Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
Calling 2013 a “brilliant year” for outdoor advertising, Nancy Fletcher, president of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, today released the OAAA annual report in which she says, “The efforts and achievements of 2013 have set the foundation for an even brighter 2014 – the year OOH may break the market-share barrier to reach 5% of total ad spend.”
She notes that OOH revenue continues to grow. OOH revenue was up 4.4% in the first nine months of 2013, reaching $5.3 billion and making it the second fastest growing advertising medium in the U.S.. With data support from research and insight firms Kantar and Miller Kaplan, OOH has seen 14 consecutive quarters of revenue growth.
The report deals extensively with all the major work and events of the OAAA, many of which were mentioned in our recent interview with Fletcher.
Among the many points noted is OAAA’s intervention on behalf of the industry in the Scenic America v. U.S. DOT lawsuit. {Last Jan. 23, Scenic America filed a lawsuit challenging the Federal Highway Administration’s 2007 Guidance to the states on regulating digital billboards. On October 23, US District Court Judge James Boasberg ruled that Scenic America had ‘standing’ to sue the government. The judge later set a briefing schedule through April, 2014. OAAA intervened in the case on behalf of the outdoor advertising industry.) The outcome of this suit is obviously extremely important to the entire industry.
“While there is a threat to digital billboards in Washington, we’ll work as a united industry to find a solution,” Fletcher says.
The united stand of the entire industry under the OAAA umbrella is highlighted in numerous other instances throughout the optimistic report. Among other points, it notes:
- Groundbreaking campaigns such as Samsung’s use of mobile engagement to Twinkie’s tease and reveal reintroduction to the world;
- The industry’s successful collaboration with the FBI with outdoor campaigns to help apprehend criminals;
- That studies are available that show that OOH is the perfect strategic complement to social and mobile technology;
- The OAA’s growing Advocacy toolbox, including enhanced website; a suite of marketing, sales, and advocacy videos; development and deployment of an advertising and marketing college curriculum to recruit fresh talent; and a seller’s curriculum was designed to improve the skills of OOH sales professionals; An exhaustive OAAA-sponsored analysis of property records in Tampa, FL, that showed that billboards did not impact property values.
The report highlights the work of various councils and committees, as well as the industry’s huge work with various charities. A section on the Foundation for Outdoor advertising Research and Education is also included.
In 2014, Fletcher says that the industry is planning a historic, unprecedented national campaign that will showcase the power of OOH like never before.
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