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Have you ever wondered what the role of an Impact Manager looks like day by day? We followed Helena for a week to learn just exactly what their role entails and what an average week at Open Media looks like for them. 
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After joining the company in 2021, initially in an Operations Assistant role, Helena has since then implemented the sustainability strategy within the business and been a driving force, along with the other members of the Green Team, behind our B Corp certification and other sustainability-focused initiatives. With their latest role comes a varied range of tasks, from completing a singular materiality assessment, to collecting and monitoring data, to managing internal culture programmes, making no two weeks look the same.

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My Monday morning kicked off by taking the bus into town, where I’m committed to getting my Duolingo done (le français, if you’re curious). Then, it’s a short walk along the iconic Liverpool waterfront. Our Liverpool office is based in the Royal Liver Building, and I’m reminded of how fortunate I am to call this space my place of work. 
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The week always begins with our Monday morning meeting, bringing the entire team together, both in person and virtually. It gives us a chance to connect, share updates and discuss the priorities for the coming week. This particular Monday was extra special as we welcomed a new starter! A key part of my day was ensuring their smooth onboarding with a session on Open’s culture. We&#8217;ve invested a huge amount of effort into developing our new induction and culture packs, and it&#8217;s incredibly rewarding to see them in action and receive such positive feedback.
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Ahead of a busy rest of the week, I was in the office on Tuesday working on a few interesting projects which have been running in the background for a while now. My priority today was continuing work on our B Corp resubmission. Every three years, B Corp-certified businesses must resubmit their application to demonstrate their continued commitment and evidence the progress they’re making through impact reports. The ultimate aim is to improve our score, which covers multiple areas of focus for purpose-driven businesses. We have made leaps with our resubmission score through initiatives like our personal development fund, available to all staff and replenished annually. It’s been really satisfying to work on the resubmission as it has allowed us to revisit and prove all the great work we have done over the past three years. 
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Another task on my list was to collect the data for our Emissions Reporting for the previous month. Each month, I collect energy usage data from our sites using Utopi and input it into our emissions management platform, Futureproof. This contributes to Open Media’s Carbon Footprint measurement for the year. 
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My final task of the day was to organise the next Culture Tuesday event for the Liverpool team. Culture Tuesdays are a bonding activity, chosen by the team, with a chance to do something fun which isn’t centred around alcohol and going out. Previous editions have included; cooking classes, cinema visits, kayaking in the Albert Dock and even rock climbing!

Wednesday marks the start of a whirlwind two days for me, kicking off with a trip to Manchester for the LEAD North event, followed by an exciting Open Chat breakfast with MEFA in London on Thursday.
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LEAD North, spearheaded by the Advertising Association (the force behind Ad Net Zero), brought together industry leaders in Manchester for an afternoon focused on Driving Growth and Value. The day was packed with incredibly insightful talks from inspiring individuals, and it was so great to connect with some industry peers! 
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A personal highlight of mine was a discussion on the ethics of journalism. Representatives from publications such as the Liverpool Echo, Manchester Evening News, The Telegraph, The Times, and the Daily Mail explored how the media can best represent the North, moving beyond its portrayal solely during times of tragedy. 
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Councillor Bev Craig also delivered a fantastic keynote speech, which included interesting statistics on regeneration in both Manchester and the North. The event was a huge success, and I’m already looking forward to next year!
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After the event had wrapped up, I quickly found a spot to grab a coffee and join a virtual Ad Net Zero meeting for UK &amp; US supporters. Attendees included members from various Ad Net Zero working groups, such as the Steering Group, Young Leaders, and the SME Working Group, of which I&#8217;m a part.
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As a member of the SME Working Group, I was invited to speak about Open Media’s materiality assessment journey. This process was crucial in helping us set our targets for the year and identify the topics we need to address. My talk flew by, and being involved in initiatives like these highlights how far I’ve come in such a short space of time in my career, and is genuinely one of my favourite aspects of my job.
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Shortly after this, I headed to Piccadilly to catch my train to London for another busy day tomorrow.

