Ocean Folds Signature Outdoor into Group Operations

Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

Ocean has announced a realignment of its group structure. The changes come as Ocean enters its next phase of growth following a number of significant key contract wins across the country this year.

All Ocean Group entities will fall under a single operating structure and be traded under the Ocean brand. The new structure takes effect immediately and will be fully implemented by the end of 2017.

The realignment of the Ocean and Signature brands to the single Ocean brand will take effect from Q1 2018.

Under the new structure, responsibility for all revenue streams will come under newly promoted Co-Chief Revenue Officers (CROs) James Harrison and Nick Shaw. In support, Andrew Gibson will head up trading operations across all specialist business and Chris Standish will have special responsibility for Piccadilly Lights and client partnerships.

Additionally, 10 new sales executives will be recruited in the coming months to keep pace with expansion and to ensure service levels are maintained.

The new commercial structure will operate a full-service philosophy of collaborative teams across both specialists and agencies, with increased resource to focus on service levels and growing incremental revenue streams from the out of home space such as content, sponsorship, experiential and mobile across the multiple agency networks and the fast growing independent agency sector.

Westfield London phase 2 launches in March 2018 off the back of a £600 million extension including the second largest full motion screen in London, after Piccadilly Lights. Included in phase 2 will be a 100% upgrade of all Ocean digital assets to the latest screen and interactive technologies including the iconic Eat St and Holland Park Roundabout locations.

Commenting on the contract investment, Ocean chief operating officer Stephen Joseph told us “Our key partners are expanding fast and this requires that we allocate our resources effectively in order to continue to deliver the world class service and commitment to quality that they have come to expect from Ocean over the years.”

Birmingham and Manchester City councils are also expanding their partnership with Ocean through the expansion and upgrade of the Loop full motion street furniture assets. The new single operating structure will be run out of existing offices in London, Manchester and Birmingham.

Ocean Group chief executive officer Tim Bleakley said: “The media landscape is experiencing radical change and as a business we need to embrace this change and ensure we are equipped to serve our customers in a way that helps them exploit the array of new opportunities.”


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