Creative Outdoor Advertising
Creative Outdoor Advertising is the largest street furniture advertising provider in North America, operating 37,000+ advertising faces on benches, bus shelters, and recycling bins across 320+ municipalities, serving 10,000+ small and medium-sized businesses via monthly subscriptions and municipal public-private partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersTampa, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Creative Outdoor Advertising does
Creative Outdoor Advertising (COA), founded in 1983, is the largest street furniture advertising provider in North America, operating over 37,000 advertising faces across 320+ municipalities in the United States and Canada. The company sells advertising space on benches, bus shelters, and recycling bins to local small and medium-sized businesses via a self-serve web location database and direct sales team, with pricing structured as monthly subscriptions per sign on 12-month terms. COA also operates a parallel municipal public-private partnership business through its StreetScaping program, in which the company funds all capital investment for street furniture at zero cost to cities and transit authorities in exchange for advertising rights and revenue sharing.
The company's underlying technology platform consists of a proprietary Maintenance Data and Collection System, a Webport Live maintenance data visibility and exchange portal, and an Automatic Data Distribution System, with each street furniture unit bar-coded and GPS-verified for real-time status tracking and 24/7 municipal partner access. COA's go-to-market combines a sales-led SMB motion (location search portal, sales rep follow-up, design and installation services) with enterprise field sales for municipal and national advertiser relationships, including a dedicated InsiteSM portal for multi-market national campaigns.
The business is privately held and PE-backed, with Fulcrum Capital Partners having invested in 2021 and Dominus Capital serving as the current sponsor. In November 2025, Matthew Kearney was appointed CEO, bringing 30+ years of out-of-home and digital advertising experience from Screenvision, Daily Mail US, and Gas Station TV. The company reports average client retention of 8 years and serves more than 10,000 active SMB advertisers, with no public revenue or valuation disclosed.
Creative Outdoor Advertising firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Creative Outdoor Advertising
- Legal name
- Creative Outdoor Advertising
- Website
- https://creativeoutdoor.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Creative Outdoor Advertising is the largest street furniture advertising provider in North America, operating 37,000+ advertising faces on benches, bus shelters, and recycling bins across 320+ municipalities, serving 10,000+ small and medium-sized businesses via monthly subscriptions and municipal public-private partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Creative Outdoor Advertising industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Outdoor Advertising
- NAICS
- Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Street Furniture Advertising (Bus Shelters, Kiosks, Benches, Phone Booths) (BPAFALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Street Furniture OOH Advertising (Bus Shelters, Kiosks, Benches) (MPAAAKAD), Transit Advertising (Bus, Rail, Subway, Taxi, Airport Transit) (BPAFALAC)
Keywords
Where Creative Outdoor Advertising is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tampa
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Creative Outdoor Advertising business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Street Furniture Advertising Sales: COA sells advertising space on street furniture (benches, bus shelters, recycling bins) to local and regional small and medium-sized businesses. Advertisers pay monthly rates per sign for a 12-month term. COA also sells to national advertisers. The company shares a percentage of net advertising revenue with municipal and transit partners in exchange for sponsorship rights on public property.
- Municipal Public-Private Partnership Revenue: COA enters into public-private partnership agreements with municipalities and transit authorities. The programs are cost-free to municipalities; COA funds all capital investment through sponsorship revenue from local businesses. Municipal partners receive a share of net advertising revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly subscription per advertising unit for a 12-month term |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Creative Outdoor Advertising product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Creative Outdoor Advertising sells advertising space on street furniture—transit benches, bus shelters, and recycling bins—to local, regional, and national businesses on a monthly per-sign basis for 12-month terms. Through its StreetScaping program, the company enters public-private partnerships with municipalities and transit authorities, fully funding the street furniture installation and sharing a percentage of net advertising revenue with the public partner in exchange for advertising rights on public property. COA bundles design, printing, installation, maintenance, insurance, and automatic weather-credit service into the monthly fee.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Street Furniture Advertising Service Core turnkey outdoor advertising service in which Creative Outdoor sells advertising space on benches, bus shelters, and recycling bins to local, regional, and national businesses for a monthly fee per sign on a 12-month term. Includes design, printing, installation, maintenance, repairs, cleaning, insurance, reprinting of damaged signs, and an automatic weather credit if visibility drops below 80% for the year.
