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Are you missing a trick with Out-of-Home advertising?

February 28, 2023

What is Out-of-Home advertising?

Out-of-Home (OOH) is an innovative medium aimed at consumers when they’re on the move. It’s one of the most effective ways to appeal to multiple demographics at once.

Well-positioned OOH ads in the urban environment are seen by 98% of people per week on their commutes. So, are you making the most of your potential? Or are you missing a trick with OOH advertising?

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Why should you use OOH advertising?

With so many marketing efforts directly targeting consumers, adding to the mix can be ineffective. The continuous onslaught of advertising is often less than well-received.

This is where OOH comes in. It’s unobtrusive, yet effective. By nature, it’s a non-aggressive form of advertising. Consumers feel less ‘targeted’ by noticing an advert as they walk by rather than being forced to view a pop-up on their phone, for example, or having their favourite TV show interrupted by an ad break.

Despite this, OOH advertising is still generally unavoidable - consumers cannot opt-out of viewing.

In a survey, 45% of respondents said they respond to OOH ads, increasing to 53% for millennials. OOH ads also act as a primer to any future ads on mobile devices, improving recall and making consumers 48% more likely to engage with them. We see the greatest efficacy when the first OOH ad is seen in a premium site location. There’s endless creative scope with OOH and that extends to display sites – make yours stand out.

OOH is not only one of the most effective forms of advertising, but it’s also the most affordable. The cost for primetime broadcast TV ads and Connected TV (CTV) ads are 10x more expensive on average than OOH. This shows you get a better ROI from OOH as it provides more value due to increased reach and ad recall.

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Where do you start?

So, what’s the best method of OOH advertising? That would be signage. Billboards, static signs, digital signs and everything in between.

OOH advertising must A: Capture attention, and B: engage emotion, to create a memory and lead to action. Developing meaningful campaigns with simple messages is the key to fulfilling this process. There are several methods of OOH advertising at your disposal, which can be used in isolation or together, depending on the goals of your campaign.

  • Vehicle liveries are your mobile billboards, seen by thousands of people every day. Our AuraSwitch temporary branding solution is tailor-made exactly for this reason. It's more environmentally friendly too.
  • Get creative with wallscapes to stop passersby in their tracks. What’s more eye-catching than a bright mural in the grey/brown muted tones of a town or city?
  • Our AuraLight film is highly retro-reflective, creating eye-catching bold statements – perfect for walls, signage and even vehicles.
  • Don't forget digital signs and billboards provide endless opportunities to change your ads according to various data segments. If you have the budget, Digital Out of Home (DOOH) is the way to go. It’s 2.5x more effective than static signage and moving digital is even better. When combined with interactive technology such as social media interaction the impact increases by 5x! A great way to do this? Add QR codes to your ads for people to scan.
  • Creating a shareable campaign will get you even more visibility. OOH ads that really stand out will be shared far and wide on social media. Use QR codes to enhance shareability.

Whichever methods you choose, it’s important to understand that size, scale and duration are also important for engagement. A spectacular site is essential for success as the rational side of our brain is very good at logically filtering out information, such as generic advertising.

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Data

Using Smart data and insights will allow you to improve targeting. Knowing who and where your customers are means you can tailor the content you display accordingly. You can then make informed decisions as to which ads you’re going to place in which locations. This might mean versions vary by geography or site.

There are three main targeting techniques you can employ using Smart data.

Triggers alter digital campaigns depending on pre-determined indicators. These could be variables such as time of day or weather, so when it rains a relevant ad is shown which then changes when it’s sunny.

Geofencing is the method of creating virtual perimeters depending on location. Ads will then vary by perimeter.

Collection devices gather consumer data through methods such as interactive digital signage, QR codes, cameras etc.


Do’s and Don’ts

  • Do choose high-traffic locations
  • Don’t crowd your ad – less it more
  • Do get creative – use eye-catching visuals
  • Don’t overcomplicate – use clear messaging
  • Do make an impact with a memorable design
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Top tip: Make your OOH ads interactive. Use interactive screens, add QR codes and snapchat scanning to engage your audience and gather more data.

Key takeaway: The success of your advertisement depends on you eliciting an emotional response.

Did you know?

We can help with all of your OOH advertising needs! Our experts will discuss your project with you and help you achieve your goals. Our marketing team can even help refine your messaging.


Get in touch with our expert team to level up your Out-of-Home advertising.