Nielsen Media: Despite storms, billboards remain effective ad tools

Despite being potentially dangerous during typhoons and storms, billboards remain an effective advertising tool, Nielsen Media said. During their third quarter press briefing on Wednesday, Nielsen said its analysis of advertising trends from January to August of this year showed that companies continue to spend for billboard advertisements. While there has been a dip in the number of out-of-home (OOH) advertising spots in June (likely due to the weather), companies spent considerably on OOH advertising, mostly billboards, Nielsen said. Nielsen's findings were released a day after the Metro Manila Development AUthority (MMDA) on Monday announced that it will dismantle 424 billboards along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) for violating the National Building Code (NBC). "These 424 (billboards) can now be dismantled because they (building owners) cannot show the necessary permits from the LGUs," MMDA chair Francis Tolentino said during a Senate finance committee hearing on the proposed budget of the MMDA. According to Nielsen, the top OOH product category is telecommunication. Four of the top 10 OOH advertisers are Smart Communications Inc., Globe Telecom Inc., Digital Telecommunications Phils. Inc. (Sun Cellular), and Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise Inc. (Red Mobile). The other companies included in the top 10 OOH advertisers are Suyen Corporation (Bench), Jollibee Foods Corporation, SM Development Corporation, Golden ABC Inc. (Penshoppe), The Coca-Cola Export Company, and Asia Brewery Inc. Among the four major highways, Nielsen said: