Ordinary Agency · Landowner proposal
Turn your static billboard into a digital asset.
We fund the conversion. We manage the approvals. We carry the delivery risk. You contribute the site — nothing else.
The opportunity
A static face earns a fixed return. A digital one sells the same space ten times over.
A static billboard is a fixed asset earning a fixed return — one advertiser, one message, one rate, for as long as the vinyl stays up.
A digital face sells the same physical space eight to ten times over. Advertisers rotate on a loop, campaigns change without a site visit, and short-term bookings become possible.
The barrier has always been capital. A digital conversion costs $150,000 to $250,000, plus an approvals process most landowners have neither the time nor the appetite to navigate.
We remove both barriers. We fund the entire conversion, manage the approvals process end to end, and carry all of the delivery risk.
One message. One rate. Changed only by a site visit.
1 revenue stream10 rotating slots on a 120-second loop — 8 commercial, 2 reserved for community and charity.
10 revenue streamsThe proposition
Six steps, and no landowner capital in any of them.
- We assess your billboard against Main Roads and local planning criteria before either party commits.
- We fund and lodge the development application at our cost.
- Subject to approval, we fund and manage the full digital build.
- Advertising revenue first repays our build capital — typically within 6 to 12 months.
- From that point, revenue is split 50/50 with you for the balance of a 10-year lease.
- Revenue is reconciled and paid to you quarterly, with a full performance and account report each quarter.
Case study
178A Stirling Highway, Nedlands
A double-sided site we managed for 26 months — including a static-to-digital conversion we delivered ourselves.
The site
A double-sided billboard on Stirling Highway, in one of Perth's highest-value western-suburbs corridors — traffic running toward Dalkeith, Nedlands, Peppermint Grove and Claremont.
- East-facing screen — already digital when we took over management in December 2023
- West-facing screen — a static billboard, which we converted to digital in January 2025
What we delivered
- Took over advertising management of the site in December 2023
- Coordinated the full west-screen conversion end to end, managing the installation contractor
- Filled and maintained a 10-slot rotation on each screen — eight commercial, two reserved for community and charity content
- Held signed contracts with premium local advertisers across property, real estate and professional services
- Engaged two media sales agencies to maintain a forward booking pipeline
- Issued monthly performance reporting, a full transaction account summary and a tax invoice, every month for 26 months
The converted west screen went live on 7 February 2025 — with paying advertisers from day one. No ramp-up, no vacant inventory, no lag between capital spend and revenue.
How we fill the screen
The screen only earns if the slots are sold.
Exactly how we do it — six channels, running at once, from the day the screen goes live.
Existing agency relationships
Ordinary Agency already runs digital campaigns for local businesses — the first place a new screen gets sold.
Media sales partnerships
Working relationships with outdoor media agencies carrying their own advertiser books.
The screen sells itself
Unsold slots run our own 'advertise here' creative — reaching exactly who's driving past.
A dedicated site page
Location, traffic data, rate card and a booking enquiry form for inbound interest.
Direct local outreach
We approach the advertisers who pay best — usually within a few kilometres of the site.
Community & charity slots
Reserved inventory that builds goodwill and steady commercial enquiry.
The Stirling Highway roster — 10 rotating slots per screen
How the deal works
Two phases. No landowner capital at any point.
First 6–12 months
Phase 1 — Capital recovery
All revenue, after direct operating costs, repays the build capital until it is recovered in full.
Remainder of the term
Phase 2 — 10-year revenue share
Once capital is repaid, revenue splits 50/50 with you for the remainder of the 10-year term, reconciled and paid quarterly.
Phase 1 — Capital recovery
- All advertising revenue, after direct operating costs, repays the build capital until it is recovered in full
- On rates comparable to Stirling Highway, a fully tenanted screen supports payback within 6 to 12 months
- The recoverable capital amount is a fixed dollar figure stated in the agreement, so you know from day one exactly what must be repaid
- An 18-month longstop applies: if capital is not fully recovered by month 18, the 50/50 split begins regardless, and any shortfall carries against our share alone
Phase 2 — Revenue share
- Once capital is repaid, revenue splits 50/50 with you for the remainder of the 10-year term, reconciled and paid quarterly
Why an equal split? The risk is not equal, and it is not carried by you — we fund the application, absorb the loss if it is refused, fund the build, and wear the payback period before we see a dollar of profit. You contribute the site and carry nothing.
What comes off the top
Every deduction, itemised.
Advertising revenue is a gross figure. Direct operating costs are deducted before any split, in both phases — each a third-party invoiced cost we can evidence on request.
| Operating cost | Per quarter | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Power | $400 – $900 | 200–600 W/m² at full brightness; overnight auto-dim cuts draw to roughly 30% |
| Insurance | $600 – $1,250 | Property, public liability and loss of income |
| Servicing & cleaning | $300 – $800 | Annual inspection and face wash, annualised across the year |
| Data / connectivity | $120 | Screen uplink for remote content delivery |
| CMS licence | $90 | Scheduling and content management platform |
| Reactive repairs | As required | ~$1,100 per after-hours attendance; $350–$900 per module out of warranty |
| Indicative total | $1,510 – $3,160 | Per quarter, excluding reactive repairs |
Indicative only — we model these precisely for your site, and give you the figures, before anything is signed.
