OOH contributes over £400m to public services
A report from PwC has found that the UK OOH industry provides £411m to support public services
Shining a spotlight on the industry
Monday, 13 Nov 2023 15:29 GMT
Businesses involved in the report include Clear Channel UK, Ocean Outdoor, and JCDecaux
Several out-of-home (OOH) companies along with trade association, Outsmart, have highlighted statistics from a report undertaken by PwC that shows that 46% of revenue spent on OOH goes back into the local community.
The report commissioned by Outsmart was intended to summarise the positive impact that the UK OOH industry has on the economy and society.
In recent years organisations such as Adfree Cities have ramped up campaigns against corporate advertising and the installation of digital and six-sheet billboards.
Following a survey sent to UK OOH media owners the report states that the industry has invested around £1.1bn in public infrastructure, with £411m being contributed in 2021 to services, communities, and employees.
The investment includes the installation and maintenance of structures like bus shelters and phone boxes, including those that do not include advertising.
PwC is a professional solutions company that
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The report states that the broader economic contribution includes the employment of around 2,000 people and around £202m in rent and revenue being invested and re-circulated into the economy.
Tim Lumb, director of Outsmart, comments: “This report highlights out-of-home is not just about fantastic advertising, it’s also about investing in our relationship with the public by providing highly valued services up and down the country and supporting good causes.”
Recently Adfree Cities has set its sights against Black Friday advertising, greenwash, and advertising from fossil fuel companies.
The organisation recently toured the country with a specially decorated bus called ‘The Hell Bus’, a play on the Shell brand which it has been criticised for greenwashing users and continuing to support the use of environmentally damaging fossil fuels.
Recently Somerset Council adopted a new advertising policy which calls for the advertising of fossil fuel and flight-related advertising in the area.
The report from PwC highlights that OOH media owners have increased the share of renewables to over 90% while maintaining similar levels of electricity consumption.
The industry is reportedly reducing its
environmental footprint through its advertising structures
Companies surveyed such as JCDecaux, Global, and Clear Channel have all made emission reduction commitments with Clear Channel UK aiming to reach Net Zero targets by 2030 and 2045.
Businesses have also committed to reducing the use of raw materials and using more electric vehicles.
The report also highlights the implementation of items like BT Street Hubs and defibrillators across UK high streets by companies like Global and JCDecaux.
The OOH industry’s efforts to support charities and public movements have also been showcased as PwC estimates around £29m has been used to support charities and communities through discounted or donated media space and staff volunteering.
Andy Lobo, senior manager at PwC, concludes: “The out-of-home sector has long benefitted both advertisers and local communities as demonstrated by the wide range of OOH media owner investments and initiatives - from funding public infrastructure through to celebrating and promoting diversity on advertising screens across the country.
“It is exciting to see the sector making progress in tackling a broader set of environmental and social challenges too.”
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