Digital signage provider ADXBA and architectural signage company Astra Signs are celebrating their recent merger with a £7m contract win for media giant Global, home to household radio names such as Heart, Capital and Classic FM.
The April merger includes a rebrand of the two Manchester-based companies to form Astra Group, with the duo combining to become one of the country’s leading full-service providers of both traditional and digital signage. The two brands will retain their individual identities under Astra Group, alongside Astra Digital, Astra Graphics, Astra Services and Astra Safety. Together the group promises a Northern powerhouse in the OOH advertising field and a level, and breadth, of expertise that hasn’t previously been seen in the sector.
The new group identity will be adopted at all the group’s physical locations, which include hubs in London and Dublin as well its Manchester HQ, its vehicle fleet and new website.
The contract win with Global, valued at over £7m, follows a competitive tender and sees Astra Group responsible for the ongoing servicing, monitoring, management, design, fabrication and installation of Global’s fleet of digital roadside, rail, and airport advertising panels across the UK.
Work is already underway to transfer all assets into Astra Group control using the business’s Unity Platform, with a number of sites already built or transferred.
Astra Group CEO, Jim Kerr, said: “This is a significant win for Astra Group, playing to our collective business strengths. Global is well-recognised as one of the UK’s leading outdoor media companies, providing reach to over 95% of the UK population. We’re looking forward to working together to revolutionise the out-of-home advertising space through innovation and adding value.”
Astra Group’s existing clients include BT, Manchester Airport Group, Hilton Hotels and Resorts, Manchester City Football Club and Samsung.