Our management is not a deduction. We take no retainer, management fee or overhead off the top — our 50% share is our entire compensation. Third-party media sales commission, where applicable, is disclosed at an agreed rate in the lease.
Why this is a strong deal — and what has to be true
The benefits to you, and the conditions we owe you honesty about.
Why this is a strong deal for a landowner
- Zero capital at risk. We fund the application and the build. If approval is refused, we absorb the loss, not you
- No operational burden. Approvals, construction, advertiser sales, creative management, billing and maintenance are all ours
- A materially better asset. A digital face multiplies the number of advertisers a single structure can carry
- Transparent quarterly reporting. Full performance, account summary and payment every quarter — to the standard we maintained monthly for 26 months on Stirling Highway
- Proven delivery. We have converted a static face to digital and had it earning from its first day of operation
1. Regulatory approval
- Requires approval from Main Roads WA where the sign is visible from a state road, and separate planning approval from local government
- Main Roads assesses sign area, luminance and dimming, content dwell time, and proximity to intersections and driver decision points
- Some local governments restrict third-party advertising under their local planning policy — we assess this before spending a dollar on your site
- We carry this risk. If approval is refused, you are not liable for any cost incurred
2. Site suitability
- Traffic volume and sightline quality sufficient to command digital rates
- Structural capacity, or a viable rebuild path, for the digital panel and its wind loading
- Practical power supply — some sites require an upgraded connection
- No competing signage restriction attaching to the title or the existing approval
3. Commercial terms
- A 10-year lease is required to justify the capital at risk
- Recoverable capital is a fixed dollar figure, with an 18-month longstop after which the 50/50 split begins regardless
- Direct operating costs deducted are limited to the listed categories, each evidenced by invoice on request
- Revenue reconciled quarterly, with payment and a full account statement after each quarter's end
- Termination rights and protections on a sale of the land are documented in full before anything is signed
- The structure is fully insured — public liability, property and loss of income — for the life of the term
- Asset ownership at end of term is agreed in writing, along with a first opportunity to negotiate any subsequent agreement
Questions you should ask
The answers we would give before you have to ask.
What happens if the application is refused?
You owe nothing. We fund the development application, the traffic and planning work behind it, and any consultant reports required. If Main Roads or the council refuses it, we absorb that cost in full.
Why is the split 50/50 rather than more in my favour?
Because we carry the entire downside — the approvals, the build, and the payback period — before we earn a cent of profit. You contribute the site and take no financial risk at any stage.
Do I receive anything during the payback period?
Revenue during Phase 1 is applied to recovering the build capital, so payments begin once that is complete — typically 6 to 12 months, and no later than month 18 under the longstop. A minimum quarterly payment from day one can be structured in if it matters to you.
What if I sell the property?
The lease is documented so it survives a sale and binds a future owner — protecting our capital, and adding a contracted income stream to what you are selling.
How do I know when the capital has actually been repaid?
The recoverable capital is a stated dollar figure in the agreement, not an open-ended total, and each quarterly statement shows the balance outstanding. The 18-month longstop caps how long that can run.
Who owns the screen at the end of the 10 years?
You do. We will be straight about what that is worth: LED screens run roughly 8 to 12 years, so by year 10 the panel will be near end of life. The real value transferring is the structure, the approval, and a proven site.
What happens after the 10 years?
The screen and structure are yours to do with as you like. We would want to fund a new screen and continue — the lease gives us first opportunity to negotiate before you go to market, not a right to match anyone else's offer. If a replacement makes sense earlier, we would fund it in exchange for an extension.
What if you cannot sell the advertising?
Then we do not recover our capital, and the loss is ours. That is why we assess traffic, sightlines and demand before committing — and on Stirling Highway we filled 20 slots across two screens with the converted screen earning from day one.
How do I know the revenue figures are accurate?
Every quarter you receive a performance report, a full transaction summary and your payment — the same standard we produced monthly for 26 months on Stirling Highway, delivered quarterly to keep admin light on both sides.
Do I have any say over what is advertised?
Yes. Category exclusions are agreed in the lease before we start selling, and we reserve slots for community and charity content, as we did on Stirling Highway.
What if the structure damages property or injures someone?
The structure is fully insured for the life of the term — public liability, property and loss of income — and engineered and certified for wind loading, with your interest noted on the policy.
How long does the whole process take?
Approvals are the variable stage and can run several months. Construction is comparatively quick. We give you an indicative timeline for your site before you commit to anything.
Next steps
Four steps, and the first one costs you nothing.
- Site assessment — we review your billboard and give you a straight answer on viability, at no cost.
- Indicative numbers — we model expected advertiser demand, build cost and payback period for your site.
- Heads of agreement — terms documented and agreed before any application is lodged.
- Application and build — we take it from there.
The site does not change. The economics do.
We have already taken a static face on Stirling Highway, converted it, and had it earning from day one. We are looking for the next site to do it on.
The site assessment costs you nothing and we will give you a straight answer either way.