Outdoor Advertising Audience Set To Grow In London
As today marks the expansion of the Congestion Charging zone in central London, CBS Outdoor has said the move will substantially increase Outdoor audience growth.
The company, formally Viacom Outdoor (see Viacom Outdoor To Rebrand In New Year), has brought together a number of data sources to assess the predicted change in public transport usage in the capital.
According to the analysis, the number of journeys made by Tube are set to increase by 56 million in 2006/2007, whilst the number of journeys made by bus in London are up by 23 million over the past year.
Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, estimates that the introduction of the western extension to the charging zone will reduce the number of vehicles on the roads in London by 10-15%. The original Congestion Charge zone in central London has reduced vehicle numbers by 20% since its introduction in 2002.
According to Transport for London, the coming years will see a substantial shift away from car usage in the capital. Public transport usage is set to rise by 14.2% to 10.9 million daily journeys by 2025 and a 9% shift from car usage to public transport is expected.
Total daily journeys by individuals across London are expected to rise by four million to 31.2 million by 2025, all of which will have to be supported by public transport, walking or cycling.
Tim Bleakley, managing director sales & marketing of CBS Outdoor, said: “The impact and reach of London’s transport media is already substantial with 88% of people entering central London during the morning rush hour doing so using public transport.
“The extension of the Congestion Charge along with other environmental initiatives designed to encourage a switch to public transportation will ensure dramatic audience growth into the future.”
He continued: “Against a backdrop of fragmenting broadcast audiences and declining press circulation, Outdoor now has an even greater presence in capturing and captivating consumers on the move.”
In January, CBS Outdoor won £13.5 million worth of business from Titan Outdoor following a series of advertising contract wins, including a five-year contract with train operating company Northern Rail (see CBS Outdoor Takes Rail Business From Titan).
Last year the company accounced the first five advertising partners to launch campaigns on its high definition London Underground ad network (see Big Names Sign Up To Major Digital Outdoor Network).
When the company won an extension to the LU contract last summer, CBS Outdoor’s chief executive, Tom Goddard, announced that the deal would ignite the digital revolution in Outdoor advertising (see Viacom Tube Contract To Lead Digital Ad Revolution).
CBS Outdoor: www.cbsoutdoor.co.uk