June 16, 2022
Billie Media turns one
New Zealand’s only specialist outdoor media agency, Billie Media, is celebrating one year in business this month (which it has cheekily renamed, ‘Billietember’) and is sharing its top 5 learnings to thrive in New Zealand’s out-of-home industry to mark this milestone.
Forming on a shoestring budget, Billie Media emerged from the creative minds of Ben Poole (left) and Rohan Prasad (right), who both brought several years of online digital and outdoor media knowledge with them.
Since launching Billie Media during Auckland’s lockdown last September, the outdoor media powerhouse is already ahead of the curve and continuing to surpass its one-year milestone goals, a testament to the demand required for a specialist agency that knows the outdoor market inside out.
Poole and Prasad wanted to bridge the gap between OOH providers and clients and cement themselves as the most effective and efficient way for advertisers to seek premium out of home experiences. With so much untapped potential, establishing a specialist agency to champion and educate the market was a key output of their vision.
On its milestone success Billie Media co-dounder Ben Poole says: “It’s been an extraordinary year for us and we’ve surpassed our expectations of what we thought was possible.
“We’ve been able to implement some amazing campaigns and accelerate the possibilities of OOH to the next level. It’s been a whirlwind experience working for ourselves and having autonomy around what we do and to shape our own vision of how to do things.”
To date, Billie Media has worked with 17 clients with 80 percent of those based in Australia and its first client being New Zealand-based sustainable fashion brand Maggie Marilyn. This campaign saw them launching the prestigious fashion house across outdoor formats in Sydney, Melbourne, and New York.
Another hero campaign for Billie Media saw it partnering with Prime Video and Rufus powered by Initiative to promote the third season of hit superhero satire show The Boys, which saw Kiwi actor Karl Urban (who plays Billy Butcher in the show) shooting laser beams from his eyes and seemingly wrecking a car.
This month also marks Billie Media’s involvement in catapulting the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power campaign for Prime Video across New Zealand. This is one of the streaming service’s largest releases for 2022 and it’s also Billie Media’s biggest campaign to date.
Says Rohan Prasad, co-founder, Billie: “It’s a cliche but working in this industry is a rollercoaster. It’s not always easy and we have our struggles, but the peaks are so much higher and rewarding.
“The industry is entering a transitional period where agencies are beginning to experience talent shortages and are needing to adapt and work in new ways, and we think that Billie Media has an advantage because we know what we’re doing and how to do it well.”
Poole and Prasad have seen exponential growth coming out of international markets in the last 12 months, showcasing the true value a specialist agency can bring and proves that outdoor media has a strong hold in New Zealand. Poole and Prasad are sharing their top learnings to celebrate 365 days in business.
Prasad and Poole’s top five learnings include:
1. Don’t be afraid to get your foot in the door: Getting started in the media industry is the most challenging part, but once you’re in, the opportunities start rolling in.
2. Be curious: If you’re curious about breaking into the industry we can’t recommend enough talking it into existence. In early days we spoke about Billie with everyone we could – friends, family, and each other. It’s a great way to talk through challenges and bounce ideas off each other.
3. Adapt to change of tact, and quickly: To really thrive in media and OOH you need to be adaptable and agile. You can plan as much as you like, but ultimately things will change and take you in a different course and you need to be prepared – and it usually works out for the better.
4. Trust your support network: People want you to succeed! We’ve really learned that people are keen to help, and if they can’t help directly, they can put you in touch with someone that can.
5. Value, value, value: Really hone your skills and think about what value you can offer. There is a very ‘protective’ approach across the industry, so having an edge and being able to provide a strong service will set you apart. We would also recommend doing business with your best mate – but that might be a bit biased!
Billie Media is currently focusing on continuing to expand its offering into Australia and building its repertoire with local clients through its ‘Billie Link’ focused on helping Kiwi brands access Outdoor media internationally.
