Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) marketing has emerged as a dynamic complement to traditional out-of-home advertising. By leveraging technology, DOOH offers advertisers the ability to deliver targeted, engaging messages to consumers in public spaces.
DOOH combines the reach and impact of traditional outdoor advertising with the data-driven precision of digital media. It delivers powerful results for businesses of all sizes. Marketers who understand the potential of DOOH can effectively integrate it into their overall media mix and use it to achieve their campaign objectives.
Digital Out-of-Home: A Worthwhile Supplement to Digital Tactics
DOOH advertising is a form of media that utilizes digital screens to display advertisements in public spaces. Unlike traditional static billboards, DOOH offers advertisers the ability to deliver targeted, time-sensitive messages to a captive audience. DOOH transforms billboards, bus shelters, elevator screens, and more into interactive platforms that can be updated in real-time.
One digital out-of-home benefit is flexibility and targeting capability. It offers precision in targeting specific demographics and locations. Advertisers can tailor their messages based on factors like time of day, weather conditions, and even real-time events.
Secondly, DOOH enables dynamic and engaging creative formats you can’t get with print. These include video, animation, and interactive elements such as QR codes. They help capture attention and leave a lasting impression on viewers.
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Finally, digital out-of-home advertising offers advanced measurement capabilities. It allows you to track campaign performance and optimize your investments in ways you can’t with a traditional out of home (OOH) ad.
Common DOOH formats include:
- Digital billboards: Large-format displays located in high-traffic areas.
- Street furniture: Digital screens integrated into bus shelters, benches, and kiosks.
- Transit advertising: Digital displays on buses, trains, and subway stations.
- Retail media: Digital screens within stores or shopping malls.
Use Cases for DOOH
DOOH offers a wide range of opportunities for businesses to connect with their target audience in impactful ways. It can be a worthwhile supplement to any marketing strategy. Let’s explore some of the key use cases:
Building Brand Awareness
DOOH is an excellent medium for creating strong brand impressions and increasing visibility. By strategically placing ads in high-traffic areas, brands can reach a broad audience and reinforce their message. Dynamic creative elements and eye-catching visuals help capture attention and leave a lasting impact.
Driving Foot Traffic
For businesses with physical locations, DOOH can be a powerful tool for driving foot traffic. By targeting specific geographic areas and utilizing location-based targeting, advertisers can encourage consumers to visit nearby stores or restaurants. With advanced location measurement, businesses can then measure the conversion rate of users who visited their store after seeing an ad.
Generating Leads and Sales
DOOH is primarily focused on building brand awareness and driving foot traffic. But, it can also be used to generate leads and sales. By including clear calls-to-action and trackable QR codes, advertisers can encourage consumers to take immediate action. Integrating DOOH campaigns with other marketing channels, such as mobile and online advertising, can enhance lead generation efforts.
Retargeting
Advertisers can identify individuals exposed to a DOOH ad through location data. They can then deliver targeted and relevant digital ads to these same people across various online advertising channels. This strategy extends campaign reach, improves targeting, and enhances measurement. It also drives conversions by reinforcing the DOOH message and offering relevant incentives.
The DOOH Buying Process
DOOH advertising can be purchased multiple different ways, with benefits and use cases for each:
Programmatic
This automated buying process allows for real-time bidding on ad inventory, offering flexibility and efficiency. This buying type is ideal for campaigns that require flexibility, agility, and data driven optimization. This is specifically beneficial when other programmatic buys are in place, for ease of cross channel measurement and optimization.
Direct
Involves negotiating directly with DOOH media owners for specific placements and pricing. This is ideal if your ad campaign requires specific placements, is a long-term investment, and if it allows you more efficient CPMs than programmatic.
Guaranteed
This model ensures specific ad placements at a guaranteed price. It’s often used for high-profile campaigns where certainty of ad placement is necessary.
Key Factors to Consider
When selecting inventory, consider the following factors and digital out-of-home best practices:
- Location: Choose locations with high foot traffic and visibility.
- Audience demographics: Ensure the target audience aligns with the location. For example, if you are looking to target business professionals, office building elevator space may be a good option.
- Ad format: Select the format that best suits your campaign objectives (static, video, interactive).
- Pricing: Evaluate costs per impression and overall campaign budget.
- Measurement capabilities: Ensure the DOOH provider offers the necessary data for performance tracking.
Measuring DOOH Campaign Results
Effective measurement is crucial for optimizing DOOH campaigns and demonstrating their impact. By tracking key metrics and utilizing advanced analytics, advertisers can gain valuable insights into campaign performance and ROI. They can use those findings to optimize and drive results.
Key Metrics for DOOH Campaigns
Several metrics are important for evaluating DOOH campaign success. These are the data points to pay attention to:
- Impressions: The total number of times an ad is displayed.
- Reach: The number of unique individuals exposed to the ad.
- Frequency: The average number of times an individual sees the ad.
- Engagement: Measures audience interaction with the ad, such as dwell time or click-through rates.
- Attribution: Determines the impact of DOOH on overall marketing goals, such as store visits or website traffic.
Attribution Models for DOOH
Attributing conversions to DOOH can be challenging because of the offline nature of the medium. However, advancements in technology have made it possible to measure the impact of DOOH campaigns on online and offline actions. Some common attribution models include:
- Proximity-based attribution: Measures the impact of DOOH ads on people who have been physically close to the screens.
- Cross-platform attribution: Combines data from DOOH with other marketing channels to determine overall campaign effectiveness.
- Lift studies: Compare the performance of markets with DOOH campaigns to those without to measure incremental lift.
Leveraging the available data and attribution models allows advertisers to make informed decisions and maximize the ROI of their campaigns.
Conclusion
Digital out-of-home has emerged as a powerful form of advertising for reaching consumers in the physical world. It offers targeted messaging, engaging formats, and measurable results, and it provides unique opportunities for brands to connect with their audience. DOOH also complements other digital strategies and traditional advertising.
From building brand awareness to driving foot traffic and leads, DOOH helps with a variety of objectives. By understanding the buying process, selecting the right inventory, and effectively measuring performance, advertisers will maximize the impact of their DOOH investments.
As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative and effective DOOH solutions emerge. Businesses that embrace this dynamic medium will stay ahead of the curve and build lasting connections with their consumers.
Get in touch today to learn how DOOH can help you achieve your business goals and stay ahead in the competitive digital marketplace.
