The news that Greater Manchester’s economy has surpassed £100bn for the first time has not gone unnoticed, leading some people to ask if Manchester is a model for the UK to kickstart growth.

According to latest data from Manchester City Council, the city region continues to be a key engine of growth for the North and the UK, outperforming national trends, creating jobs, investing in infrastructure and building new homes.

At 3.1% annual growth sustained over 10 years, Manchester’s economy has performed twice as well as that of the UK as a whole. Central to Greater Manchester’s strategy is a thriving city centre with a track record in attracting high-value investment. Confidence is high, the business sector consistently choosing Manchester as a place to locate, invest and grow.

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Manchester’s mojo

Aside from a four year stint down south in London, I’ve lived in Manchester for most of my life, and I can confirm that it’s changed beyond recognition. We’ve always embraced diversity and the rich culture that goes with it, but we didn’t always have investment. Over the past 10 years, that’s been a game changer and a driver for growth.

As the derelict patches of waste land and inner city car parks disappear, every inch of available land is being regenerated. The skyline is lit up at night with cranes and shiny new buildings. Manchester now resembles a small American city, and the city is starting to sprawl.

The rich cultural capital attached to Manchester is recognisable, the international MCR brand fuelled by music and two globally recognised football clubs. This has attracted legendary events like The BRIT Awards and the MOBOs which are moving to Manchester. Soho House and the English National Opera have also established bases here, and the actor Robert De Niro is opening Nobu Manchester in a brand-new skyscraper. Once completed it will be the UK’s tallest building outside London.

The city also encourages filming in the region, the Northern Quarter often doubling as New York. Twenty years ago, you wouldn’t have seen Hollywood films being shot here. Nowadays it’s common to find streets closed for production crews. I even wandered onto the Peaky Blinders set a few years ago.

Sitting at the centre of all this activity is Digital Out of Home. Manchester has always been, and remains, a key Ocean city. We’ve had a presence here for 15 years. In 2011, we launched the city’s first double sided full motion screen. Remember The Axis @ Hacienda? Our total DOOH investment in Manchester to date is estimated at more than £50 million. We’ve worked especially hard over the last couple of years to keep pace with a city that’s on the move, introducing new formats and advanced technology best suited to the times, the environment and audience expectations.

Under our renewed large format DOOH contract with Manchester City Council, we’re launching our latest Ask for it by Name icon, Chester Road Roundabout, as a trio of roadside screens. At Manchester Arndale we’re introducing new internal formats to enhance the retail experience. The all new Arndale Media Wall becomes the largest internal screen across the UK in terms of shopping centres, dialling up the entertainment appeal, delivering value to brands, tenants and the landlord in the process.

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Reach, resonance, return

Underlining Ocean’s investment is a continuous stream of original content which celebrates Manchester’s creative spirit, its resilience and unswerving sense of fair play.

Next week, our Digital Creative Competition Grand Prix winner TBWA\MCR debuts the world’s first billboard to be operated by a bottom (yes really) at Printworks Manchester. Combining originality with humour and nostalgia, the creative agency has paired with the charity Prost8 to produce a retro style arcade game. It delivers a hugely important message about prostate cancer tests to men at risk aged 50 and over. ‘Dodge the Finger’ will be played out on the big gaming screen as fans gather nearby to watch the Man City v Notts Forest game.

Continuing our commitment to women’s sport, we’re supporting the Manchester premiere of Films Not Words’s award-winning documentary feature The Corinthians: We Were The Champions. Banned from playing the Beautiful Game by The FA in 1921 (they declared it ‘quite unsuitable for females’) groundbreaking girls from Manchester defied the rules to win worldwide trophies. Seventy years on, and until now, their story had been all but forgotten.

And on 5^th March, we bring our third International Women’s Day event for agencies, brands, landlords, OOH specialists and friends to the Manchester Dome, doubling down on our commitment to create a level playing field for everyone regards of background, industry or seniority.

We do all of this day in and day out because, here in the city, community and authenticity count. An approach that represents a significant opportunity for brands willing to invest, alongside us, in the optimism of a city in ascendance.

Took book a guided Manchester site tour, email myself or sales@oceanoutdoor.com. To attend our invitation only International Women’s Day event, email info@oceanoutdoor.com.