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Waking up in a very hot London, I was buzzing for a special edition of our Open Chat this month, in collaboration with MEFA. MEFA&#8217;s mission is to help Black, Asian, mixed-race, and ethnic minority talent thrive in the media and advertising industry. I am extremely passionate about DEI, so to have played a role in this event is an absolute honour. 
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Our Open Chat breakfast events were founded by our Chief Revenue Officer, Fiona Ravlic, who brings women in media together to share their lived experiences and stories, and offer support and advice. This particular session was truly special and, as always, filled with inspiring and honest conversations. We had a deep dive from three senior women in the industry, all centred around the overriding theme of ‘how can we do better?’. I left feeling incredibly inspired, equipped with insights to support others going forward, and we received incredible feedback on the safe space created within the room.
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After the Open Chat, I found a quiet spot to catch up on emails, and once I was up to date, it was time to meet the Electric Glue team for lunch. We debriefed on the event we co-hosted in March, which celebrated B Corp Month. It was lovely to catch up with the team and revisit the success of the event. We&#8217;ve even started putting plans in place for next year’s event, which has already got me excited for 2026! 
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After a jam-packed day in the capital, it was time to catch my train and head home to Liverpool. I had a great time in London, connecting with both members of Team Open and our partners, but I was definitely looking forward to a rest and my own bed

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As the week came to a close, I was working from home after an insightful (but busy!) few days. For me, the past week has been a true testament to the power of purpose-driven business and connection, from industry leaders at LEAD North to championing diversity at the Open Chat. 
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A particular highlight of my week was sharing Open Media’s materiality assessment journey with the Ad Net Zero Working Group and discussing how important this was in forming our company&#8217;s goals and strategy. I believe that being part of the B Corp movement is important, as it provides an opportunity to highlight and champion sustainable business practices, while setting standards and inspiring other purpose-driven businesses in the UK.
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My weekend plans involve a dinner with my friends, and a trip to the cinema. I’m a big film fan, so as soon as there’s a new release, I’m usually first in the queue to see it! After a busy week, I’m looking forward to relaxing and recharging ready to go again on Monday!

Wembley Stadium is considered a national institution in the UK, with it’s arch part of the world-famous London skyline. This coveted venue is the largest in the UK, seating 90,000, and holds interesting historical significance. The biggest artists dream of playing Wembley, and the stadium has been listed on hundreds of their world tours for decades, making the events that are held there some of the most anticipated shows in the world. The prestige that comes from playing Wembley Stadium is like no other.
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The stadium itself has a rich history being first constructed in 1923 and hosting the FA Cup in its first year, what followed was decades of major sporting tournaments as well bringing to the stage some of the most famous names in music such as; Madonna, Beyonce, Elton John and Harry Styles.
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Last year was particularly notable for music at Wembley, with the stadium welcoming one of modern music&#8217;s most iconic recording artists: Taylor Swift. Swift performed an astounding eight times, making her the first solo artist to play the stadium that many times during a single tour. This record is set to be broken soon by Coldplay, who are scheduled for an incredible ten nights on their current tour, playing to an estimated 900,000 fans.
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An estimated 720,000 fans flocked to Wembley for these concerts, and our BOXPARK Wembley site was at the heart of the action. Popular brands capitalised on this by activating campaigns during the events. Using our AdMobilize camera technology installed on the BOXPARK screen, we captured key metrics from five days of Taylor Swift&#8217;s concerts. The technology measured over 2.8 million impressions in five days, with the highest single-day delivery reaching over 600,000. This clearly demonstrates the immense opportunity for brands to target highly engaged fans during major events at the stadium.

