Classic Out of Home: key to OOH Golden Age

Supplied. World Out of Home Organization (WOO) president Tom Goddard addresses delegates at the WOO's Global Congress in Toronto

However, while Classic OOH plays a key role in the increase of the entire OOH global sector media share, it is digital OOH that is taking centre stage.

"Digital is an area where OOH continues to perform strongly and the focus of billions in investment. But we shouldn't forget the other key strand of OOH – classic,” says World Out of Home Organization (WOO) president Tom Goddard.

Goddard told 400 delegates at the recent WOO's Global Congress in Toronto that striking the right balance between classic (classic) OOH and all-conquering digital is one of the keys to sector growth for the medium.

One of the keynote speakers at the Congress, Sean Reilly, CEO of the US's Lamar Advertising, the biggest OOH company in the world by value ($13bn.) agrees with him, saying that striking such a balance would create another "Golden Age of OOH".

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Could do better

Yet, despite its strong recovery from the pandemic, when sales "sank like a stone," OOH is losing ground to the digital tidal wave.

"We can rightly sing about the growth of DOOH and programmatic trading but when we factor in the fortunes of classic OOH, I am reminded of my school report which all too often said: 'Doing fine but could do better,” he says.

"For sure, some of this is due to digital conversion but it still seems to me that classic doesn’t get the love it deserves. You can’t deny that we have a much clearer vision for DOOH than we do for classic OOH, which, after all, still accounts for two thirds of our global revenues,” he told delegates.

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No standard definition

"For example, we don’t even have a standard definition for classic. We call it by five or more different names: classic, traditional, analog, paper and static.

“And the last name on this list – static, is for me the absolute worst. If you Google it, you’ll find this definition: 'lacking in movement, action, or change, especially in a way viewed as undesirable or uninteresting’,” he continues.

"Hardly a flattering description for what remains a hugely powerful and creative channel.

“And one which has a key role to play as we set our sights on a global sector media share taking OOH through six percent (its current share) to the level its performance for advertisers deserves,” he adds.