FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20, 2006

Outdoor Ad Revenue Grows 8% in 2005

Washington, D.C. - The outdoor advertising industry grew 8% for 2005, with total revenue in excess of $6.3 billion compared to 2004 revenue of $5.8 billion. The industry saw increases of 8.2% over 2004 in the fourth quarter.

“Outdoor advertising’s ability to effectively reach its core mobile audience while other media struggle to maintain audience share is one of the major reasons why more national brands are moving ad budgets to the outdoor medium,” said Stephen Freitas, chief marketing officer for the Outdoor Advertising Association of America. “Consumers are spending more time away from home where they are being exposed to increasingly more outdoor messages instead of in-home media.”

Outdoor media performance was vigorous across most of the top 10 advertising categories with the largest gains in the Communications (31.8%), Insurance and Real Estate (16.4%) and Retail (11.7%) categories. All three categories had new advertisers using outdoor as well as current advertisers spending more in the medium. “Rebranding campaigns are flourishing as a result of consolidations in these categories, and outdoor advertising is one of the most effective rebranding tools an advertiser can use,” stated Freitas

Local Service & Amusement was the largest spending category, up 8.8% for the year. There were also strong gains in the Financial (9.6%), Restaurants (8.0%), and Media & Advertising (6.0%) categories. (Please see attached charts).

The outdoor industry is expected to maintain its strong growth trend throughout this year.

The OAAA issues full industry revenue estimates that include, but are not limited to, CMR’s data on billboards, member company affidavits, and media projections based on a mix of recognized national syndicated data sources.

OAAA is the trade association representing the outdoor advertising industry. It is dedicated to leading and uniting a responsible outdoor advertising industry that is committed to serving the needs of consumers, advertisers and the public. The OAAA’s nearly 1,100 member companies generate $5.8 billion annually in ad revenues, representing more than 90% of industry income, and donate space to charitable organizations in excess of $350 million each year.

OAAA (Outdoor Advertising Assoc. of America)
1850 M Street, N.W. • Suite 1040
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-833-5566
E-Mail: mhurt@oaaa.org
Website URL: www.oaaa.org