The World Out of Home Organization delegates are gathered in London this week for its Annual Congress and President Tom Goddard welcomed them with the news that global OOH revenues had climbed to US$54bn, 15% higher than 2024. The WOO figures include 85 separate geographical territories accounting for 95% of global GDP.

The APAC region is currently the major growth driver with just under 30% growth in revenues, followed by the Americas and EMEA, growing in single digits. Digital OOH is now on the verge of overtaking Static for the first time in history, said Goddard, now accounting for 47% of all OOH — even though digital penetration levels varied wildly country by country.

Goddard went on to outline four priority activities that he said the industry needed to address urgently.

Four priorities for the industry

1. 01

   Effectiveness

   Proving effectiveness is something we need to address urgently. A major industry-wide initiative is needed to crack this conundrum, and there's no time to lose. Client CFOs are becoming more reluctant to approve expenditure that does not clearly show a return on investment.

2. 02

   Audience Measurement & Data

   This is a fundamental requirement, yet there are too many markets that are either lacking audience measurement or have one that's not fit for purpose. Media Owners have the responsibility to fund this.

3. 03

   AdTech Connectivity

   We're getting there as an industry on programmatic trading, but the bulk of our trading is still cumbersome, labour intensive, and not joined up. We need a coordinated solution on AdTech.

4. 04

   Promote our Competitive Advantages

   We're not out there enough as a channel, talking to brands and showing them how we can solve many of their marketing challenges.

Goddard, who led the formation of WOO from the previous body FEPE International in 2019, also announced plans to strengthen the WOO team with the appointment of a full-time CEO, leaving him free to play a more ambassadorial role.

The Congress at the Park Lane Hilton in London's West End — the first global gathering of the OOH industry in London since 1989 — has attracted a record 807 delegates, who heard industry legend Jean-François Decaux deliver the opening keynote address.

This year's Congress is a wonderful opportunity both to celebrate an industry in rude health — with solid growth and a full recovery from lockdown — and chart a course to take us forward.

Out of Home is unique among media these days in that it is enjoyed by the public, reaches mass audiences, contributes to civic amenities and wellbeing, and is adding to the ranks of creative opportunities rather than reducing them. But to make the most of these amazing benefits we need to play the data and numbers game too. Do that and I am certain our channel will not only over-index on revenue growth but consistently gain more market share as well. The future is bright for OOH.

Tom Goddard, WOO President