Armel KOFFI heads the Abidjan-based communications agency Origin7. He is also a director of Varley Halls, SolarPak, and Splash (the company behind the online support platform www.succes-assure.com). Armel KOFFI cut his teeth at major African communications agencies before launching his own business in 2011, at a time when Côte d'Ivoire was going through a post-election crisis.
What does Nymba do?
Nymba is an initiative led by the advertising agency Varley Halls, which is run by a young man with a passion for communications and digital technology.
Varley Halls offers advertising space: 4×3 roadside billboards and others, wall facades, rooftops, and water towers through its web application for reserving advertising space: www.nymba.ci
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In what context did you launch this project?
The www.nymba.ci platform is the result of two years of hard work to make a dream come true. A dream we have had since our early years in the communications business, 10 years ago. Behind the beautiful campaigns you see displayed around the city lies a real obstacle course for advertisers and communications agencies. Why?
Firstly, because you have to obtain a network of spaces available during the campaign period. To do this, you have to contact the hundred or so advertising agencies in Côte d'Ivoire and ask them to send you their availability. And they are not all very responsive…
– For the few that do send you their network, you have to pray that the format is at least a PowerPoint document with images of the available spaces, otherwise you'll have to deal with an Excel file that only gives you an indication of where the spaces are located.
– Next, you have to sort through it all, make choices without any data to help you decide, and get it approved. While you're doing this work, remember that you're not the only one. Once you have an approved network, there's a 90% chance that some spaces will no longer be available. Then you have to do it all over again.
– In the end, you are left with a default network, with no way of checking the performance of your campaign since you have no data for that.
And imagine that this perilous journey is the daily reality for communications professionals throughout Africa and perhaps even around the world.
It was necessary to think about making this daily routine easier and more convenient for the entire ecosystem.
Hence the NYMBA initiative.
What are its ambitions?
Nymba aims to become the tool of choice for booking, purchasing space, and developing smart, cost-effective poster campaigns in Côte d'Ivoire, Africa, and around the world in the short term.
What needs can this digital tool meet?
Nymba meets several needs:
The ecosystem itself needed a tool to facilitate the work of its players. We needed to digitize the environment and all stages of the process. Today, with Nymba, advertisers can gain visibility for their brands, products, and institutions. More optimal visibility. They can rise above the rest and have a more comprehensive view of their poster campaigns.
With Nymba, the entire process of purchasing poster space is simplified, and it provides data for decision-making.
With Nymba, the entire process of purchasing advertising space is simplified and it provides data for decision-making.
Who is involved in this project?
We have involved the regulatory authorities in this project. We met with the Minister of Digital Economy and Postal Services and the CSP (Conseil Supérieur de la Publicité, or Higher Advertising Council), and we contacted the CAFCI (Chambre des afficheurs de Côte d'Ivoire, or Chamber of Advertisers of Côte d'Ivoire). We also collaborated with ONEP to manage part of their national network of water towers for advertising purposes.
We also involved advertising agencies that own billboard space and are registered and approved by the Higher Advertising Council.
What types of data does this tool use?
We worked with a specialist operator to collect data and estimates based on average daily traffic on selected roads.
How was this tool received by stakeholders?
It was received 100% positively,
both by the stakeholders we met and by the national and international press.
Can you describe the advertising ecosystem in Côte d'Ivoire?
The advertising market has a total turnover of more than 30 billion CFA francs.
Before the advertising billboard clean-up program was launched recently, there were nearly 70 consulting agencies, 177 advertising agencies, and more than 8,000 roadside billboards. The clean-up aims to ban the unregulated installation of billboards and regulate them by reducing their number to around 3,000.
Nymba has registered 1,000 of the 3,000 existing billboards.