The Australian Out-of-Home (OOH) industry has today announced its sixth year of consecutive revenue growth, posting a 17 per cent* overall increase on net revenue year-on-year, taking the industry’s net revenue to an all-time high of $677.8 million, up from $579.3 million in 2014.

In tracking the growth of OOH in 2015, the industry was off to a stellar start with a 21.6 per cent year-on-year increase for quarter one.

In quarters two and three the double digit growth continued with a 16.3 per cent and 14.2 per cent increase, respectively, from the same periods in 2014 with a strong finish in quarter four of 16.6 per cent on total net revenue of $213.4 million.

“We are absolutely delighted with these results, as 2015 was such a pivotal year for the industry in laying the foundations for 2016 and beyond,” Outdoor Media Association CEO Charmaine Moldrich said.

“In mid-2015 we announced plans to launch an Automated Transaction Platform (ATP) and in November 2015 we announced data from our audience measurement tool, MOVE (Measurement of Outdoor Visibility and Exposure) will be integrated into emma (Enhanced Media Metrics Australia). We also renewed focus on our relationships with all levels of government in order to grow inventory. All this bodes well for continued future growth.”

In 2015 the demand for immediacy and flexibility drove an uplift in digital Out-of-Home revenue, which now represents 28 per cent of total OOH revenue, a 65 per cent increase from 2014 (17 per cent).

Outdoor’s ability to deliver the biggest audience, while leveraging leading edge technologies that reach consumers faster and in more engaging ways, is undeniable. Outdoor audiences continue to grow ahead of population growth and over the last five years MOVE shows that audience reach has grown a massive 37 per cent.

“While technology is a strong factor in driving our growth, it is just the icing on the top of the tried and true Outdoor poster,” Moldrich added.

“As print media struggles to adapt to technology, as TV competes with live streaming and on-demand services and Online struggles with the proof of its metrics and adblocking, OOH has continued to stay relevant by integrating digital and online into the existing channel.

“By aligning with mobile and digital technologies, Outdoor is able to connect advertisers with their audiences anywhere, anytime and it’s this trend that will be the main focus into 2016.”

Category totals for 2015**: Roadside Billboards (over and under 25 square metres) $242.1 million Roadside Other (street furniture, taxis, bus/tram externals, small format) $208.6 million   Transport (including airports) $126.4 million ^Retail/Lifestyle/Other $100.7 million   Category figures for Quarter Four 2015**: Roadside Billboards (over and under 25 square metres) $77.2 million Roadside Other (street furniture, taxis, bus/tram externals, small format) $64.5 million   Transport (including airports) $38.0 million ^Retail/Lifestyle/Other $33.7 million