FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2002 WW Expenditures for Printed Outdoor Advertising Estimated at $16.7 billion

Hanover, MA…July 2003… Outdoor advertising provides consistent and repeated exposure to an outdoor message over an extended period of time to maintain high levels of advertising awareness and recall. Outdoor advertising can’t be turned off, thrown away or have the channel changed. It is always there ­ all the time.

I. T. Strategies estimates that in 2002 worldwide outdoor advertising expenditures for print were $16.7 billion. Almost 90% of the output is printed with analog print technologies, with screen printing the largest. Digital printing technologies (ink jet, electrostatic and electrophotography) are about 13% of the market or almost $2 billion. In 2002, US consumers spent more than $3.5 trillion at retail. Advertisers in the US spent about $6.6 billion on outdoor advertising to reach these consumers.

Digital printing has accelerated the growth in outdoor advertising in three ways:

1. The high resolution capability of digital printers has allowed near photo quality printing. Billboards are now printed at 300 dpi. This higher quality has opened up new applications such as bus wraps.

2. The short run and customization capabilities of digital printing have allowed advertisers to cost-effectively produce customized campaigns to better target demographic groups. This has also opened up the market to local companies who previously could not get just a few prints.

3. The speed and turnaround time of digital printing has allowed advertisers to rapidly change outdoor signage, thus increasing the number of products printed. According to Liz Ziepniewski, a Consultant with I. T. Strategies, “Looking ahead, I see continued growth in outdoor advertising driven in part by digital printing. Digital printing is a major driving factor today and in the future we can expect to see more of the benefits of digital printing driving applications.

For example, digitized graphics can be used across multiple print media such as billboards, bus wraps, truck graphics and street furniture, allowing advertisers to maintain a cohesive message within an advertisings campaign. Since repetition increases retention, it is an intelligent marketing ploy. While this is already occurring today, there is also growth in newer applications such as expanded billboard sizes, wallscapes and truck graphics which have been enabled by digital printing.”

I.T. Strategies, Inc. is an established research and consultancy firm dedicated to serving companies in emerging digital printing markets. The company delivers intelligent data, analysis, strategy, and implementation practices to vendors in the digital printing industry around the world. From offices in Boston and Tokyo, I.T. Strategies conducts and delivers research data, offers interpretation and advice, identifies specific opportunities, and helps organizations implement these strategies to achieve effective solutions.

I.T. Strategies, Inc.
51 Mill St, Suite 2
Hanover, MA 02339
Phone: 781 826 0200
Fax: 781 826 0151
E-Mail: infocntr@it-strategies.com
Website URL: www.it-strategies.com