A significant software and hardware revolution has occurred in the Out Of Home and Digital advertising landscape.  Campaigns are more creative, better aligned with target markets, increasingly eye-catching, and worthy of holding attention in a multi-screen generation. Fresh possibilities are bursting from the OOH environment and electrifying prospects are abound. OOH remains one of the most cost-effective advertising media around, and there is no stopping it now that digital technologies have had an opportunity to develop.

To impress with your DOOH display campaign, keep the following in mind:

1. Keep abreast of new technology: While this may sound redundant, digital technology is tremendously fast-paced and nobody can afford to fall behind new developments 

and product offerings. It is vital to pay considerable attention to all new OOH and DOOH technologies, to know how they operate and to know how to apply them efficiently for maximum impact. DOOH campaigns must be energetic, direct, collaborative and pragmatic to snatch attention away from cell phones and other media.

1. Integrate! Modern DOOH can interact with several digital platforms, and campaigns can be synchronised across various streaming media, creating a multi-layered approach. It can galvanise the audience into delivering feedback and stimulate online discussion to gain traction.
2. Scale properly: Utilise data to comprehend the audience and scale campaigns accordingly. This does not necessarily mean that a DOOH campaign must be localised. There have been some examples of worldwide campaigns being rolled out simultaneously by companies such as Warner Bros and Xbox. Drive scale larger by using DOOH networks across many territories from a central hub.
3. Focus on context: DOOH has a high-level impact and a presence that provides an ever-evolving, creative, and dynamic approach with which the audience can identify. This can change mindsets. Data again is crucial, and it is vital to understand market needs, preferences, associations with certain brands and use of social platforms. Results can be targeted directly in real-time to diverse locations, and a call to action at the appropriate time can yield terrific results.
4. Remain ahead of the curve: No campaign stands motionless. It should be continuously enhanced, and this can only be achieved through a continuous cycle of testing, evaluation, and optimisation.

Over the next year, the entire landscape of DOOH is going to change, and this will help advertisers to stay ahead of their competitors!

In any type of advertising, certain components just cannot be ignored. Omitting to focus on certain components can mean the difference between a wildly successful billboard campaign and a total waste of a marketing budget. Here are some of the vital components that must be considered when putting together a billboard campaign:

1. Brand positioning: It must be clear what the image of the brand and its target customer should be. The positioning is used to influence how the audience views or feels about a brand. It must represent the character of the brand and advertise in a manner that appeals to specific demographics.

1. Execution of the campaign: The advertisement must deliver a message that is memorable and persuasive, and it has to say something profound about the brand. The approach should be quick, clear, and penetrating to gain the attention of passers-by or motorists because they only have a few seconds to observe the billboard. The ad should be different from others to stand out above the competition.
2. Drama: Billboard advertising does not always need to be dramatic, but if drama is used it can be enormously effective. The drama of the product or service can display why people should invest in the brand. Ideally, the drama should be presented in a realistic and welcoming manner to appeal to a target audience.
3. Emotion: The billboard should evoke emotion in the audience. It should tell a story about the brand that makes the audience feel attracted to the product or service being displayed. Hard-hitting advertisements are memorable and endear people to the brand, and therefore they will be more invested in the brand. Emotions such as disgust, pleasure, accomplishment, relief and many others are all used very effectively to market brands.
4. Entertainment: People love to be entertained, especially during a boring commute. Offering them something entertaining to look at can have a huge impact, and if the billboard is entertaining enough, they will even tell others about the brand or the story or share it on social media, and thereby acting as social marketers of the brand.
5. Sentimentality: This includes mainly the “mom & pop” store, historic or small-town warmth in the advertising campaign. Typically, people view these types of environments as warm and welcoming, and it associates it with family and love. It also brings back old school sentimentality which makes the advertisement more memorable.

All these elements should be kept in mind during the design of visual and textual elements of the billboard. For more information about important components that should feature in your billboard campaign, contact our specialists at Face First Media.

While there is a tendency for media owners in a low-growth economic environment to consolidate and pause their development programme, Stevan points out that “Out of Home Media remains a solid and proven media format for geographical targeting that can engage a particular audience in a more effective manner than on-line media potentially can”. “We have therefore remained strategic in acquiring high-impact sites such as this Entrance Wall Sign in the Durban CBD. During the lock-down we also introduced a trio of LED Digital Super Signs on all incoming highways into Durban to lead the way in offering full digital coverage on the N3, N2 and M4”, Mr. Wilken explains.

At almost four times the size of a Super Sign and directly angled to the main traffic flows, this exceptional Mega Wall Sign offers unmatched brand visibility along the most receptive stretch of the N3 highway where vast volumes of traffic is slowing down and are being channelled into one of the busiest zones of the Inner City where taxi’s, busses and the trains cross-offer. “We are excited to offer this extraordinary site as we prepare for a rebound of the South African economy and gear ourselves for an increased demand for high impact Out-of-Home sites. We see this site as a springboard for brands to not only stand-out but re-engage their audiences with eye-catching content for deep-seated message receptibility”, Stevan concludes.

Statement by: Face First Media 1 April 2021

For any more information or a quote please contact us on  033 413-2439 or email us at info@facefirstmedia.co.za