Outdoor Media Centre rebrands in bid to change ‘misjudged’ perceptions around out of home

The Outdoor Media Centre has rebranded as Outsmart as it aims to challenge out-dated views on out of home advertising and make it a “must have for brands”.

One of the problems around out of home advertising was that it wasn’t seen as something brands should always consider, Outsmart’s CEO Alan Brydon told Marketing Week.

“There was a warmth towards the medium, but there was no one properly marketing it. Out of home was generally seen as a ‘nice to have, but not a must-have’,” he said.

As a result, the organisation has rebranded today (24 September) in a bid to inform brands and agencies about the potential of the medium while challenging out-dated perceptions.

“There are so many things you can do with the out of home medium that you couldn’t even do a few years ago. You can buy day parts or change the copy depending on weather or traffic flow. We want to tell brands what is possible,” he commented.

Adapting to digital

The medium has also been able to adapt to the digital age, added Brydon.

“The introduction of digital screens has been the biggest leap over the last couple of years, with about 10% of the industry now using them. This means brands can be a lot more flexible when it comes to their creative.”

The medium is also less challenged by technology when compared to its competitors, he added.

“Technology in other media is allowing consumer behaviour to block out advertising. People are installing ad blockers online, newspaper circulations are going down but people aren’t watching the ads on the digital versions,” he explained.

“That isn’t to say they’re not valuable, but they do have their challenges. For us, technology is only making the medium better and more relevant to consumers.”

Figures by the Advertising Assocation and Warc show that out of home had a strong first quarter in 2015, with ad spend rising 9.7% to £229m.

Growth is predicted to continue at 6.3% in 2015 due to ongoing digital advancements, before slowing in 2016 to 4.7%.

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