3 min read
In a recent survey, 99% of marketers from across the US agreed that out-of-home advertising is the "perfect counterbalance" to the digital fatigue plaguing their target audiences.
As of the pandemic, nearly all marketers were well-invested in digital advertising. But two-thirds say the steadily diminishing returns are alarming. You can blame digital fatigue or growing costs that increase CPM, or barriers like data privacy rules, but the bottom line is the same.
In order to compete, brands must be strategically smarter.
They're looking for solutions out in the real world, and they love what they're seeing.
Don't dump digital, fortify it with OOH
OOH helps marketers stand out better than digital alone. It amplifies and complements other channels, giving you more ways to connect with audiences, in more places. Everywhere.
It makes perfect sense when you think about it. We all know that successful marketing relies on repetition, and now that audiences have left the confines of home in favor of all things out-of-home, marketing must follow.
People are traveling more — not only around town and back to the office to commute, but off on vacation or off to conferences and other events.
Adding traditional and/or digital OOH to your omni-channel campaigns can exponentially expand your reach, spark new interest in your brand or products and reinforce your online ad content to boost results.
That means you can cut back on ever-costlier online advertising and still reap greater results and ROI. You're making positive impressions with the targets you most want to impress, and you're saving money. (Get the playbook on what OOH + online can do for you.)
But how exactly can you use OOH to revive your digital efforts?
Out-of-home advertising:
- Is highly targetable – by location as well as the usual detailed demographics
- Reaches all types of prospects at every stage of their buyer journey
- Reaches both B2C and B2B audiences
- Is measurable – and marketers overwhelmingly say they are confident in their OOH results
In other words, OOH is poised to help reach your goals, whatever they are.
A whopping 93% of marketers say OOH is essential – essential! – for brand building.
- Startups can get the word out fast and wide
- Smaller brands can achieve a more commanding presence in the marketplace (read here how Reprise used OOH to show big at B2BMX)
- All brands, even the most powerful household names, can stay top-of-mind with customers
OOH ads can also generate leads, close sales and boost customer loyalty and lifetime value.
No surprise here!
An equally whopping (94%) of marketers say that OOH surprises and delights better than any other channel. Creative content designers can tap into OOH’s multi-sensory appeal with 3D visuals, video, audio and on-the-go mobile media.
OOH has staying power
Online ads offer only a passing glimpse, static OOH offers valuable dwell time. Viewers have a chance to:
- Fully take in your message
- Stop and snap a shot of your QR code to follow up, or
- Snap a selfie with your clever design to share with their friends
Here's what that might look like
Nothing beats out-of-home for brand building because no other channel can provide anywhere near the same scope of inventory types and locations.
You can place your message virtually anywhere in the real world. On billboards and buses, on a blimp or a boat, around arenas and airports, in your targets' favorite sports bar or in their doctor's office waiting room. It can be as big as a digital spectacular in Times Square or as small as a pizza box cover.
But marketing is about more than brand awareness. You need your audience to take action. Happily, OOH is more interactive than ever – you can engage audience eyes with OOH and DOOH and their ears with AOOH, but when you get them to engage with you hands-on, you're making an indelible impact.
When the moment is just right, your OOH is right there, inviting them to connect.
Provide a short URL that’s easy to remember or quick to tap in on the spot, or a clickable QR code, when your ad invites them to:
- Come on in (roadside billboards that point to your business off the next exit or street side posters or sidewalk art that lead right to your door)
- Learn more
- Take the survey
- Donate
- Sign up
- Follow us
- Buy now – creative marketers are using OOH kiosks where folks can make a purchase on the spot for future delivery or pickup
Out-of-home works
Digital advertising isn't over – there’s no question that marketers still need to reach out online. But adding OOH puts more tools at hand. Tools that get the job done, bigger and better. Marketers who use OOH are so confident in their results, they want to do more. No wonder 92% are increasing their out-of-home budgets in 2022.