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This summer, Wembley Stadium is set to be a music lovers’ dream with world-renowned artists such as Oasis, BLACKPINK, Lana Del Ray and Coldplay taking to the stage to perform to sold-out audiences. With the advent of these shows, there presents an unmissable chance to target thousands of music fans in receptive mindsets as they flock to the stadium to watch their favourite artists.
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Live entertainment, particularly music has the ability to capture and engage audiences in ways which other music cannot. Those attending concerts are seen to be in an excited moods and are highly engaged which in turn creates a prime opportunity for brands to target them using OOH. These consumers are more likely to engage with ads, as well as obtain higher brand recall and campaign message.
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Due to its high reach and ability to impact large audiences quickly, OOH advertising is a clear choice for key events like concerts and sporting matches. Very few other advertising mediums offer the chance to reach mass audiences in the way OOH does, and our BOXPARK Wembley site is no exception. Located directly on Wembley Way, a primary route to and from the stadium, our striking screen is unmissable to the throngs of fans, creating a lasting impact beyond first glance.
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Although Wembley Stadium is seen a predominantly a sporting audience, brands should not discount the opportunity to reach music focused and other high-engaged audiences this summer. To learn more about opportunities to advertise on BOXPARK Wembley, please contact <a href="mailto:sales@openmedia.uk.com">sales@openmedia.uk.com</a>

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Polaroid TS 5

Out of Home (OOH) advertisements are something we see regularly in daily life. In fact, according to <a href="https://www.outsmart.org.uk/why-ooh-works">Outsmart</a>, a whopping 98% of people in the UK see at least one OOH ad each week.
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For something which we take for granted seeing on our journey to work or the school run, we may think we are desensitised to the campaigns we keep seeing for products we may not think you need or want, however we then find ourselves start to consider these products. OOH has a fantastic subliminal impact, and is hard to ignore or avoid unlike other advertising mediums.This is why impact of OOH on consumer has the potential to be unmatched.

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A significant proportion of consumers take action after seeing an OOH ad, <a href="https://oneday.agency/blog/5-stats-about-out-of-home-advertising">46% searching for a brand online and 26% visiting websites.</a> Not only this but younger generations with a large spending power such as Millennials and Gen Z are most likely experience OOH as a trigger for online engagement and reshare compelling ads on their social media platforms. According to <a href="https://uk.themedialeader.com/the-art-of-using-social-media-to-achieve-earned-media-value-for-ooh/#:~:text=Millennials%20in%20particular%20report%20being,searched%20for%20the%20company%20online.">The Media Leader,</a> 91% of Gen Z and 82% of Millennials express willingness to do so.
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It is also important to note that consumers don’t just mean the public in retail areas, but also those out of home on their daily commute. A report has shown that <a href="https://www.techtimeout.co.uk/take-a-minute/how-much-do-we-really-use-our-phones-in-daily-life/">65% of the public</a> use their phone on public transport, which provides a big opportunity for OOH to influence online search and purchase.
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<a href="https://www.decisionmarketing.co.uk/news/ooh-drives-uplift-in-both-instore-and-ecommerce-sales#:~:text=Using%20this%20data%20on%20purchasing,in%20bricks%20and%20mortar%20stores.%E2%80%9D">A study by Group M</a> found that for every £3 spent in store due to OOH exposure, £2 is spent online, further demonstrating just how big the impact of OOH advertising is on e-commerce.

By creating a sense of desire OOH can begin to shape consumer purchases. The creative opportunity which comes with Out of Home is endless and becomes a simple way to tap into consumer desires.
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<a href="https://www.retaildive.com/spons/emotions-drive-sales-the-power-of-behavioral-economics/643967/#:~:text=The%20science%20behind%20emotional%20retailing,based%20on%20unconscious%20emotional%20connections.">Research </a>has shown that around 95% of people make purchasing decisions driven by emotional responses, which indicates that OOH with its ability to emotionally engage consumers as well as build brand awareness, plays a key role in evoking these reactions.

High visibility coupled with contextual relevance for consumers helps with encouraging recollection as well as building trust and credibility. And because consumers are seeing specific ads when they’re out and about, they are often in a state of mind which is conducive to making a purchase decision, which makes OOH a perfect tool for influencing spend.

