Out-of-Home advertiser JCDecaux Australia is on track to digitise 35 large format billboards across the country, growing its national total by 25 per cent, but says traditional or ‘classic’ large format sites will remain an important part of its business.
“The appetite for digital Out-of-Home has never been higher, with speed, agility and accountability front of mind for our clients,” said Steve O’Connor, CEO of JCDecaux Australia. “As we see an increasing trend and growth to digitisation, this demand is only going to accelerate over the coming years. Our digital Out-of- Home strategy remains a high priority for us, as we endeavour to offer effective and progressive solutions for our partners.”
17 of the 35 new digital locations are already in market, with the remaining 18 screens expected to be live by the end of this year.
O’Connor emphasised that this growth in digital screens doesn’t mean the end to classic billboards.
“With their 24/7 dedicated exposure, our Classic Large Format sites will remain an important part of our portfolio,” he said. “There is still a significant place in the market for Classic for brands that want exclusivity for their product.”
In Sydney, the locations of new digital sites include the affluent upper and lower North Shore in Roseville Chase and Hunters Hill, and the Northern Beaches suburb of Balgowlah. “This outstanding new inbound/outbound Digital Large Format development reaches a vast audience in Manly, and one in five people across the entire Northern Sydney area,” the company said.
In Melbourne, three new locations include a prominent new site on the Western Freeway and two digital conversions on the Nepean Highway - one of the busiest highways in Victoria, with average daily traffic counts reaching 64,000 a day. This site captures exclusive audiences en route to the CBD or towards the thriving seaside suburbs of St Kilda and Brighton.
One of Brisbane’s newest additions on Edward Street, in the heart of the CBD, is JCDecaux’s highest reaching digital large format site in Queensland. Located 190m from Central Station, it captures a large volume of daily commuters in the area known for high-end fashion and dining spots.
Max Eburne, JCDecaux’s chief commercial officer, added: “As the industry rebounded at the start of the year, we set out with some big growth plans to invest in our digital portfolio and are well ahead of schedule. This means even more unique advertising opportunities for our partners and takes our rapidly accelerating Programmatic play to the next level.”
