Outdoor Advertising Is A Vital Part Of The Texas Landscape

The Outdoor Advertising Association of Texas (OAAT) is an organization representing multiple Outdoor Advertising Operators throughout the state:

  • Clear Channel Outdoor
  • Lamar Advertising
  • Outfront Media

The OAAT is committed to working side-by-side with legislators and regulatory agencies year-round to provide a healthy regulatory environment, supporting large and small businesses and connecting with the community.

Out-of-home media plays an even more vital role in helping local businesses mirror that trend.

As the Texas economy continues to grow, the outdoor advertising industry has an even more vital role in that growth helping local businesses. Outdoor advertising companies and related industries provide over 23,000 Texas jobs. Each year industry activity leads to sizable gains in Texas business activity including $1.3 billion associated with related manufacturing activity and $676.7 million in gross product output. The combined effects of the outdoor advertising industry generate approximately $106.4 million in state fiscal revenues annually.

Billboards influence the decision-making and buying habits of Texans every day, thereby “boosting” the Texas economy.

Three-fourth of outdoor advertisers are Texas-owned companies–many are small businesses who cannot afford to use other advertising media.

Additionally, Texas landowners receive an estimated $90 million in annual lease payments–many are retired or on fixed incomes.

Throughout its history, this industry has given back to the communities in which it operates. Hundreds of local charities depend on donated advertising space on billboards every year to raise much-needed funds, make people aware of issues, provide much-needed help to local law enforcement and generally to educate the public.

Outdoor advertising is the oldest form of advertising dating to ancient times. In America, outdoor advertising was the primary way that merchants and manufacturers promoted products and services. Outdoor advertising also became a key way to get information and ideas to the public around the country.

Outdoor advertising has been an important part of the American experience. From promoting products to providing messages that inspired us during wars, depressions, good times and bad times.

After WWII outdoor advertising played a pivotal role in promoting the unprecedented economic growth enjoyed by our country.

Outdoor advertising continues to be a locally oriented, immediate advertising source. Local advertisers continue to make up the lion’s share of all advertisers displayed throughout the state. That was true then, and continues today.

As mass media continues to fragment audiences, outdoor advertising has continued to be the only true “mass medium”.

Numerous studies have proven that a wide majority of citizens find outdoor advertising to be essential in identifying the goods and services they need. Consumers have indicated that outdoor advertising is trusted in the selection of goods and services.

Small and medium sized local businesses continue to choose this medium as their advertising vehicle due its cost effectiveness.

New technology and techniques have helped outdoor advertising become more responsive to advertisers’ needs. In the early days, billboards were hand painted. Now they are printed on durable recyclable vinyl coverings. And, in this world of digital transformation, some billboards have been converted to this high tech application making it possible to change messages instantly. Throughout all of the changes the industry has endured, one thing has been constant: service to advertising clients. And, service creates the sale of goods and services, which creates a positive economic impact for the state of Texas and its cities.

Regulated on the federal, state and local levels, the placement of outdoor advertising structures has been kept to commercial/industrial areas where businesses need exposure and helping to protect pristine scenic areas.

Now, with the advent of digital technology on Texas roadways, public service campaigns have been taken to a whole new level. Digital billboards provide instant communications for emergency messages and Amber Alerts.

Code of Industry Principles

In addition to adhering to external laws and regulations, the members of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Texas have adopted a set of voluntary industry principles. The OAAT endorses this Code and encourages its members to operate in conformance with these principles.

  • We support the First Amendment right of advertisers to promote legal products and services.
  • We support the right of outdoor advertising companies to reject advertising that is misleading, offensive, or otherwise incompatible with individual community standards, and in particular, we reject the posting of obscene words or pictorial content.
  • We are careful to place outdoor advertisements for products illegal for sale to minors on advertising displays that are a reasonable distance from the public places where children most frequently congregate.
  • We are committed to a program that establishes exclusionary zones that prohibit stationary advertisements of products illegal for sale to minors that are intended to be read from, or within 500 feet of, elementary and secondary schools, public playgrounds, and established places of worship.
  • We support establishing reasonable limits on the total number of outdoor displays in a market that may carry messages about products that are illegal for sale to minors.
  • We seek to maintain broad diversification of customers that advertise using outdoor advertising.
  • We do not accept advertising from sexually orientated businesses.
  • We are committed to providing public service messages to promote worthy community causes.
  • We advocate the use of outdoor advertising for political, editorial, public service, and other noncommercial messages.
  • We are committed to providing value and service to advertisers in communities nationwide.
  • We are committed to maintaining and improving the quality, appearance, and safety of outdoor advertising structures and locations.
  • We encourage the use of new technologies to continuously improve the service we provide to advertisers and the information we provide to the public.
  • We are committed to ensuring that the commercial and noncommercial messages disseminated on standard-size digital billboards will be static messages and the content shall not include animated, flashing, scrolling, intermittent or full-motion video elements (outside entertainment areas).
  • We are committed to ensuring that the ambient light conditions associated with standard-size digital billboards are monitored by a light sensing device at all times and that display brightness will be appropriately adjusted as ambient light levels change.
  • We are committed to excellence in the ads we exhibit because outdoor advertising provides the most public “art gallery” there is.
  • Maintain a good working relationship with local communities.
  • We support the right of outdoor advertising companies to maintain lawfully erected billboards.
  • We support laws that assure just compensation for removal of legal billboards.
  • We support billboard advertising as a business use to be erected only in commercial and industrial areas.
  • We support new billboard locations in unzoned commercial and industrial areas only where there is business activity.
  • We support the construction of new billboards consistent with state and local laws.
  • We seek to exclude new billboards on truly scenic segments of highways outside of commercial and industrial areas.
  • We are committed to using recyclable and recycled materials whenever possible.
  • We are committed to reasonable control and maintenance of vegetation surrounding billboards.

Matching up the content your brand serves to customers to deliver a relevant experience is as much about where as it is about when. In line with this, brands across categories are shifting their marketing dollars to invest in OOH and DOOH advertising.

Forbes
If you do any outdoor campaign in a unique and creative way, all the people connected on their mobile phones will want to share it on social media, Outdoor advertising can become social media.
Alex Bodman, Global Executive Director at Spotify Via Bloomberg, Spotify
At a time when consumer confidence in all media – including social media – is waning, it’s never been more vital for brands to incorporate Out-of-Home’s unique ability to regain trust into the marketing mix…
Mike Cooper, Global CEO at Rapport, The Drum
Research has revealed that dynamic digital OOH used to serve more contextually relevant messages increases spontaneous advertising awareness by 18%. Furthermore, ad-serving relevant content by audience increases the effectiveness of a campaign by at least 15%.
Campaign

Meet The Officers

Lee Vela
Lee VelaPresident
Clear Channel Outdoor
Ron Kibler
Ron KiblerVice President
Lamar Advertising
Lani Ferro
Lani FerroSecond Vice President
OUTFRONT Media
Michelle Costa
Michelle CostaNational Director
Clear Channel Outdoor
Dan Noyes
Dan NoyesBoard Member
Lamar Advertising
Jay Sitta
Jay SittaBoard Member
OUTFRONT Media
Tim Anderson
Tim AndersonBoard Member
Clear Channel Outdoor
Lisa Rosecoe
Lisa RosecoeBoard Member
OUTFRONT Media