”Vertical Is the Future of Outdoor Advertising, Says Sky Blue Group Chairman”

In this episode of Global Economic Press, Alex Brady delves into the evolving landscape of outdoor advertising, focusing on the shift towards vertical digital out-of-home formats. The discussion features insights from Dato' Manikandamurthy Velayoudam, Chairman of Sky Blue Group, who advocates for the increased adoption of vertical advertising formats across SkyBlue Out-of-Home Media operations in the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia. The podcast highlights how vertical formats align with the portrait-first mobile viewing behavior of Generation Z, with data showing that 81 percent of this demographic watches vertical video weekly. The episode underscores the potential for growth in the digital out-of-home market in the United Arab Emirates, projected to expand at a 16.4 percent compound annual growth rate through 2030, offering media owners and advertisers a chance to define the region's next visual standard. The podcast further explores the cognitive adaptation to vertical content, noting that Generation Z, which numbers approximately 2 billion globally, has grown up with smartphones as their primary screen. This generation's preference for vertical content is reshaping media consumption patterns, with vertical videos achieving a 90 percent higher watch-completion rate than horizontal equivalents. The episode also discusses how major streaming platforms are adapting by producing vertical cuts of their content to meet the demands of social media-driven discovery. As the Middle East and North Africa region prepares for this shift, the podcast emphasizes the opportunity for the United Arab Emirates to lead the transformation in vertical digital out-of-home advertising. For more information about Sky Blue Media UAE, visit their website at Sky Blue Media UAE.