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Consumers in the UK are often purchasing items for pleasure, for example, as discovered by Clear Channel,<a href="https://www.clearchannel.co.uk/latest/consumer-shopping-behaviour-in-the-uk-and-how-to-influence-it#:~:text=Men%20and%20women%20are%20almost,advertisers%20are%20familiar%20with%20leveraging."> concert tickets, other experiences, clothing and beauty products</a>, some of which are impulse purchases from the desire for instant gratification. When an OOH campaign is placed in the right place at the right time it can help drive this behaviour even further.
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So what does the future look like for OOH advertising, and is it likely to continue to impact consumer behaviour in such a large way? In short, yes. <a href="https://uk.themedialeader.com/global-ad-industry-to-grow-9-5-this-year-as-revenue-flows-to-tech-giants/#:~:text=UK%20outperforms%20Europe,%20driven%20by%20digital&amp;text=In%20fact,%20The%20UK%20is,revenue%20generated%20within%20the%20UK%E2%80%9D.&amp;text=Retail%20media%20was%20singled%20out,by%20continued%20growth%20in%20DOOH.">Group M</a> expects a further 6.4% increase in UK OOH revenue throughout this year, with DOOH continuing to be a key driver. And with excitement technological advances such as 3D OOH and data-led campaigns, now is a good time more than ever to explore the exciting world of OOH.
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To learn more about how OOH advertising could help your campaign, contact <a href="mailto:sales@openmedia.uk.com">sales@openmedia.uk.com</a>
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Sources: Clear Channel, Group M, The Media Leader, One Day Agency, Outsmart, Retail Dive, Tech Time Out.

How do you go about engaging an audience?
Engagement is a key driver to conversion and when it comes to advertising, what advertiser wouldn’t want their campaign to engage a prospective audience? This is where context comes in.
Contextual advertising is when a brand uses context to help formulate and dictate their strategy, and subsequent campaigns, and can become a key method of engagement and brand building.

OOH is a highly-flexible medium that can offer a brand the opportunity to display their campaigns when and where they want, at the right place and at the right time. It has been proven to forge meaningful connections with its audiences and play on viewers’ emotions. Using context in OOH campaigns really cuts through the noise and ‘speaks’ to individuals, becoming relevant to their current situation.
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There are many prime opportunities to play on context in a OOH campaign, for example, including copy specific to a city in which the campaign is being displayed, copy that changes with the weather or time of day, or even copy relevant to cultural events. A fantastic example of playing on context within a cultural event is <a href="https://openmedia.uk.com/insights/a-perspective-on-the-playoffs">Sky Bet’s EFL campaign</a>, which was displayed on our BOXPARK Wembley site with specific and timely 3D copy being dictated using real-time data. The first set of copy accompanied the fans as they were travelling up Wembley Way to the stadium, and was then changed throughout the day to be specific to the team who won the football match being played. Data collected from our AdMobilize facility reported a +7% uplift in number of views, +15% uplight in average session time and a +16% uplift in attention time, which shows just how effective a contextually relevant campaign can be.

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BPW SkyBet

So, why is context so important?
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In modern day life consumers are constantly bombarded with ads and information coming from all directions, especially when out of the home. OOH especially, is hard to avoid, with <a href="https://www.outsmart.org.uk/why-ooh-works">Outsmart </a>stating that 98% of all the UK population exposed to it weekly. In all of this advertising noise it has been proven that consumers are most likely to pay attention to stimuli that is relevant to them.
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A study by <a href="https://www.clearchannel.co.uk/advertising/new-to-out-of-home/make-the-most-of-your-ooh-marketing-campaign/ooh-the-perfect-contextual-advertising-medium">Clear Channel </a>has found that in OOH campaigns, using contextually relevant content increases ad effectiveness by an average of 17%. Not only this but a <a href="https://www.clearchannel.co.uk/why-out-of-home/relevancy-in-digital-ooh">further study</a> revealed that advertising at the relevant moment leads to a 12% increase in brain response.

