SMEs can apply for free ad space on new city centre digital screen

Southampton small business owners are invited to apply for a £250,000 advertising fund to promote their services on a new city centre outdoor digital screen located on the High Street outside West Quay shopping centre, along with five other screens around the city.

Local independent SMEs and retailers have until December 31 to apply for a free slot on the screens via the Ocean Outdoor or Council websites. The first campaigns will appear in the New Year and over the following six months.

The new West Quay totem style double-sided digital screen, which was switched on today (Wednesday, November 10), is the sixth screen installed by Ocean Outdoor as part of its contract with the council to provide large format digital advertising screens across the city.

The screen will show a combination of commercial, community and public information messaging, generating revenue for the Council to invest in essential city services and public amenities.

A new air-filtering public bench will also be installed as part of the council’s contract with Ocean Outdoor. The City Tree is the world’s first biotech fine dust filter for urban spaces using the natural filtering properties of mosses with smart technology to improve the environment. With an automated irrigation and ventilation system, the circular seat cleans and cools the surrounding air by up to 2.5 degrees Celsius.

Councillor Jeremy Moulton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Growth, said: “Ocean Outdoor have a great track record of providing innovative and engaging content on their screens and I’m looking forward to seeing how the screen can enrich the city centre visitor experience.

“Not only does the screen give the council a great opportunity to share important community messaging, but we can also use it to support our UK City of Culture 2025 bid and showcase some of the amazing things about the city we love.

“The provision of an innovative air-filtering City Tree is a sign of Ocean’s commitment to our greener city aspirations, and the revenue we generate from our agreement helps us to deliver essential city services. I’d urge SMEs to take advantage of the fund to help them recover from the pandemic as we get Southampton moving.“

Ocean Outdoor senior marketing executive Emma Jeffers said: “The advertising fund is an extension to Ocean’s original £14 million initiative for SMEs which successfully supported hundreds of local businesses during the pandemic. The application process is straight forward and we will be on hand to advise business owners how to use the new and existing screens to their best effect.”

Artwork for the screen can be either static or video and Southampton City Council can offer businesses discounted rates on design services, if required (subject to availability).

The screen and all other Ocean outdoor locations in Southampton will observe the two minute silence at 11am tomorrow (Thursday, November 11) and on Sunday, November 14 to mark Remembrance Day.

XL - Western Esplande, Southampton carries the SME Fund DOOH advertising

The Totem @ West Quay, Southampton is located outside of West Quay shopping centre

The Screen @ West Quay, Southampton carries the SME Fund DOOH advertising

The Totem @ West Quay, Southampton is the city centre's first full-motion, large-format screen

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