- Avenue Bench Advertising Program Modern bench design with ergonomic features and robust construction, used in municipal StreetScaping partnerships (e.g., City of Omaha) and offered with advertising face to local and national businesses.
- Lexington Bench Advertising Program Sleek, durable transit bench deployed in municipal programs (e.g., Polk County, FL and Holly Hill, FL) with advertising faces sold to local businesses.
- Santa Clara VTA Bus Shelter Advertising Program Bus shelter advertising, cleaning, and maintenance program covering the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority's bus shelter network in Santa Clara County, California, awarded to Creative Outdoor Advertising.
- MetroBin Recycling Bin Advertising State-of-the-art branded recycling bin deployed through municipal StreetScaping partnerships with attached advertising faces sold to local businesses, promoting sustainable waste management while generating advertising inventory.
- Terrace Recycling Bin Advertising Recycling bin (Terrace model) deployed in municipal programs with attached advertising faces sold to local businesses, designed to encourage responsible waste disposal and reduce litter in public spaces.
- InsiteSM National Advertising Platform Dedicated online platform (insitesm.com) that enables national businesses and agencies to coordinate street furniture advertising campaigns across multiple municipalities through COA's 320+ municipal footprint.
Quantifiable outcome
- Clients reduce annual newspaper advertising costs by up to 15% by shifting budget to transit bench advertising
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Creative Outdoor Advertising
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Creative Outdoor Advertising technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Creative Outdoor Advertising partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, moderate and minor.
- Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)majorCOA was awarded the bus shelter advertising contract for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. Starting January 1, COA oversees the advertising program for VTA's bus shelter network while also managing cleaning, maintenance, and overall upkeep of the shelters throughout the service area. Santa Clara County is home to more than 1.9 million residents and includes San José, California's third-largest city.
- City of Omaha, NebraskamajorThe City of Omaha awarded the Omaha Bus Bench Program to Creative Outdoor. COA entered into an agreement to manage and enhance the bus bench program throughout Omaha, featuring a combination of new Avenue benches and existing concrete benches. The Avenue bench has a modern design, ergonomic features, and robust construction.
- City of Spruce Grove, AlbertamoderateCreative Outdoor Advertising signed a new contract with the City of Spruce Grove to introduce a fresh, modern bus bench program. Brand-new Avenue benches have been installed, and COA manages advertising on both its benches and city-owned shelters. Spruce Grove is described as a vibrant and growing community known for scenic parks and commitment to sustainability.
- City of Bayonne, New JerseymoderateCOA entered into an agreement with the City of Bayonne, New Jersey to supply state-of-the-art recycling bins. Bayonne has a population of nearly 70,000 and is located along the Hudson River just across from Manhattan. The city is known for its dedication to environmental responsibility and sustainability.
- City of Schenectady, New YorkmoderateCOA signed an agreement with the city of Schenectady, NY to provide the MetroBin recycling bin. This partnership promotes sustainable waste management practices and fosters a cleaner, greener environment. 23 brand new MetroBins were installed throughout the city.
- Polk County, FloridamajorCreative Outdoor renewed its bus bench program in Polk County, Florida for another decade. As part of the renewal, old concrete benches are being upgraded to sleek Lexington benches, enhancing comfort and aesthetics at bus stops across the county.
- City of Lynn, MassachusettsmoderateCOA successfully installed 48 Terrace recycling bins across the City of Lynn, Massachusetts. The bins are strategically placed across high-traffic areas, designed to encourage responsible waste disposal and reduce litter in public spaces.
- City of Holly Hill, FloridaminorCOA converted old concrete bus benches in Holly Hill, FL into modern Lexington bus benches. The new benches are designed to blend into the urban landscape with durable materials and a sleek design that prioritizes comfort for those waiting for buses.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Creative Outdoor Advertising competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- JCDecaux: Global leader in street furniture advertising (bus shelters, benches, kiosks) under municipal concessions. The most direct global comparable to Creative Outdoor's StreetScaping model, though JCDecaux is materially larger and internationally diversified.