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Uber Eats Barratt House

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Uber Drake

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Paddy Power HF Glazers

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Ladbrokes ABC Banner

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Hits Radio The Moor

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Expedia Anfield Banner

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Booking.com BPW

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Guiness Moor

Personalisation and targeting is powerful, especially when it comes to advertising campaigns. With the use of data, brands have the opportunity to discover more about audiences they are wanting to target. Platforms such as <a href="https://www.starcount.com/our-data/">Starcount</a> and <a href="https://admobilize.com/">AdMobilize </a>provide audience insights which help to inform campaign planning and deliver hyper-targeted and contextual campaigns to audiences.
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Another easy way to deliver contextual ad campaigns is by using <a href="https://www.thedrum.com/topics/programmatic#:~:text=Programmatic%20advertising%20sees%20the%20automated,to%20find%20your%20perfect%20partner.&amp;text=Can%20curation%20provide%20a%20green%20solution%20to%20third%2Dparty%20cookie%20woes?">Programmatic OOH (PrOOH)</a>. A rapidly growing channel, PrOOH is the automated buying and selling of OOH ad space, and allows buyers to set parameters such as specific audiences, location and time, and automatically purchase ad space when these conditions are met. Benefits of PrOOH can include specifically targeted ad campaigns, as well as real-time optimisation, two key components which can assist in a successful contextual campaign.
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In conclusion, the power of context without OOH lies in its ability to create meaningful connections with audiences. By leveraging key environments, timings and harnessing audience data, a contextual OOH campaign can speak to viewers and in turn drive consumer action. Particularly as the PrOOH landscape evolves, data-driven and contextually relevant campaign planning will only enhance the already-impactful OOH world.
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To learn more about how you could harness the power of OOH for your campaign, contact <a href="mailto:sales@openmedia.uk.com">sales@openmedia.uk.com</a>

News and Events

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Innovation

Case Studies

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Have you ever known a brand to ‘pollute’ their own advertising campaign? Netflix did just that with the launch of their much-anticipated four-part drama series, Toxic Town. Using data from Accuweather to display air quality readings on our Hammersmith High Street site, the billboard ‘pollutes’ when throughout the day when the air quality is deemed as poor, causing the image to be partially clouded, in this dynamic campaign.
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Toxic Town tells the story of toxic poisonings in Cosby, and stars Jodie Whittaker, Robert Carlyle and Aimee Lou Wood, and Netflix have utilised digital displays to promote the series around the UK.
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Our Hammersmith High Street site, as well as screens in four other cities in the UK, will link to real time air quality ratings and display these directly to passersby, indicating if the current air quality in the area is ‘excellent’, ‘fair’ or ‘poor’.
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Connecting and collecting data from Accuweather, the visibility of the poster will increase or decrease depending on the reading. In areas with reported poor air quality, the entire image will be obscured by a white smoke.

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Telling the story of one of the biggest child poisoning cases in the town of Corby, Toxic Town retells the scandal of the mishandling of toxic waste being transported from a local steelworks which polluted the town’s air and resulted in a large cluster of children being born with life-changing limb differences. At the time it was the largest case of child poisoning since the thalidomide scandal, and the first case of its kind to prove a link between airborne toxins and birth defects.
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Not only this but the four-part series shines a light on the challenges posted by air pollution more generally. Our Hammersmith High Street site supports this by giving passersby the opportunity to see the air quality around them at that exact moment. The site has provided Netflix with a key opportunity to hits hoards of both shoppers and vehicular audiences throughout the campaign duration. Covered in publications such as <a href="https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/netflix-posters-will-reflect-real-time-pollution-promote-toxic-town-series/1908655">Campaign</a>, <a href="https://www.famouscampaigns.com/2025/03/toxic-town-billboards-highlight-uk-pollution/#:~:text=Netflix's%20new%20series%20Toxic%20Town,pollution%20levels%20across%20the%20country">Famous Campaigns</a> and the <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/2023407/netflix-toxic-town-billboards-reaction-campaign">Express online</a>, the series has received acclaim and topped the streaming charts as well as gaining an impressive 100 percent Rotten Tomatoes score.

Open Media have partnered with Beyond Equality and Forsman &amp; Bodenfors for see what she sees, a bold new campaign launched ahead of International Women’s Day.
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see what she sees was inspired by the conversations sparked following a viral moment on The Graham Norton Show, where superstar actors Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal unintentionally highlighted the striking contract in how men and women navigate everyday situations.

