Source: NEMA
Thanks to a joint initiative between NEMA and MetService, digital billboards across New Zealand will now display MetService’s real-time warning information during severe weather events.
Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) screens will act as an important addition to the country’s existing emergency communications channels.
New Zealanders already receive information about severe weather warnings through MetService’s app and website and through radio, TV and social media. Large-format digital billboards are now another way to get that messaging across to the general public.
When an area is under MetService Red or Orange Severe Weather Warnings for heavy rain or strong winds, digital billboards will display that a warning is in effect, alongside safety messaging from NEMA. The information is kept up to date through a live data feed that is checked every hour.
“The digital billboards will help increase people’s awareness of our severe weather warnings and the messaging from NEMA means people have the information they need to stay safe.”
The system’s design ensures warnings are displayed only where relevant. They can be targeted to a specific geographical area, similar to an Emergency Mobile Alert (EMA), which allows NEMA to display crucial safety information to areas forecast to be impacted.
“This technology helps spread vital safety information once we see a severe weather event start to develop,” said John Price, Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management at NEMA.
“The speed at which the messaging gets delivered to those who need it is such a huge factor for us funding this work – it’s yet another channel we can utilise to help us improve situational awareness and public safety.”
This work has been a collaboration between NEMA, MetService, New Zealand Digital Billboard network LUMO, their development partner, Latch, VML – a behaviour change agency, and Perion – a programmatic DOOH tech platform.
At the time of writing, more than 500 digital out-of-home screens in cities, towns, service stations and retail centres across the country can display this messaging, thanks to other New Zealand-owned DOOH networks taking part in this initiative. Alongside LUMO, Go Media, VAST, Hyper and Market Media have joined forces to create a unified national framework for showcasing public safety information.
“With climate change contributing to more frequent and severe weather events, expanding the reach and visibility of warnings is essential. By making use of a channel already embedded in public spaces, this initiative helps to ensure that when it matters most, New Zealanders see the warnings they need to heed,” John Price says.
