LUMO initiative turns DOOH into emergency communication channel

Digital billboards across Aotearoa New Zealand will now deliver real-time warning information during severe weather events.

Kiwis already receive information about severe weather warnings through MetService’s app and website and through radio, TV and digital news stories.

Digital out of home (DOOH) screens will act as an important addition to these existing emergency communications channels.

New Zealand digital billboard network LUMO is pioneering the innovation in partnership with:

• MetService, New Zealand’s official provider of safety-critical severe weather information.
• NEMA, the government’s National Emergency Management Agency.
• VML, behaviour change agency.
• Latch, development partner.
• Perion, programmatic DOOH tech platform.

How does it work?

When an area is under a MetService Red or Orange Severe Weather Warnings for Heavy Rain or Strong Winds, digital billboards will display this and safety messaging from NEMA.

A live data feed will keep the billboards up-to-date as conditions change.

If a warning applies to a location with nearby screens, the system automatically generates a context-specific message – such as “Under Orange Warning: Avoid Unnecessary Travel” – and pushes it to digital outdoor media screens in affected areas.

Each warning remains active only for the official warning period, with updates or escalations automatically managed to ensure the messaging remains accurate and relevant.

“MetService is committed to ensuring people receive timely and accurate weather warnings. This partnership is an exciting step to encourage people’s weather preparedness,” says MetService sales manager Kathryn Blackmore.

“The digital billboards will help increase people’s awareness of our severe weather warnings and the action advice from NEMA means people have the information they need to stay safe.”

The system displays warnings only where relevant, targeting them to specific geographical areas, similar to an Emergency Mobile Alert (EMA).

This allows NEMA to display crucial safety information during times where a full-blown EMA isn’t necessary.

LUMO: ‘Digital billboards can serve a public good’

The innovation builds on findings from the 2023 North Island Severe Weather Events, which emphasised the importance of timely and proactive public communication.

It also builds on the belief that digital billboards can serve a public good as well as a commercial one, says LUMO GM of platform and partner strategy Jack Plowright.

“It’s about using the infrastructure we already have in the smartest, most useful way possible.”

NEMA director of civil defence emergency management John Price adds: “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 ensure that when it matters most, New Zealanders see the warnings they need to heed.”

Lumo’s initiative solution

The solution was developed by LUMO and development partner, Latch. It has now been adapted for use in more than 500 digital out of home screens across the country.

LUMO has also brought in other New Zealand-owned DOOH networks including Go Media, VAST, Hyper and Market Media to create a unified national framework for showcasing public safety information.

The reach spans both urban and regional areas, ensuring the system supports both major centres and more remote communities.

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