According to Outdoor Network, the hybrid billboard concept marries the benefits of static and digital OOH and is the first of its kind in South Africa, as Outdoor Network continues to drive innovation in the industry through solutions that are bold, iconic, impactful and deliver tangible results for brands.

The hybrid billboard takes the form of a 4.5m x 15m static billboard with an integrated 4m x 3m digital screen. Outdoor Network plans to roll out a network of these innovative billboards across Gauteng and in Durban and the Western Cape in the coming months. This is with a focus on reaching high-LSM consumers travelling along key highway routes and main arterial roads.

"In this way, brands are able to get the best of both worlds and benefit from both static and digital," says Jacques du Preez, CEO of Provantage Media Group.

"The static element provides complete ownership, brand awareness, brand affinity and the opportunity for bold creative, while the innovative addition of digital allows for day-to-day communication, adaptable creative, product and price promotion and bespoke messaging," adds du Preez. 

"Together, they make for a compelling offering on one 'canvas', as both static and digital OOH have proven their ability to hold their own in today's multifaceted advertising landscape," du Preez says.

Outdoor Network has already unveiled its first hybrid billboard on the M1 Ben Schoeman highway, northbound in Woodmead, Johannesburg, with automobile manufacturer Ford being the first brand to sign up for the offering.

"As a future-forward brand, Ford South Africa needs to use an OOH platform that matches its ethos and attitude, which is why Outdoor Network is a perfect partner for the brand, giving it the new and exciting platform," says Doreen Mashinini, general manager of marketing in the Southern and sub-Saharan Africa Region of the Ford Motor Company.

According to the media owner, Ford can expect to reach 687 000 consumers at a frequency of six and a total of 3.8 million impacts monthly from the site, which is situated in close proximity to key shopping destinations.

"We will continue to drive innovation in the billboard category," says Du Preez. "Brands want to stand out and innovate and, with our new Hybrid billboard network, we offer brands a cost-effective and very innovative offering that they can own."

"Hybrids offer complete ownership, combined with the flexibility of digital OOH. We take innovation seriously and will continue to deliver value and results for our clients, and hybrids are a very good illustration of that," concludes du Preez.

Outdoor Network, a division of Provantage Media Group, has a Level 1 B-BBEE rating and is 52% Black-owned and 39% Black female-owned. 

For more information, visit www.outdoornetwork.co.za. You can also follow Outdoor Network on Facebook or on Twitter