‘We’re not just putting ads up in the street’: Outsmart on OOH’s public perception problem

Out of home (OOH) advertising needs to do more to communicate its contribution to public infrastructure, according to Outsmart CEO Tim Lumb, after polling released last month found that two-thirds of UK adults were unaware of the public benefits supported by outdoor advertising.

The survey of 2,067 UK adults, conducted online on 29 and 30 July 2026 and commissioned by the OOH trade body, found that 67% were unaware of any public benefits funded or supported by outdoor advertising.

Separately, just one in five (20%) knew that OOH contributes to public infrastructure before taking the survey.

Awareness of specific community benefits was also low. Just 21% knew OOH helps fund bus shelters, while 13% knew it contributes to public Wi-Fi and phone services. Only one in 10 (10%) knew that it supports public defibrillators.

The polling also suggested that communicating these benefits could improve perceptions of the medium.

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of respondents said they would be more supportive of OOH after learning about its contribution to the UK economy, local infrastructure and public services. Six in 10 (60%) agreed that outdoor advertising provides a valuable public service.

Speaking to The Media Leader, Lumb said the findings highlighted the need for the industry to better communicate the benefits it brings to communities.

“There’s definitely an awareness job that we as an industry need to do,” he said, adding that the results did not surprise him but provided evidence to help inform the industry’s efforts to promote OOH’s wider contribution.

Where does ad spend actually go? OOH’s public infrastructure argument

Awareness among politicians and advertisers

Building political support is a key priority for Outsmart, with Lumb arguing that policymakers may also lack awareness of the role OOH plays in funding public infrastructure.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if, on some level, politicians don’t get it either,” he said. “We’ve got to build that political advocacy for the medium to say, hey, look, we’re not just putting ads up in the street, we’re actually putting bus shelters in.”

Lumb also acknowledged that advertisers may be unaware of the sector’s wider social contribution. He said media owners and agencies had a role to play in educating brands about how OOH could fit into their corporate responsibility strategies.

He pointed to Outsmart’s research with PwC, which found that 46p in every pound spent on OOH goes back into the UK economy.

“I think the OOH industry could lean into OOH social contribution a bit more and frame it in terms of being around providing public services, as well as being an effective advertising channel that’s full of creativity,” he said.

Lumb said Outsmart wanted the findings to encourage more communication about how advertising revenue is reinvested in places where people live, work and travel.

Variation by age and location

The research found that awareness differed across demographic groups, with younger respondents more likely to know about the sector’s contribution than older age groups.

More than a third (36%) of 18- 24-year-olds were aware of OOH’s contribution to public infrastructure, compared with 15% of those aged 55-64.

Awareness was also higher among urban residents (22%) than those living in rural areas (13%). London recorded the highest awareness at 28%, followed by Scotland at 24%, while the South East had the lowest awareness among the areas cited, at 14%.

Lumb said the findings would help Outsmart identify where awareness was lowest and inform its conversations with policymakers, advertisers and the wider public.