A fast-growing North East media company has added 60 new sites to its growing portfolio of digital screens, as it delivers on ambitious plans to more than double its consumer reach by 2022.
Digital out of home business Smart Outdoor – based at the Evolve Business Centre in Sunderland – has grown its network of screens to 227, 60 of which have been added during the last 12 months. Its plans will see it increase the consumer reach of its screens from 12.5 million now to 28 million people per week by this time next year. Its rapid growth has also seen the business add five new members to its team, to drive the company’s ongoing growth and service its roster of global clients including American Golf, Statsport, JD and Castore among others. Smart Outdoor, which is part of a wider group of Smart businesses that support customers to digitally connect with local communities nationwide, was set up by Mark Catterall just over two years ago, and now employs 19 people. It has prominent large-screen sites across the North East, North Yorkshire and Central Scotland.
Livingston-born entrepreneur Mark, who had worked in outdoor media for 15 years before setting up himself, said: “While the UK has been locked down at home, we have continued to push ahead with our expansion with more out of home media, which we firmly believe will stand us in good stead when we re-emerge and enjoy a summer outdoors. “Having been indoors for the past year, we know that out of home advertising will be bigger than ever this summer, and with a reach between our sites of well over 10 million people, we have a really compelling offer for businesses looking to connect with audiences in an intelligence-led way, serving messages in the right place and at the right time to deliver a return.” The company operates prominent North East screens at the Tyne Tunnel, Tyne Bridge, and Whitemare Pool, as well as sites like Stack Newcastle and Stack Seaburn. As well as offering out of home permanent screens, the company has seen demand for its events-led offer – screen hire – explode since the easing of lockdown measures were announced. The company offers big screen hire, that enables businesses to deliver pop-up outdoor events and activities.
“We’ve been inundated with interest and bookings for the large format screens over the summer, with organisations keen to create memorable experiences that will plug the gaps left in their events calendar due to the uncertainty created by the pandemic. Every sign is there that – despite it being a slightly different summer – it will be a summer spent outdoors and we’re pleased to be right amongst it, with screens that will serve our clients’ messages to their customers.”
