Despite the erosion of traditional advertising channels and a soft media market, out of home (OOH) advertising channels posted a 3.4% increase in 2011 with revenue of $494 million, according to figures from the Outdoor Media Association (OMA).

Growth in the OOH industry has been consistent, with increases seen in the last eight consecutive quarters to Q4 2011.

The top categories – roadside billboards and other roadside fixtures – brought in $352.9 million in total, followed by transport (airports, for example) which brought in $75.3 million and retail on $65.4 million.

Charmaine Moldrich, CEO of the OMA, says the solid performance in the face of a soft economy proved outdoor was a powerful medium for advertisers and that the industry was well poised for growth in the near future: “MOVE has been instrumental in proving that OOH reaches consumers frequently in a very cost effective way… providing advertisers with innovative ways to reach their target audiences in a tight economic climate.”

OOH category performance in 2011:

Since 2002 the industry has seen growth of 91%.