JCDecaux has announced there are now programmatic digital capabilities at all of its environments across roadside, retail, rail and airport locations in the UK.
This comes after the world’s biggest outdoor media owner added programmatic in May and June 2022 at Tesco and Heathrow.
Its total portfolio of digital screens across the UK is now at 1,300 with a digital presence in every city in the top 30. It has now fully “digitised” 17 cities across the country, up from five in 2019.
JCDecaux also announced at its upfronts (12 October) that it now has large-format digital billboards in 11 cities, including London, compared to six in 2019.
Additionally, it has expanded its portfolio of screens in Tesco stores from 100 to 500 stores, making it the largest digital out-of-home screen network in the UK.
Big cities ‘vital’ for brand advertisers
The upfronts also offered insight in to changing consumer behaviour. The importance of the biggest cities for reaching audiences was analysed through mobile data from Experian which found 83% of people visited a top 60 city every month
The movement of eight million mobile users across a month also revealed 70% had visited at least one of the top 30 cities.
The data also demonstrated that by advertising in Manchester this would also deliver 71% reach of Stockport and 62% of Rochdale.
Sustainability ‘high on the agenda’
JCDecaux UK disclosed that sustainability was a consideration of “an increasing number” of its contracts. For instance, in Manchester for every digital screen installed, JCDecaux will plant five trees and has also provided a community fund to support social impact initiatives.
All of its digital screens are powered by “green electricity” and it has validated its approach through international ratings agencies like: Carbon Disclosure Project (A-list), FTSE4Good (4.2 out of 5), Morgan Stanley Capital Investment (AAA rating) and Ecovadis (Gold).
Mark Bucknell, chief commercial officer at JCDecaux UK said: “Sustainability is a priority for us — all our screens are powered by green energy, we are reducing our impacts and around 50% of our revenues go back into the community as we develop products that enhance lives in cities — including our lifesaving defibrillators that have over 300 activations so far.”
He added: “As our investment shows, we are committed to cities and this is why we believe that 2023 will be the year of the public screen, a time when clients will need to maintain their brand and drive sales and metrics through the brand funnel, creating real value through the power of the public screen.”
