The global out-of-home (OOH) industry has recovered the ground lost in the pandemic but the industry needs to raise its game according to outgoing World Out of Home Organization president Tom Goddard.
Speaking at the WOO Global Congress this week, he warned the sector needs to get from maintaining global share at around 5% to 10% by 2030 via incremental 1% annual increases.
More than 500 delegates gathered in Lisbon to hear that the keys to driving growth in OOH are: reducing the number of sales points/media owners, through greater consolidation; curbing AdTech proliferation which complicates factors like automation with too many middlemen in the process of buying and selling; creating common standards and language to amplify and describe the benefits of OOH; and dramatically improving uneven audience measurement around the world.
Goddard, who has headed WOO and its predecessor FEPE International for six years, also announced his intention to step down after a further year in line with WOO’s progressive board rotation policy. He was instrumental in the transformation of 60-year old trade body FEPE into WOO and its growth to 200 corporate members including 27 national trade association members, from zero six years ago.
On global market share for OOH Goddard said: “So now let’s look again at that 5% flat-lining share I hate so much. I call it ‘The 5% Syndrome’. Why is it, with all the investment we’re making in digital screen conversions, in AdTech, and in high calibre executive hires, we are not gaining share. Some of you might rightly point out that other legacy media channels, especially print, have lost huge chunks of share to online, whilst OOH has held its position quite well. That’s true but on my travels around the world, when I look at the impact of our channel, everywhere, I can’t help feeling we’re worth much more than 5%.”
Elsewhere members of WOO’s new Sustainability Task Force, under blowUP Media CEO Katrin Robertson, appeared on a panel to outline a plan to create a practical tool kit for OOH companies of all sizes to improve their environmental performance.
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