Demonstrating how effective outdoor advertising really is.(IPA Outdoor)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Annie Rickard thinks that outdoor must stop talking to itself.

Annie Rickard speaks passionately about the future of outdoor, as you would expect from the woman who is now its champion. The Posterscope chief executive has just taken on the role of newly created industry body IPA Outdoor and promises "robust" action on a number of key outdoor issues.

IPA Outdoor has been created to bring the outdoor specialists into closer proximity to the rest of the advertising industry. Its remit will be broadly similar to that of the Council of Outdoor Specialists (COS) which it replaces. However, Rickard hopes that the formalised association with the IPA will allow it to work more closely with representatives of other media while accessing the IPA's training, legal advice and other connections.

Rickard says: "We needed to be part of the wider communications industry, not just a small group of people talking among themselves."

Rickard, for years a tireless worker on outdoor issues, will have a significant voice in the sector at a vital time. The recent outdoor conference in Barcelona, which Rickard helped to organise, highlighted that outdoor is at a crossroads: its share of advertising spend growing from 6 to 8 per cent in three years, growth of 21 per cent during 2000, yet facing key issues that will decide if it can grow to capture 10 per cent of ad spend.

Critics of the industry, most notably Unilever's Alan Rutherford at Barcelona, argue that the UK market is too complex, needs to become more accountable and should work towards a common practice across Europe. Rickard says that Rutherford is "out of date" but concedes: "Perhaps the outdoor industry could be less self-absorbed, and this especially applies to the specialists, who could be more aware of what's happening across the industry."

Key issues that IPA Outdoor will tackle in its first year include making the medium more accountable. Rickard is adamant that this can be achieved. She says: "We need to make far more progress in demonstrating return on investment when set against objectives. We can provide awareness and audience results, but we need to do more."