Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
This week, Talon Outdoor reported the latest findings from their proprietary Out of Home data management platform Ada, which show that roadside journeys throughout the UK are now just 16% below the standard benchmark for the week ending 31st May.
Sophie Pemberton, Group Strategy Director at Talon told us “We’ve read the headlines and seen the crowded parks and beaches, but what Ada shows us as we emerge from lockdown, is that roadside environments are being repopulated first, with some regions now close to normal traffic. Great news for advertisers looking to use OOH to deliver scale”.
Movement and journeys reported by Ada show that Roadside traffic has been steadily rising since the middle of April and throughout May. Regional differences are relatively pronounced, with traffic levels in the South West already having returned to pre-pandemic levels. Border, the North East, and South and South East regions, are following closely with roadside exposure now just 4-6% below normal levels for the period. In London, overall traffic is rising at a slower rate but residential areas which are seeing some of the largest traffic volumes in the UK include Camden, Whitechapel and Streatham.
Despite roadside traffic increasing, transport figures for Rail remain relatively low. Overall UK Rail travel is down by 69%, and the London Underground is operating at -75% below standard usage.
Home location modelling by Ada also shows people are now spending 20% more time out of home compared to the first week of lockdown. Journey behaviours look very different, with commuting patterns now contributing significantly less to the overall traffic count. As lockdown has begun to ease, people are more likely to be travelling to see friends and family instead of making their habitual commutes.
Sophie added “Ada produces powerful audience insight and measurement which, alongside expert OOH knowledge, can deliver more effective campaigns on a national, regional and hyperlocal level. Ada-optimised OOH campaigns consistently produce better brand and business outcomes over and above standard OOH campaigns.”
Visits to Points of Interest also remain relatively flat, as the majority of shops and entertainment venues remain closed. Supermarkets continue to outperform other POI’s, but the next couple of weeks will be critical as schools, shops and businesses gradually re-open across the UK.
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