Securing Power, Protecting Communities: How Mobile Billboards Amplified CENORED’s Copper Cable Theft Awareness Campaign

Client: CENORED × HEKAMIOUTDOOR
Campaign Duration: 6 Months
Primary Locations: Grootfontein, Tsumeb, Okahandja & Otjiwarongo
Media Format: Static Mobile Billboards (6m × 3m, Double-Sided)

Background
Copper cable theft continues to threaten electricity supply reliability across Namibia, leading to power outages, equipment damage and high financial losses. As part of its mandate to ensure consistent power distribution, CENORED strengthened its public awareness campaign against copper cable theft — the fastest-growing form of infrastructure vandalism in its service regions.

To reinforce community vigilance and expand awareness, CENORED deployed a renewed Copper Cable Theft Awareness Campaign across Grootfontein, Tsumeb, Okahandja and Otjiwarongo. HEKAMIOUTDOOR, Namibia’s leading mobile out-of-home (MOOH) media specialist, was appointed to provide high-visibility mobile billboards over a sustained six-month period, ensuring strong message penetration across all zones.

Campaign Objectives
• Raise awareness on the dangers, costs, and impact of copper cable theft.
• Encourage communities to report suspicious activities and theft attempts.
• Strengthen CENORED’s visibility as a proactive electricity distributor.
• Reach urban, peri-urban and informal zones through consistent mobile visibility.
• Reduce vandalism incidents through continuous public education.

Our Strategic Deployment
1. High-Impact Zone Coverage
Mobile billboards were strategically deployed in:
· Grootfontein
· Tsumeb
· Okahandja (Renewed)
· Otjiwarongo (Renewed)

Units were positioned across:
· Town entrances and exits
· Public transport hubs & markets
· Business districts & shopping areas
· Residential & informal settlements
· High-risk vandalism and mobility corridors

2. High-Visibility Billboard Format
· Double-sided 6m × 3m static mobile trailers
· Visible over long distances
· Strong day-and-night readability
· High message retention through rotational exposure

3. Localised Community Integration
The campaign reached:
· Residents and daily commuters
· Workers in high-risk industrial zones
· Informal settlement households
· Youth and vulnerable groups

Mobility allowed a wider reach, including areas without fixed OOH infrastructure.

4. Six-Month Sustained Visibility Cycle
The long deployment ensured:
· Higher message repetition
· Broader daily audience reach
· Constant presence in vandalism hotspots
· Reinforcement of CENORED’s call to action: “Report cable theft — protect your community.”

Campaign Impact
• Expanded Daily Audience Reach
Thousands of daily impressions achieved across all four towns.

• Improved Public Awareness & Vigilance
Communities better understood:
· The connection between cable theft and outages
· Repair costs and economic impact
· Safety risks of exposed electrical systems
· Importance of reporting suspicious behaviour

• Increased CENORED Visibility
Positioned CENORED as an active, community-focused utility.

• Hard-to-Reach Zone Coverage
Mobile units reached informal and dense areas without fixed media structures.

• Strengthened Vigilance in High-Risk Zones
Consistent messaging enhanced sensitivity to vandalism and crime-reporting culture.

Lessons Learned
• Mobility enhances impact and keeps messaging fresh.
• Long-term exposure boosts behavioural change.
• Localised town-level presence strengthens engagement.
• Mobile OOH is essential in mixed settlement environments for crime-prevention efforts.

The Copper Cable Theft Awareness Campaign demonstrated the high value of mobile out-of-home media in protecting infrastructure, influencing community behaviour, and improving public vigilance. Over six months, deployment across Grootfontein, Tsumeb, Okahandja and Otjiwarongo achieved strong, sustained visibility that resonated across diverse communities.

By utilising HEKAMIOUTDOOR’s national mobile billboard network, CENORED successfully mobilised public awareness and reinforced its commitment to safeguarding Namibia’s electricity supply. This campaign stands as a benchmark for future public safety initiatives — proving that when awareness is mobile, community vigilance grows stronger.