Abstract

The shift to the 4^th Industrial Revolution (4IR) is said to have potential to increase productivity and improve the quality of life. In the context of the Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising industry, the 4IR era is characterised by using emerging technologies to provide targeted advertising. Without the shift, the industry runs the risk of losing out on revenue growth prospects that are brought about by the adoption of emerging technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), big data, machine learning and advanced real imaging technology. The aim of the study was to investigate and highlight the main actors, state of play and constraints of the South African OOH industry in relation to the shift towards the 4IR era. Coupled with the use of a technology adoption model, a customised framework was developed on how a South African OOH advertising organisation could go about transitioning towards the 4IR. The successful outcome of the research project would increase the body of knowledge of 4IR transformation strategies in an industry in which limited research has been done. The theory covered applies not only to the OOH advertising industry but could be beneficial to other industries through its contribution to the technology adoption theory.

Key words: Advertising, out of home, fourth industrial revolution, emerging technologies, technology adoption.