The Lasting Impact of OOH

Month: June 2020

Out-of-home advertising (OOH) has seen exponential growth in the past decade whereas other traditional media have seen significant declines.

The growth in OOH has been largely attributed to people spending more time outdoors and the fact that OOH can’t be switched off. OOH has a physical presence and unlike TV, radio and even new technologies such as social media can’t be switched off or blocked. OOH has also evolved and kept up with the times with the rise of digital out-of-home advertising (DOOH).

 

Extending Reach 

OOH advertising’s ability to be used in conjunction with other advertising means it can amplify a marketing campaign which in turn will extend the reach of the campaign and help drive consumers to engage with a brand.

 

Ability to Adapt

OOH remains more relevant than ever due to its ability to evolve and thanks to innovation. OOH, and DOOH has due to many technological advances stayed relevant and constitute an important part of the advertising mix.

 

OOH Is Memorable 

OOH ad campaigns have become unmissable thanks to a burst of creativity and out-of-the-box ideas. Advertisers are using storytelling to connect to consumers and to deliver impactful messages. Technological advances have made it possible for OOH to become interactive, entertaining and relevant. Seeing the same billboard or another form of OOH advertising day after day means that a consumer is becoming familiar with a brand and is likely to choose this brand amongst others not seen or heard of before.

 

Psychological Impact Of OOH

A lot of research has been done regarding psychology and advertising. This tends to explain why some advertisements work and others don’t. In advertising psychological techniques are used to entice audiences to buy a product or service or to feel a certain way about a certain brand.

Consumers are exposed to hundreds of advertisements daily but not all of these advertisements make an impact.

With regards to OOH studies have found that people consciously process featured messaging when they look at billboards. It has also been found that a large percentage of people do pay attention to billboards they pass. People who do not actively notice an advertisement in their surroundings, do so unconsciously.

 

OOH Cannot Be Ignored

OOH advertising cannot be closed or blocked like other forms of advertising and OOH has thus become one of the few advertising mediums that can reach consumers where other media channels fail.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought the world to a standstill and out-of-home advertising (OOH) is one of the industries that is expected to bear the brunt of this. 

COVID-19 has brought about curfews, quarantines and lockdowns in many countries worldwide. In OOH terms this means people are confined to the indoors and are requested to stay away from public places. 

While things may seem all doom and gloom, industry experts believe that things will change around quickly and that it’s not all bad news. 

 

The Impact Of COVID-19 

OOH was thriving before the coronavirus outbreak but has been hit hard by COVID-19. There are reports of a decrease in revenue, postponement or cancellation of services, a huge drop in impressions and impacts, investment and buying. 

It is too soon to estimate the precise influence of the pandemic on OOH. Business, however, seems to be picking up again with many countries easing restrictions and lifting lockdowns. 

This means the movement has gradually started to return to public spaces, providing OOH media owners and advertisers with new opportunities. 

 

OOH In the Post-COVID-19 Era

Uncertain times also bring new opportunities and there is a strong need to engage with consumers in a new and different way. Industry experts expect that there will be high occupancy of all OOH formats later in the year and fierce competition for prime inventory. 

It seems that there will be a need for even more creativity and purpose-driven content. Certain brands had the opportunity to still reach audiences during lockdowns and this gave them the chance to stand out. Advertisers will now need to think even more about the copy they use. Copy needs to be relevant and speak to the mindset of people in the post-COVID-19 era by recognising what the world has gone through and how this has changed people’s perception of what is important. 

Creativity will once again be a must in the new context in which advertisers will operate. Advertisers need to be aware of how people are operating post-COVID-19 and should adapt to the new normal. Content should speak to consumers by having deeper value and by connecting to them. 

Having a sense of solidarity will help connect with consumers and to engage with them on a different level. According to industry experts now is not the time to hard sell but rather to focus on the long term by again establishing a brand presence and by building relationships with consumers.