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New research by the National Research Group (NRG) exposes a deep divide in how men and women perceive safety, with 7 in 10 women worried about being followed or harassed while alone in public compared to less than half of men. 2 in 3 women also admit safety fears limit their social and professional lives, but 3 in 5 men still believe safety concerns are exaggerated.
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NRG found nine out of ten women want men to take more responsibility in calling out inappropriate behaviour, with 95% of men agreeing they share equal responsibility for ensuring the safety of women.
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Helen James, CEO of Forsman &amp; Bodenfors, said of the campaign: &#8220;Alongside policy and systemic change, 90% of women surveyed think men should take more responsibility in calling out inappropriate behaviour in their peers.
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“But it’s not about pointing fingers; it’s about helping men recognise the realities women face and showing them small, everyday ways they can help shift the culture.”
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Dan Guinness, Managing Director of Beyond Equality, added: “This campaign helps men understand how women alter their lives for safety. While men also face concerns about public space safety, I know from the thousands of men we’ve worked with that many are unaware of the specific adjustments women make daily. By seeing what she sees, men can recognise where to take action.”

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see what she sees will appear across OOH, print and online throughout the United Kingdom, with Open Media carrying striking advertisements across our nationwide locations, including London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham. The campaign aims to engage men to encourage change, while advocating the government and organisations for policies that prioritise safety and equity for women.
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Laura Moorcraft, Managing Director of Goodstuff, said: “We&#8217;d like to thank the fifteen media owners who have generously supported the campaign, helping us reach audiences across the UK. Special thanks to our long-standing International Women&#8217;s Day partner, Open Media.”
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Mike Smith, CEO and Founder of Open Media, said: “This campaign is so important to us all at Open and we are proud to continue our tradition of supporting deserving campaigns around International Women’s Day. As a predominantly female-led business, we want all of our women to feel safe, respected and empowered both inside and outside of the workplace at all times. see what she sees is an important step in the right direction and Open Media are proud to play our part.”
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For more information on how you can support the campaign visit <a href="https://seewhatshesees.com/">seewhatshesees.com</a>.

Lauren Williams joined Open Media as Office Assistant in 2019. Six years later, she is Operations Director, spearheading the company’s rapid growth. Here, Lauren details her career journey in her own words. 
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In January 2019, I was working in the electrical wholesale industry, but I wanted a new challenge. When a job advertisement for Office Assistant at Open Media appeared on my Twitter feed during my lunch break, I thought it was a brilliant opportunity in a new industry. The culture of the company immediately drew me in.
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When I joined Open, I was only the eighth permanent member of staff. We were a much smaller business, and it helped me become a real all-rounder. I did everything from answering the phone, to content scheduling and invoicing clients. It was an amazing way to experience the different areas of Open, witnessing first-hand how our various departments work together. It was also an incredibly exciting period as we expanded into the capital with our BOXPARK Wembley site, as well as opening a London office. It was full on but extremely fun!
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Less than 12 months after arriving, Mike Smith, our CEO and founder, offered me a promotion to Office Manager. Throughout my time at Open Media, Mike’s support has been completely unwavering. He instilled so much trust in me to take on new roles and has total confidence in my abilities. His trust and encouragement enabled me to grow alongside the business. It is something I am forever grateful for.
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A year later, I identified the need for a focused Operations department, moving into the position of Ops Manager. Since then, we have continuously expanded our team and inventory. The OOH industry is constantly evolving with new technology, data and ideas, and there is an area of interest for everyone. My first few years learning and shadowing other roles were vital to my progression at Open &#8211; and still come in handy today.
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I am incredibly excited to be part of our continued growth at Open Media. It is such an exciting time for OOH! The business has changed so much in six years, developing with the demand of the industry. It is also thrilling to see the continued growth of our wonderful Operations Team. I am so fortunate to have incredible colleagues who put 150% into everything they do for the business. It is a privilege to watch them progress.
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The biggest lesson I’ve learned at Open Media is to invest in your people, because your people will invest in you in return. There have been times our team has put in extra effort and been happy to do so, because of the investment and care that Open gives them. Mike leads with an ethos of work hard and be nice to people, and it really does trickle through the business.
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My proudest achievement at Open is our B Corp Certification. It was the result of years’ worth of time, effort and collaboration. We took a real deep dive into our company and identified what we did well and what we could do better. Since then, it has informed so much of how we operate and make decisions, allowing us to change and grow. We have always been a purpose-driven business with people at our heart.

