A new joint study has highlighted how out-of-home advertising reinvests revenues into London; the circular economy, local infrastructure and diverse initiatives.
In the study Out-of-home Advertising: The Giving Back Story, outdoor media companies Clear Channel, Global, JCDecaux, Outsmart and Transport for London (TfL) collaborated to quantify the impact out-of-home (OOH) media has on communities, infrastructure and environment in the capital.
In 2021/2022 TfL generated £97m in revenue from commercial activity including its advertising estate, which is the equivalent of 38.8 million Zone 1 Tube Journeys.
John Pizzamiglio, lead for advertising strategy at Transport for London said: “Every pound that TfL raises through commercial activity is re-invested straight back into the network to help keep London moving.”
The report found that the OOH sector gave “substantial funding” to local authorities and transport companies to invest back into improved public services. Between 2008-2017 the UK OOH industry invested a total of £710m in installing and maintaining public infrastructure.
Funding from OOH enabled the construction of new street furniture including specially designed automated external defibrillators which have been used 343 times across London and beyond.
There are 4G connected bus shelters in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and wider across London and the country there are “Street Hubs” which offer free wifi, calls, rapid device charging and touchscreen tablets to find local information and a dedicated 999 service button.
There were also case studies around air filters providing clean air zones in Marylebone station and integrated sensors monitoring air quality on streets in Barking and Dagenham.
OOH companies are getting involved in environmental initiatives like using 100% renewable energy on media owned sites, cultivating biodiversity with Living Roofs at 1,000 Bee Bus Stops, and investing in re-greening and rejuvenation projects in different areas.
The OOH sector also supported more than 330 small businesses or start-ups and more than 100 charities across London in 2022. A total of 250 free digital campaigns were also awarded to local business owners supporting communities throughout the pandemic.
The report also made the case that OOH is not only one of the strongest channels for delivering inclusive messages, but also one of the best at reaching diverse audiences citing examples of campaigns from LGBTQ+ History Month, murder of George Floyd (Cephas William and Mind), British Sign Language and Microsoft.
Stephen Woodford, CEO of the Advertising Association, said: “OOH is a brilliant example of how advertising stimulates economic growth while also giving back to society through the investment it funds in our towns and cities…. the power of OOH advertising is reflected in its ability to empower small local brands, transform opinions as well as pave the way for a more circular economy.”
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Playout is Outsmart’s new system to centralise and standardise playout reporting data across all outdoor media owners in the UK.
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