As 2025 draws to a close, we’re reflecting on another incredible year for Beyond the Billboard. The podcast that shines a light on the creativity, strategy, and innovation driving out-of-home (OOH) media.
Launched in February 2024, and co-hosted by Livia Brown and Kirsty Carlson — thought leaders, OOH experts, and independent media consultants — Beyond the Billboard continues to be praised across the industry for pushing OOH forward and keeping the medium front and centre in marketing conversations.
As Anne van Rensburg, managing director at PHD Cape Town, shared in a recent MarkLives article, “Beyond the data, the OOH space in general seems to have undergone an impressive revival and has emerged in a dapper new suit, accessorised by the intriguing DOOH.co.za website and podcast Beyond the Billboard (hosted by experts Livia Brown and Kirsty Carlson), putting some strong industry voices and credibility behind the medium.”
Insightful conversations & standout guests in 2025
This year, we’ve had the privilege of sitting down with an incredible lineup of guests who’ve inspired us, challenged thinking, and celebrated the dynamic world of OOH.
Here’s a look back at some of the episodes that shaped 2025:
- Creative Bravery in OOH – with Dean Oelschig
- The Making of Great OOH – with innovation expert Dexter Fox
- Billboards: The OG Influencer – Exploring the industry’s most collaborative OOH marketing campaign
- CortexX: Precision Planning in OOH – Primedia Out of Home
- Shaping the Skyline: How Large Brands Play in OOH with Litha Vimbi
- Playing Big with OOH: Activating Alcohol Brands in OOH with Michelle Pillai
- All Unite: OOH Measurement with Rafe Usher-Harris
- ROAD 2.0: OOH Measurement with Trish Guilford
- 130 Years in Motion: SAB’s Moving Tribute to the Future
- WOO Mexico: Unpacked with Gideon Adey
- Pineapple: A Client’s Point of View with Nichole Shub
- Strategic Innovation to Elevate OOH with Ricardo Lopes
- OOH Unplugged: Behind the Build with Tanner Rock
- OOH in Africa: Unlocking OOH in Kenya with Alex Tutu
- Auto & General: A Client’s Point of View with Johanni Jennings
- OOH’s Role in the Creative Strategy with Melanie Campbell
- Inspiring Creativity in OOH with Catherine Morgan
- OOH’s Role in the Media Playbook with Chris Botha
- OOH in 2025: The Year Ahead with Celia Collins
- OOH in Africa: Unlocking Nigeria with Kingsley Onwukaeme
- Consumer Insights to Elevate OOH Strategies with Brandon De Kock
- ABSA OOH: A Client’s Point of View with Sadika Fakir
- Evolving Role of OOH in the Media Mix with Kate Kitz
- OOH 2025 Kick Off with Tom Goddard and Jacques Du Preez
- Going Beyond: OOH Fundamentals with Kirsty & Livia
- Mall Media: Unpacking Maponya Mall with Nalesa Media
Each conversation reinforced our mission to inform, educate, and inspire from creativity and technology to strategy, sustainability, and the evolving role of OOH in a connected media ecosystem.
Reflections from the hosts
Brown says:
“This year, we took the podcast to the next level. We launched on YouTube in March 2025, adding a visual layer that’s truly elevated our content and allowed us to bring our incredible guests and conversations to life. I’ve seen firsthand how the dialogue around OOH is evolving and industry leaders are reaching out, eager to share their perspectives with us and our audience.
“For me, 2025 marks the year the conversation around OOH shifted from ‘Why OOH?’ to ‘OOH is an essential part of the media mix for brands’ and I am incredibly proud of the significant role we have played in this momentous shift.”
Carlson says:
“It’s been amazing to see how Beyond the Billboard has truly become a platform that educates, informs, and inspires. We’ve received such positive feedback from listeners who use the podcast as a learning tool whether it’s helping new employees understand the industry, guiding teams as they prep for client reverts or proposals, or simply helping people know what’s critical to put their best foot forward.
“Hearing how the podcast has helped push the OOH medium forward in industry conversations has been incredible. A definite highlight for me in 2025 was having Tom Goddard, Chairman of the World Out of Home Organization, join us to discuss how OOH can move the needle on its share of spend. And of course, speaking with the inspiring Catherine Morgan about the phenomenal OOH innovations coming out of Ocean Labs in the UK was a standout moment.
“I’ve also loved our Africa-focused episodes, shining a light on OOH not just in South Africa, but across our dynamic and vibrant continent. The measurement, data, and research-focused episodes are also firm favourites of mine however each guest and episode has brought such rich insight and perspective.
“I’m so excited for our audience to hear from the amazing guests we have lined up for 2026. Stay tuned there’s so much more to come!”
Looking ahead to 2026
We’re already lining up an exciting mix of episodes for 2026 featuring global, regional, and local guests from across the research, client, creative, and media sides of the industry. Expect deep insights, bold creative discussions, and conversations that continue to push OOH thinking forward.
Brown and Carlson thanked their 2025 sponsors who made this year’s episodes possible:
Epic Outdoor, Primedia Out of Home, Nalesa Media and NetworkX, saying their support makes a valuable contribution to the sector.
If your company would like to partner with Beyond the Billboard in 2026, please reach out to us via our LinkedIn page to explore sponsorship opportunities.
Follow Beyond the Billboard on LinkedIn for:
- Episode clips and highlights
- Inspiring local and global OOH campaigns
- Insightful OOH updates from across the industry
You can also stream every episode on:
🎧 Spotify
▶️ YouTube
Beyond the podcast
In addition to producing and hosting the podcast, Livia and Kirsty continue to offer:
- OOH Media Consulting – helping agencies and brands strategize, plan, and deliver impactful OOH campaigns.
- OOH Training & Workshops – designed to build capability, and confidence across teams.
If you’d like to collaborate, train your team, or simply learn more about their consulting work, feel free to get in touch with them.
Livia Brown
Owner: What3things
Independent consultant
https://www.linkedin.com/in/livia-brown-67086346/
Kirsty Carlson
Owner: Synapse Media
Independent Consultant
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirsty-carlson-27b45665/
