Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
2024 has been a highly successful year for Out of Home (OOH). According to the latest WARC/AA report, OOH advertising spend has grown by 16.7% in H1 and is predicted to grow by 12% year on year in 2024. Also ending the year on a high, Clear Channel UK, one of the UK’s leading OOH media and infrastructure companies, shared their wins of 2024 and unveiled the game plan for 2025 at their recent annual Upfront event.
Richard Bon, UK Managing Director & Europe Commercial Lead at Clear Channel, said: “Clear Channel’s purpose to be both a Platform for Brands and a Platform for Good is all about delivering more impact for advertisers, more value for communities, and less impact on the planet. In 2024, we brought this to life through the continued expansion of our digital estate that has grown faster than any other OOH media owner’s – now at 5,000 screens and counting – whilst providing over £100 million in investment, funding, and value into councils, transport authorities, and local communities around the UK.”
So, what’s behind Clear Channel’s winning formula and how can advertisers best leverage Out of Home in 2025?
Thinking differently about reach
Brands need sustained reach to drive growth and Out of Home plays an undisputed role in delivering national reach, with Clear Channel reaching 90% of the UK population, representing 49 million unique adults every fortnight.
When thinking about national reach, advertisers should remember that most people do not live in London. In fact, around 58 million people (85% of the UK population) live outside London. Because of this, when planning campaigns, advertisers should consider if their 2025 media plans are truly reaching all their existing or potential customers around the UK to avoid London bias.
Clear Channel’s continued investment in their digital estate has been focused on helping advertisers to deliver that all-important national reach. Adshel Live has been at the forefront of this national expansion, with 400 brand new sites added in 2024, featuring 50% more energy-efficient screens, and cementing it as the UK’s no.1 DOOH network for reach, impacts, and unique cover.
The game plan for 2025
Reach continues to be an essential part of brand-building and consistency is key. By supporting a consistent level of reach across the year, brands can maintain buyers’ mental availability – a brand’s propensity to be thought of in a buying situation. As Byron Sharp says, maximising the cumulative reach among category buyers should be every advertiser’s and every planner’s main objective. Importantly, brands should be strategically targeting light category buyers as they form the bulk of the buyers in the market.
Marketing strategies to grow market share should consider all parts of the consumer journey and proximity-based advertising helps to close the loop by reinforcing physical availability among consumers. In 2025, OOH will continue to play an increasingly prominent role in retail media. Clear Channel has been fast growing its retail presence across the Sainsbury’s Live network to include 420 front-of-store and 400 in-store screens in 2025. Alongside Adshel Live, Billboard Live, ASDA Live, Malls Live, and Storm networks, Clear Channel is the go-to player from reach to retail, with both extensive national footprint and store proximity.
Growth underpinned by purpose
By investing in OOH advertising, brands can not only deliver on their marketing objectives but give back to local communities along the way. With 46p in every £1 reinvested back into national and local economies (Outsmart/PWC), no other media channel gives back like Out of Home.
Clear Channel chooses to support more charities and compelling causes than any other OOH media owner. In 2024, the company donated £29 million worth of media space to 70+ organisations, which is £3 million more than in the previous year. From celebrating 20 years of partnership with the King’s Trust to commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Bristol Bus Boycott, Clear Channel continues to drive social impact at a national level and in local communities alike.
As an infrastructure business, Clear Channel works with more than 180 councils and transport authorities around the UK, maintaining 30,000 bus shelters in the UK. The latest additions include the Essex County Council contract, which will see 500 brand new, ad-funded bus shelters installed across the region, as well as the recently won Hampshire County Council contract.
For Clear Channel, social infrastructure goes beyond bus stops. There are now more than 200 Living Roofs, 32 urban meadows and 14 Edible Playgrounds in towns and cities all around the UK – from Glasgow to Plymouth – and all of this is only made possible through advertising.
By partnering with Clear Channel, brands can capitalise on OOH advertising’s superpowers in 2025 and beyond. From unparalleled reach to making a difference in communities, OOH is the winner.
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