- Outfront Media: Major North American OOH media company with a large transit-shelter and bus-bench portfolio. Directly competes for municipal contracts and advertiser budgets that COA targets, and is a public-market proxy for COA's revenue model.
- Intersection: U.S. operator of street-level digital and static media in transit hubs and public spaces, including LinkNYC kiosks. Closely comparable business model and customer set in the urban street-furniture segment.
- Branded Cities: North American OOH media owner with a portfolio of transit shelters, digital spectaculars, and place-based media. Operates a similar concession-based model to COA and competes for the same municipal and advertiser relationships.
Broad incumbents
- Lamar Advertising: One of the largest U.S. outdoor advertising operators, primarily billboards with a growing transit and digital OOH footprint. Provides a public-market benchmark for OOH unit economics, though COA is more specialized in street furniture.
- Clear Channel Outdoor: Global OOH incumbent with significant billboard, transit, and street-furniture assets. Competes with COA for municipal concessions in larger markets and for national advertiser budgets.
Regional players
- Pattison Outdoor Advertising: Canada's largest OOH company with transit shelter, bench, and billboard inventory across Canadian municipalities. Directly comparable to COA's Canadian operations and a likely competitor in the same RFP processes.
- Pacific Outdoor Advertising: Western U.S. regional OOH operator with billboard and street-furniture inventory. Comparable in service mix and target customer (local SMBs), but geographically concentrated in the western U.S.
Emerging players
- Vector Media: OOH media company with transit, airport, and street-furniture advertising assets across North America. Smaller scale than COA but a partial-overlap competitor in the transit shelter and street-level media segment.
Others
- Streetsense: Place-based branding and experiential marketing agency that advises on urban, hospitality, and retail environments. Adjacent to COA's municipal StreetScaping model as a strategic/creative partner rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Creative Outdoor Advertising social profiles
Digital presenceCreative Outdoor Advertising financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Creative Outdoor Advertising leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Creative Outdoor Advertising funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Creative Outdoor Advertising M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Creative Outdoor Advertising
What does Creative Outdoor Advertising do?
Creative Outdoor Advertising sells advertising space on street furniture—transit benches, bus shelters, and recycling bins—to local, regional, and national businesses on a monthly per-sign basis for 12-month terms. Through its StreetScaping program, the company enters public-private partnerships with municipalities and transit authorities, fully funding the street furniture installation and sharing a percentage of net advertising revenue with the public partner in exchange for advertising rights on public property. COA bundles design, printing, installation, maintenance, insurance, and automatic weather-credit service into the monthly fee.
Is Creative Outdoor Advertising a public or private company?
Creative Outdoor Advertising is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Creative Outdoor Advertising founded?
Creative Outdoor Advertising was founded in 1983. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Creative Outdoor Advertising based?
Creative Outdoor Advertising is headquartered in Tampa, United States, in the North America region.
How does Creative Outdoor Advertising make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Street Furniture Advertising Sales are the primary driver. The others are municipal Public-Private Partnership Revenue.
Who are Creative Outdoor Advertising's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are JCDecaux, Outfront Media, Intersection and Branded Cities. Broad incumbents are Lamar Advertising and Clear Channel Outdoor. Regional players are Pattison Outdoor Advertising and Pacific Outdoor Advertising. Vector Media is listed as an emerging player. Streetsense is listed as an others.
Does Creative Outdoor Advertising have an API?
No public API is recorded for Creative Outdoor Advertising.
What industry is Creative Outdoor Advertising in?
Creative Outdoor Advertising's product category is Outdoor Advertising. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFALAD, Street Furniture Advertising (Bus Shelters, Kiosks, Benches, Phone Booths), with a secondary code of MPAAAKAD, Street Furniture OOH Advertising (Bus Shelters, Kiosks, Benches). Its NAICS code is 54185 and its SIC code is 7310.