Every now and then we like to highlight a new IAB New Zealand Member we think our community will find interesting. Today we meet Lohnêt Waugh, Group Business Director VAST Billboards.
Please give us some historical background about VAST Billboards as a company:
VAST is a true-blue, New Zealand owned and operated business built on grit, good humour, and a whole lot of billboard love. Papa Bear Grant (Managing Director) and Mama Bear Louise (Finance Director) launched the company just before lockdown - because what better time to start an out-of-home business, right? Through plenty of adversity, they’ve built something remarkable: a premium national digital billboard network underpinned by quality, integrity, and good old-fashioned Kiwi resilience. Their ability to weather the storm and grow a thriving, people-first business says everything about their character. That spirit runs deep across the team - including Baby Bear Ivana who looks after the Wellington and Christchurch agencies - and is one of the many reasons I wanted to join “the VAST family.” You’ll find Grant and Louise right alongside us day-to-day, leading from the front and trusting their people to keep driving innovation, quality, and connection across New Zealand.
Do you have a hero product or service that you're most proud of?
Our hero is without a doubt our premium regional reach. Every VAST billboard - whether in Auckland, Ashburton, and everywhere in between - is built to the same exacting quality from the same manufacturer. We’ve drawn a line in the sand when it comes to quality: no cutting corners, no second-tier screens for smaller towns. VAST gives brands of all sizes the opportunity to reach Kiwis across the country through high-quality digital out-of-home, connecting metro and regional audiences seamlessly.
Tell us a bit about your company's mission and vision:
We complete - we don’t compete. Our mission is to build a network that helps brands speak to the nation - giving them the ability to reach all Kiwis, not just those in the big cities. We exist to complement, not replicate what’s already in market, offering advertisers true national scale and meaningful local connection.
If you could invite three people, dead or alive, to dinner who would they be?
Elvis Presley – I’ve always been a sucker for a dirty old rocker, and when you listen to any of the greats talk about their roots, they all seem to circle back to Elvis as the original source of inspiration. Plus, you just know dinner would turn into a bit of a sing-along. Victoria Beckham – the woman has some absolute classic one-liners and incredible wit. I reckon she’d be a great giggle over a glass (or bottle) of wine. My Grandad – he passed away when my dad was only five, so I never had the chance to meet him. I’d just love to know who he was.
What's the best piece of advice you've ever received, or like to share with others?
I’ve always liked Bill Murray’s saying: “I’m suspicious of people who don’t like dogs, but I trust a dog when it doesn’t like a person".
To find out more about VAST Billboards and what their team is up to check out their website here