Lydia Maison explores how proximity, visibility and physical presence can help businesses connect with customers and drive growth through OOH media.
Lydia Maison, Chief Growth Officer at Primedia Out of Home, shared her insights at the Empowa Women Awards during Women’s Month, exploring the continued role of physical and out-of-home media in helping emerging businesses build visibility, reach customers and turn proximity into a route to market.
Why Proximity Matters: The Role of OOH in Growing Businesses
As part of Women’s Month, Empowa Women brought together leaders and changemakers for conversations around storytelling, media, partnerships and the role of women in business and leadership.
Among the speakers was Lydia Maison, Chief Growth Officer at Primedia Out of Home, who shared her perspective on the continued role of physical and out-of-home (OOH) media in helping small businesses build visibility and reach customers.For businesses looking to establish themselves, Lydia emphasised that media should support a strong product rather than attempt to replace the fundamentals of a business.
“If your product has not established itself, if it is not ready, out-of-home won’t build the brand. It will get you found faster and it will get you in front of more people," said Maison. For Lydia, one of the key advantages of OOH is its ability to put businesses in physical environments where audiences are already present.
She also noted: "the reality is that anyone can post, but not everyone can be on the M1, Menlyn Mall, or OR Tambo International Airport.”
This accessibility to high-traffic environments, she explained, creates a different kind of value for brands. OOH provides an opportunity to be physically present in the environments where consumers live, work, shop and travel.
Proximity as a route to market
A central theme of Lydia’s talk was proximity and its role in connecting brands with consumers closer to the point of purchase.
Maison asserted: “The most important factor to note is proximity. Proximity is really a route to market point.” Rather than viewing OOH solely as an upper-funnel awareness channel, Lydia highlighted its ability to sit closer to the consumer decision-making process.
“With proximity, out-of-home doesn’t sit top of funnel. It sits between the customer and the till and it’s essentially the last screen that people will see before they make a commitment to a sale.”
For small and emerging businesses, this proximity can be particularly relevant. Being visible in the right environment can help a brand reach audiences at moments when they are already moving towards a destination, shopping or considering a purchase.
Moving beyond exposure to meaningful partnerships
Lydia also addressed another aspect of business growth: the value of partnerships.
Reflecting on her experience at Empowa Women, she noted that meaningful partnerships require more than simply asking for exposure. Instead, businesses need to consider what they can bring to the relationship and what a genuine exchange could look like.
Her message was ultimately about creating value on both sides - whether through media, partnerships or business relationships.
Beyond the formal discussions, Lydia also reflected on the importance of authentic connection. In a highly connected digital world, she noted that genuine conversations can still create space for nuance, understanding and meaningful relationships.For small businesses navigating an increasingly competitive marketplace, the conversation highlighted that growth is not simply about being seen. It is about being seen by the right people, in the right places and at the right time.
And in this context, proximity remains a powerful part of the OOH opportunity.
About Primedia Out of Home
Primedia Out-of-Home, a division of Primedia (Pty) Ltd, is the largest wholly South African-owned OOH media specialist. With a presence throughout South Africa and key markets in the Rest of Africa, we offer over 18 000 advertising panels across South Africa and 4 000 panels across 8 countries in the Rest of Africa. Our commitment to exceptional service and continuous innovation has established us as a trusted partner for top brands across various industries. Primedia Out-of-Home provides a comprehensive suite of out-of-home products, including Classic billboards, Digital billboards, Rank advertising, Mall advertising, Programmatic digital advertising, Pharmacy advertising, Retail and Township advertising.
With a deep understanding of the South African out-of-home landscape, we focus on delivering measurable results and offer flexible coverage across the entire LSM/SEM spectrum, targeting cosmopolitan consumers in major urban areas to those living in rural communities. Our service enables brands to optimise their campaign reach and achieve their objectives with a variety of media solutions that connect brands with audiences.
Author|Arul Lavers
