oOhmedia’s new chief executive James Taylor told a room full of clients and media agency executives the company is taking steps to improve its service as the industry heralds a new era of how out of home is planned and measured.
Speaking at oOh!media’s Unmissable event in Sydney yesterday, Taylor was bullish and upbeat about the future of outdoor advertising, particularly with the roll out of the new MOVE measurement system, and had spent his first eleven weeks in the job listening to agency executives and clients about how oOh!media could become a partner.
“What we’ve heard from you is clear – you want deeper data and insights to support your choices,”he said.
“We’re also investing in the tools needed by our sales teams to make dealing with us easier.
As an example of progress we are integrating AI agents into our sales workflows to make this happen.
“You’ve also told us you want us to respond faster, That is a completely reasonable expectation. Pace to market, hustle and the ability to preempt the needs of clients is something all media companies must improve.
“I have committed to our owners and customers alike that that will be a key focus of mine and the oOh! leadership team. Simplifying and increasing the pace of the business extends beyond sales tools, deeper in the operating model of the business. This is new work, never before undertaken by oOh!, and it will tighten our operations, reduce our cost base and make us more responsive.”
‘My mother-in-law’s pleasant messages’
Taylor said that during his time as the managing director of SBS, the campaigns that most excited him (and his mother in law) were out of home executions.
“One of the rare moments my mother in law would send me a pleasant message is when she spotted an out of home campaign for that brand,” he joked.
“Ten to fifteen years ago, Out of Home sat at the bottom of the media plan. Now it’s the fastest growing physical media channel. In 2025, Out of Home revenue grew by 11.4 per cent, to $1.4 billion, and it holds a 16.5 percent market share. It is increasingly moving to the centre of media spend. Both sizeable and strategic.
“Because of this we are seeing real momentum from our strategic client partners, with many already committed to annual spends. These are partners who are data‑led, confident in the power of Out of Home, and eager to secure the best assets and creative services.”
Outdoor on the MOVE
This week, the out of home sector began taking bookings using the new MOVE measurement system.
OMA members predict it could deliver a 6-9 per cent of additional growth, and elevate OOH’s total share of ad spend to more than 20 per cent in the coming years.
For the first time, measurement will cover Australia’s 150,000 OOH advertising sites, including every format from roadside billboards to transports, airports, shopping centres, office towers, gyms, cafes, medical centres and place based advertising.
It measures 21 regional areas for the first time, in addition to the five major metropolitan areas, reaching 97 per cent of people aged 14 and older each week (via 4.9 billion impressions). Seasonality trends are baked in.
The new measurement standard has shifted from ‘opportunity to see’ to ‘realistic opportunity to see’, which takes into account viewability based on format’s size, location, orientation and environment.
The data can be sliced and diced across day parts and layered with 400 billion rows of data, including the Australian Bureau of Statistics, public transport and tourism data, creating more than 180 demographics.
Taylor believes MOVE will provide more granularity, segments and clarity around how location and time of day shape impact—describing this as a “step change” in outdoor advertising.
“This means greater confidence in the numbers, more precise planning and clearer comparability with other media channels. MOVE will allow us to demonstrate the strength of our network with greater accuracy and consistency,” he said.
“For the first time, every one of our formats is captured, including Office, Study and Regional Australia, where more than one third of us live. We have an un-matched complete network of seven formats. With MOVE we can deliver audience journey and sequenced messaging outcomes to you. We are a network of out of home assets. We must act like one.”
oOh!Media’s network of billboards and digital screens is also on move.
In Sydney oOh!Media screens cover the Sydney Metro, Woollahra and Waverley, the Northern Beaches and other sights.
It is planning an additional 15 new digital billboards along key routes like the M1, M4 and Hume to go live later this year and early 2027.
Regionally, oOh!Media is upgrading sites at Newcastle Airport and launching a new billboard site in Wollongong.
The retail opportunity
Mel Duffy, the head of product and POLY strategy at oOh!, stole the show at the event in Saltbox, joking about her personal relationship and the personal hygiene situation on the Bankstown train line (those who know, know), while showcasing some of the high impact work across oOh!Media sites.
These include the Bolte Bridge take over in Melbourne, Metro advertising across Sydney and Melbourne, and some impressive out of home opportunities in shopping centres.
“Under MOVE 1.5, only nine retail centres were surveyed, with no consideration given to centre size, total footfall or the specific location of panels within the environment,” she said.
“The new MOVE represents a step-change in rigour. Over 1,200 retail locations are now analysed with audience measurement incorporating centre size, footfall and precise panel positioning.”
Using the new MOVE measurement system, Duffy said that advertising in medium and large retail centres is performing “exceptionally well” by delivering strong reach outcomes and sustained exposure in high-traffic, high engagement destinations.
This includes the Melbourne Central shopping centre which has had Harry Potter and Matildas take overs recently (see above).
“In this new measurement economy, its clear scale and quality of environment matter more than ever, and well-positioned assets within major retail centres are emerging as standout performers,” she added.
Shopping centres across the country will now be measured using MOVE, allowing advertisers to reach audiences across the daily activities, whether it’s the commute to work, in office towers, at certain cafes, at the gym or during the weekly shop.
“With multiple creative formats working together in one environment, brands can command attention and genuinely stand out. And this is where the new MOVE methodology changes the conversation,” Duffy said.
Read next: Industry leaders explain why MOVE is a ‘game-changer’
