Solid 2013 for out of home advertising

The media economy ended the year on a steady growth pace, if the out of home category is any indication.

OOH is the first medium to report fourth-quarter and full-year 2013 numbers, and it closed out a solid year with low-single-digit percentage gains.

Full-year numbers for radio will be out in the next few days, and data for overall 2013 ad spending will be released in the next 10 days or so by Kantar Media, Nielsen and others.

During fourth quarter, ad spending on OOH was up 3.5 percent, according to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, to $1.6 billion.

That matched the 3.5 percent bump during third quarter, and it resulted in an overall 2013 growth rate of 4.2 percent, to $6.9 billion in ad spending last year.

Fourth quarter was the 15th straight quarterly gain for the industry, which bounced back from the recession better than some other traditional media such as newspapers, magazines and radio, whose growth rate has been lower than before the recession, if they’ve grown at all.

Not every ad category has increased spending on out of home during that time. In fact, four of the top 10 advertising categories actually declined during fourth quarter and for the year.

But strong gains from restaurants and insurance and real estate helped make up for some of those declines. Between them, the two categories added more than $36 million during fourth quarter, and they were also the fastest-growing top 10 categories for the year.

McDonald’s was a major part of the restaurant spending. The fast food chain finished as the top-spending out-of-home advertiser for the year.

Apple, Verizon, AT&T and Warner Bros. Pictures also finished among the top five in 2013.

The year’s fastest-growing advertisers included Aio Wireless, Netflix, Ford and 7 Eleven.

Though communications companies were among the year’s top spenders, the category did see the biggest year-to-year declines among the top 10 during fourth quarter, with spending off 19 percent. For the full year, it was down 8.7 percent.

Miscellaneous services and amusements was once again the top ad category for the year, up 5.6 percent to $1.28 billion. By comparison, the No. 2 category, retail, accounted for just under $650 million.

OAAA ad spending estimates are based on Miller Kaplan and Kantar Media data, as well as member company affidavits. Estimates include digital and static billboard, street furniture, transit, alternative, and cinema advertising.

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