In an exclusive interview with Amanda — CEO of Billboard Canada and Rolling Stone Québec — shares how she’s blending traditional media with Web3, rethinking audience engagement in Digital Out-of-Home ads, and turning old-school publishing into dynamic, multi-platform brands. She also talks about using neuroscience to track attention and creating cross-platform strategies that grow real communities, offering insights for brands to stay relevant, inclusive, and future-ready in today’s complex media world.
Bridging Traditional Media and Web3: Striking the Right Balance
As traditional media such as out-of-home advertising, broadcast and print publishing continues to coexist with the emergent landscapes of Web3, the intersection of these worlds presents both opportunities and challenges. Publishers and media companies are increasingly tasked with leveraging the strengths of both realms—maintaining the loyal audience of traditional media while engaging the tech-savvy and decentralized community of Web3 enthusiasts. To effectively bridge these two landscapes, brands and marketers must emphasize inclusivity and relevance.
A strategic approach involves fostering engagement through shared values and interactive experiences. For instance, campaigns in traditional media can include VR elements, QR codes or tokens linked to exclusive digital content, or digital ecosystems, allowing audiences to seamlessly transition between physical and digital realms. This approach not only enhances user experience but also drives traffic to Web3 platforms, creating a nurturing ecosystem that respects both audience segments.
Redefining Audience Value: The Evolution of Digital Out-of-Home Metrics
Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising has significantly advanced from merely counting impressions to embedding deeper experiential metrics that encapsulate audience engagement. To pioneer frameworks that capture the true value of audiences, businesses are adopting innovative measurement technologies informed by neuroscience—a field that offers insights into how consumers emotionally and cognitively respond to advertisements.
A key aspect lies in utilizing attention metrics that go beyond traditional data points. For instance, measuring dwell time and emotional response through biometric tracking (like eye-tracking or facial expression analysis) provides richer insights into audience engagement. The Outdoor Media Association (OMA) whitepaper from Australia emphasizes the need for a neuroscience-based approach, suggesting that understanding brain responses to visual stimuli can lead to more effective advertising strategies. The Australian market saw a significant increase in DOOH and OOH advertising expenditures after introducing their neuro-impact score. By harnessing these insights, brands and marketers can craft messaging that not only reach their audience but resonate meaningfully, ultimately enhancing their return on investment.
The out-of-home industry has borrowed other metrics from the experiential world such as foot-traffic attribution, social listening tools & social uptake; allowing marketers to both understand the impact to their online brand engagement and brand sentiment with their real-world campaigns and in-store trends, post-campaign.
Reimagining Traditional Publishing: Creating Ecosystem Models
As media consumption becomes increasingly fragmented, transforming traditional publishing brands such into ecosystem models is crucial for relevance and sustainability. In our case, Billboard Canada and Rolling Stone Quebec were two net-new markets for these global brands and thus AMG had to build the audience organically. Rather than offering single-channel experiences, the goal is to create interconnected platforms that allow various touchpoints for engagement, whether through live events, digital interactions within the platforms or social engagement.
One effective approach our commercial team has been successful at is to develop a cross-platform strategy that emphasizes community engagement. For instance, integrating social media, live music events, and exclusive online content gives audiences multiple ways to interact with the brand. Additionally, monetization models can evolve to include subscription-based services, pay-per-view or VIP concerts, or exclusive access to behind-the-scenes content, maximizing value for both brands and audiences.
By embracing a holistic approach, brands can reimagine their identities, stepping beyond mere content delivery to become active participants in the cultural conversations around – in our case – music and entertainment, but whatever other industry they operate within. This transition not only enhances audience loyalty but also positions traditional publishing brands as vital players in the evolving media landscape.
Amanda’s insights offer a powerful roadmap for brands navigating the convergence of traditional media and emerging technologies. By embracing innovation—from neuroscience-driven metrics in DOOH to Web3-powered engagement strategies—she illustrates how legacy media can evolve into dynamic, multi-platform ecosystems. Her approach highlights the importance of inclusivity, interactivity, and community in building future-ready media brands that not only capture attention but foster lasting relevance in an ever-changing landscape.
