Advertisers relish jams as commuters are stuck with posters

Believe it or not there is one group of people who welcome the increasing traffic chaos and rush-hour gridlock in Dublin and other urban centres - the outdoor advertising sector.

This is because the increase in the number of people travelling and the amount of time they are stuck in slow moving cars or buses gives them more time to notice and recall advertising posters, whether they are on billboards, the sides of buses or on bus shelters. The Director of the Outdoor Media Association (OMA), Ms Geraldine Aherne, told the IAPI Media Conference in Killarney last week that the booming economy had lead to more travel. Traffic had increased by 21.66 per cent between 1990 and 1995, with a subsequent growth in the audience for poster sites.

"With outdoor advertising the audience is captured when people are stuck in traffic jams, whether in their own cars on a bus or waiting at the bus stop, train or DART station," said Aherne.

"They are looking around for something to pass the time and will admit to specifically seeking out outdoor advertising especially at specific sites on a regular journey."

With obvious delight Ms Aherne said that because of the strong economy there had been a significant growth in trips of all types in Dublin. In 1991 during the morning rush hour 172,000 people were making trips, by last year that had grown by 36 per cent to 234,000 during peak time.

In essence, during the peak hours 23 per cent of Dublin's population is on the road and between 12 and 15 per cent are commuting every hour during off peak: "These figures are likely to be indicative of traffic trends in conurbations nationwide and auger well for potential outdoor advertisers," she said.

There were now 20,000 outdoor advertising sites in Ireland and owners were now investing in new and better products, which has led to more illuminated sites, better quality display panels and greater diversity of locations on strategic sites including shopping centres, bridges, car parks and garage forecourts.

Ms Aherne says that with the advent of digital television outdoor advertising will be the last mass media for advertisers. Digital television, she argued, will make it more difficult for advertisers to capture target audiences on any one channel: "However, with outdoor advertising the audience is captured when people are stuck in traffic jams."

Meanwhile, the OMA has completed a project in conjunction with Dublin Corporation to clean up the poster sites in the north inner city area.

Phase two, looking at the south city area, as far out as Terenure, is under way.

Last year the OMA and the corporation began an audit of all sites and agreed a number of changes. According to the president of OMA, Ms Roisin O'Boyle, all sites within the north inner city are now legal and have planning permission.

A move was also under way to reduce the size of sites from six metres by three metres to four metres by three metres, more in keeping with European developments and with the low rise nature of Dublin's architecture, she said.

Outdoor advertising was also seeking to introduce new methods other than the 48-sheet poster, including scrolling panels that allowed between three and six advertisements on one site.

Ms O'Boyle also said that the trend was to move away from built-up areas in the middle of cities towards the trunk roads.

When the south city area had been audited in terms of sites and discussion had taken place the same process would be applied to other urban centres.