Open Media was also the first workplace where I was completely out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. I made a conscious decision to make that fact known in the place I worked. Not only was I encouraged to be myself, but individuality was celebrated with our initiatives like Open and Proud, which platforms members of the community across our digital inventory with encouraging messages throughout Pride month. I know as a teenager, seeing a campaign like that in a major city centre would have made me feel less alone and comforted.
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Ultimately, everyone should feel comfortable in the workplace, and I am fortunate enough to work at Open Media &#8211; where employee wellbeing is a priority and not an afterthought. It is an invaluable part of my job here.

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B Corp plaque new photo

Out of Home advertising (OOH) can be traced back to ancient civilisations, with ancient Egyptians publicising notices on large obelisks, however it is said that more ‘modern’ OOH first came in to play in the 1830’s, a time when the Liverpool Manchester railway opened and the Belgian revolution, the first posters were created, advertising a circus. This modern version of OOH has been active for hundreds of years, and still to this day continues to be an important way to relay advertising messages.
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It is easy to brush off OOH as simply a poster or billboard, but it is so, so much more than that. OOH really is the advertising supercharger.

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As one of the most effective advertising mediums for brand building, it is imperative to include Outdoor on a media plan. Not only does OOH assist in elevating a campaign by offering brands high visibility coupled with wide reach, but it can also create lasting recall, with studies reporting ad recall rates over an impressive 80%. As consumers are spending time out and about, OOH ads are hard to avoid, with approximately 98% of the UK population being exposed various OOH ads each week.

The Harvard Business Review have reported that 73% of global consumers use a multi channel approach when shopping before making their final purchase. This leaves an ample opportunity for OOH to elevate a campaign, providing key brand awareness, and demonstrating just how effective an omni-channel approach is when it comes to planning campaigns. Unlike many other advertising methods, OOH can provide engagement whilst simultaneously influence a purchase decision.

It is reported that more than 40% of advertisers believe multi-channel advertising is important for achieving upper and lower funnel goals. For example, a campaign plan including social media, video on demand and OOH are an ideal mix for a successful awareness campaign.
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Not only this but the number of online activations that OOH generates across search, and social media platforms, has an engagement rate of three-times of relative ad spend, which underlines the effectiveness of several media forms within a campaign plan and how it continues to deliver a superior ROI.

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Research has been found to support the added value or using mobile and OOH in tandem. In particular, spontaneous brand recall increases to 21% when exposed to both OOH advertising and mobile. Other research conducted by Outsmart showed an impressive 17% uplift in smartphone brand actions when the user is exposed to the OOH ad first.
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From the 1800’s to the present day, OOH has always been the advertising supercharger and will continue to be for years to come. With the advent of new technology and data sources, OOH advertising has a bright future and is well placed on any campaign plan.
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To learn more about how OOH can help your brand, contact <a href="mailto:sales@openmedia.uk.com">sales@openmedia.uk.com</a>
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Sources:75 Media, Broadsign, Clear Channel, dragonflyai, Harvard Business Review, Kantar, Outsmart, Vistar Media, StackAdapt, Statista

