With its broad range of inventory and placement options, OOH advertising is the essence of versatility. That makes it a valuable addition to virtually any marketing campaign. So, what’s your goal? Here are five ways OOH can help achieve your campaign objective.
1. Brand awareness
No other advertising medium enables you to promote your brand anywhere and everywhere — indoors as well as outside. OOH ads ensure can’t-miss visibility, often around the clock. They can’t be deleted or blocked.
And with imaginative design and content, they won’t be ignored, either.
In a nationwide survey, 77% of consumers said they’re paying more attention to their physical surroundings now. Specifically, they’re noticing OOH ads. And here’s the best part: 86% can recall the brand or product later on.
Even the biggest name brands need to stay top-of-mind with consumers. OOH can quickly introduce a new brand or help you stay ahead of the competition.
And it helps spread the words further — 1 in 5 consumers say they have shared an OOH ad online or in person.
2. Point of sale increases
In the same survey noted above, 80% of consumers said they’ve purchased a product or service after seeing an OOH ad. That’s 4 out of every 5.
OOH promotes sales in multiple ways:
- Using QR codes to connect consumers with the brand to get a coupon or make an immediate online purchase.
- OOH vending machines provide instant gratification, enabling consumers to buy on the spot and take their purchase with them.
- Targeted wayfinding – “Take the next exit” or “We’re just around the corner.” Leafly, an online resource that connects customers with brick-and-mortar cannabis stores, boosted brand awareness and traffic in key cities using OOH.
- Place-based digital OOH ads can influence product choices in the grocery aisle or trigger impulse buys at the cash register.
3. Product launch
If a hefty majority of consumers are motivated to buy after seeing an OOH ad, then obviously OOH is a must when it comes to introducing new products or services. Transform your marketing campaign into an omni-launch, using OOH to amplify online, TV, and/or social ads.
Thanks to OOH’s ability to target virtually everyone or very niche audiences, you can reach exactly the right people.
You can even target them with contextual messaging.
- Display DOOH ads that promote your new exercise gear in fitness centers, or your new potato chip flavor in the grocery aisle.
- Drive traffic to your dealership with OOH ads that reach drivers (where else?) on the road. All the roads, with billboards and mobile OOH ads.
4. Entering a new market
Sometimes the audience in a new market may already know with your brand – for example, you’ve made a name for yourself regionally but you’re expanding into new territory. In other cases, it’s possible no one has ever heard of you.
No matter, OOH stands ready to ensure your brand stands out. And fast.
Entering a new market is really no different from a new product launch, except the “product” is your brand as well as whatever you sell. You need to make the biggest, most impressive splash possible, in order to generate a return on your investment as soon as possible.
OOH effectively makes your case in any size market, from big city to hyperlocal.
OOH builds awareness with broad-reach static ad placements. At the same time, it can inspire active engagement with ads that let your audience connect right away to learn more.
Use an LED truck or wrapped vehicle to increase reach or host pop-up locations where you can do product demonstrations or sampling.
5. Establishing authority
It takes time to build brand familiarity and the consumer confidence and trust that follow. Because consumers can see your OOH ads wherever they go when they’re away from home, they are repeatedly reminded of your brand and the products or services you offer.
But OOH can boost your brand authority in more subtle – and even more valuable – ways.
For example, ad content doesn’t always have to sell. Messaging that focuses on subject matter of special interest to your audience can bond them to you and boost long-term loyalty. So, advertise your sustainability practices. Or your support for a vital community cause.
OOH also strengthens authority by reinforcing your company’s social media and other marketing. That works in reverse, too. OOH ads that excite or intrigue are eminently sharable, giving your brand greater play on social sites, not to mention the added credibility that sharing and re-posting can confer.
One study found that 58% of consumers believe OOH ads are more trustworthy (and more relevant) than any other advertising platform.
Many consumers are fed up with online advertising and, by extension perhaps, the brands that are still over-advertising online. OOH has the power to not only establish authority with reach and frequency that build name familiarity, it can help repair lost trust and confidence.