Talon Outdoor: how digital is boosting UK Out of Home spend

By Luke Willbourn

Trade body Outsmart recently announced the final figures for 2019, showing annual OOH revenue in the UK, was up 7.6 per cent from 2018 at £1.3 billion. The last quarter of 2019 was also the most successful, with a 23 per cent increase on Q3 2019 and 15 per cent increase compared to Q4 2018.

Boosted by strong media owner investment over 2019, the industry as a whole has continued to grow and transform the sector, creating an ever more advanced approach to the medium and providing advertisers with limitless creative opportunity backed by data and evidence of return on investment.

Digital OOH in particular performed well in Q4 2019 with significant growth of 14.8 per cent (year on year), accounting for a whopping 58 per cent of total Q4 OOH revenue. Over the course of the year DOOH had its strongest year yet accounting for 53 per cent of OOH spend, up three per cent on 2018.

This sustained increasing spend in OOH demonstrates the power of this broadcast medium, and its ability to continually stand out in a fragmented market. Coupled with the advances in AdTech, not only for providing optimised plans that accurately identify target audiences, but also measure impact and effect, OOH will continue to be a vital medium for advertisers.

Going into 2020, we expect to see the rise in digital OOH to continue, driven by both advertiser demand and media owner investment. The endless possibilities for targeted cross-channel integration made possible by digital OOH, is helping advertisers to plan smarter campaigns with greater evidence and effectiveness at their disposal.

At Talon we have found that combining multiple and full-motion formats can help to double OOH effectiveness. Integrating this power with other media such as TV, social and digital channels, through scalable content opportunities, opens a new world of possibilities. As the reach of digital OOH grows, so can the stronger support for other mediums creating a more effective advertising ecosystem.

For clients the continuing efficiencies driven by a strong programme of investment in the medium and widespread adoption of technology has enabled smarter, more creative campaigns.

Luke Willbourn is Chief Client Officer at Talon Outdoor.