After a busy start to 2025, Open Media CEO Mike Smith reflects on the previous 12 months and the huge ambitions of the company. 
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For Open Media, 2024 was our most exciting year to date. It showcased what we represent as an organisation, but, more importantly, as responsible leaders in the OOH industry.
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Firstly, we launched a successful rebrand, accompanied by a <a href="https://openmedia.uk.com">brand-new website</a>, with so much hard work behind-the-scenes from our team members and partners. The rebranding journey reflected our evolution and vision and was fuelled by our dedication to staying ahead of the curve, adapting to evolving trends and remaining deeply connected to our clients and partners.
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We relaunched our Open Connect and Open Banner networks, celebrated our 9th birthday, hosted a huge <a href="https://openmedia.uk.com/insights/moving-media-forward">Moving Media Forward event in collaboration with Electric Glue</a> and were featured in the Best Places to Work list by Campaign. Oh – and we were nominated for an Ad Net Zero award!
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All of this, of course, happened while we were constantly running amazing campaigns throughout the year, <a href="https://openmedia.uk.com/campaigns">working with global brands</a> such as New Balance, giffgaff, Sol de Janeiro and L&#8217;Oréal to amplify their messaging with stunning and impactful results across the UK.

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But, for all our hard work, 2025 is already shaping up to be even bigger!
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In March, we are launching our first site in Northern Ireland, in Belfast. This is a huge move for Open Media and will be the only large format digital (LFD) location in the city centre. This allows us to expand into new markets and offer our partners the opportunity to reach new audiences through DOOH. This is part of our strategic direction for 2025 as we develop and strengthen our portfolio, adding to our incredible sites in London, Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool and beyond.
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Open Media also continues to grow as a team. In the last 12 months, we have expanded by 25% and expect this number to rise again during 2025. This is testament to the brilliant work happening every day at our offices in London and Liverpool. I really do believe we have the best team in the business.
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At Open Media, we continue to work responsibly for our planet, people and communities. We donate screen space to environmental causes such as GlobalGoals Week and the Better Business Network, whilst delivering mandatory Carbon Literacy training for all team members. To date, Open Media, <a href="https://ecologi.com/openmedia">through our Ecologi partnership</a>, has avoided over 400 tonnes of carbon dioxide, planted more than 9,000 trees and supported 43 environmental projects globally, from the Andean Forests in Bolivia to supporting a wind farm in South Dakota, USA. Closer to home, our partnership with Daktronics and their EcoSmart technology allowed Open Media to become the first site in the country, at BOXPARK Liverpool, to offer up to 50% energy savings, including minimal power consumption and sleep mode.
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Ultimately, we want Open Media to lead the OOH industry both responsibly and intelligently. We are constantly refining our locations, data and technology to provide our clients with the most expansive and intelligent experience possible. We partner with AdMobilize, who use state-of-the-art audience measurement technology to offer comprehensive data feedback. We want great campaigns to have maximum impact! It really is that simple, and we are in a wonderful position to continue building upon all the fantastic achievements of the last 12 months.
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As the advent of 3D continues to grow, the OOH possibilities are endless! With our <a href="https://openmedia.uk.com/perspective">Open Perspective network</a> expanding, I am excited by the innovative 3D campaigns we will carry for our clients and partners in 2025. I cannot understate the creative opportunities Open Perspective offers.
I am also pleased by the rapid development of programmatic OOH, as brands continue to search for increased flexibility and value for money. Programmatic OOH allows advertisers to enhance their media plans and purchase optimised ad placements in real-time, aligned to specific audiences, empowering brands to tell their stories to the right people at the right time.
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While we are producing the best results for our clients, we never forget the communities we serve. Like our responsibility to the planet and sustainability, we have huge plans for International Women’s Day and Black History Month, so watch this space! We also continue to work with our official charity partners Whitechapel, Just Like Us, Teenage Cancer Trust, Roy Castle and James’ Place. All these organisations have a special place in our hearts and produce such wonderful work. Furthermore, <a href="https://openmedia.uk.com/insights/open-become-the-first-b-corp-certified-uk-ooh-media-owner">as the first B Corp certified OOH owner in the UK</a>, we remain committed to maintaining our high standards and being a responsible, ambitious and forward-thinking member of the B Corp community.
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As ever, we love meeting like-minded brands and organisations. After reaching over 215 million people across our portfolio in 2024, Open Media is only getting bigger. And we want as many amazing, innovative and creative campaigns as possible to be part of that. If you have a story to tell, <a href="https://openmedia.uk.com/contact-us">we want to work with you</a>!
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Mike

Featured:

Anna Hunter