplace.
One of my strongest job-related memories is from 9-11, as we gathered in New York City for the 2001 OAAA convention.
Hours after we cancelled the convention, a group of industry folks gathered around a computer to design creative for a national unity campaign.
Within days, ‘In God We Trust, United We Stand’ OOH ads appeared nationwide.
In addition, the long-running Pass It On campaign on behalf of common values like unity and courage was launched with powerful post 9/11 images:
In 25 years, if I have learned one overriding lesson, it’s that nothing works without industry unity and alignment. And the corollary is also true: with industry unity and alignment, everything is possible.
After 25 years, I’m more excited about the future of OOH than I have ever been. I am confident we’re making OOH more of a core media buy than ever before, and we’re proving the power of OOH to help communities and the public in ways we never imagined.
This October – 25 years after signing that first contract in 1991 to lead OAAA – I am re-upping through 2020.
I am honored and grateful to be on your team.
See also Nancy Fletcher’s ‘Twenty Five Highlights in 25 years’ here [2].