2022: OUTDOOR BACK, TROUBLE AHEAD

The outdoor media industry rebounded strongly, to close to its pre-pandemic levels, but print’s share fell, and the $1bn sector faced up to an existential threat, with city residents and workers angry at the proliferation of digital signage. 

The issue exploded with the new digital signage erected around Sydney by QMS, which won a ten year contract, and went about installing intrusive pavement blocking signs around the city.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore backed the signs at first, but eventually caved in to the anger, and called a halt to further installations, which has left 82 sign assets yet to be installed.

The pushback against the digital out of home (DOOH) assets in Sydney comes as city residents around the world are beginning to challenge the preponderance of outdoor advertising in their living and working environments, threatening the multi-billion dollar industry.

In Australia alone, the outdoor sector is now worth approaching $1bn, with some $375m of that spent on print. Not all is on the streets, but much is. Residents and commuters are now speaking out against the intrusion of corporate sales message onto their cities.

Some cities have already banned certain types of ads, Sydney itself will not accept fossil fuel ads, while others ban ads from fast food companies, gambling operations, payday loans or alcohol brands.

Major urban centres in Europe including Amsterdam, Bristol, and Grenoble are among those that have already instituted partial or full bans on outdoor advertising. The ban in the French city of Grenoble came when the advertisers proposed switching the print media to digital.

Print’s share of outdoor media in Australia fell again, to 37.5 per cent, but that still represents $350m worth of print, a number which has grown strongly since Covid restrictions ended.