Emerging Trends For
Out Of Home Advertising In 2022

Author: Dev_FF

Over the last two years, consumer behaviour has evolved in ways that no one could have predicted—adapting to new parts of day-to-day life, such as hybrid working methods, changes in how we shop online and consume digital media, and fluctuations in both indoor and outdoor advertising trends.

Audiences are becoming wary of the constant bombardment of digital advertising methods competing for their attention. This has spurred the need for innovative and relevant strategies as the world emerges from isolation and Out Of Home Advertising Advertising makes its comeback.

Discover how OOH Advertising Trends for 2022 will unfold.

Embracing Digital Advertising

Digital out-of-home advertising (DOOH) has gained popularity in recent years, and for good reason. The digital transition of out-of-home advertising will continue to accelerate in 2022. Digital advertising provides more flexibility by allowing you to start and stop campaigns with the click of a button, as well as providing dynamic content in real-time.

Digital billboards are considerably easier to transport to different sites. And, with digital displays, various adverts may be broadcast on the same screen throughout the day. This increases the profitability and earning potential for billboards, allowing advertisers to assign multiple time slots to different display ads.

An Increased Focus On Data And Key Performance Indicators

Given the world’s unpredictability in recent years, 2022 will be a year for OOH advertisers to concentrate more on collecting and analysing data. As a result, the ability to provide real-time figures on Key Performance Indicators will be a critical component of a successful business strategy.

With better real-time data, companies will be equipped with precise information to target a particular audience and demographic with both conventional and digital out-of-home advertising methods, ensuring that they do not spend part of the advertising budget on an audience they are not attempting to reach, and instead secure a solid Return On Investment.

Taking Responsibility For Environmental Sustainability

All indicators suggest that environmental consciousness and sustainability are more prominent in the minds of individuals and businesses now than they were before the pandemic. As a result, brands will continue to explore methods to decrease waste, rethink their manufacturing processes, and be more transparent about how their business decisions will impact communities.

Modern technologies offer ways to improve the way billboards are designed and manufactured using materials that are more environmentally friendly and to utilise products that reduce the carbon footprints in various industries.

In the OOH advertising sector, eco-friendly power generation solutions are constantly emerging. Technologies exist that enable the Harnessing solar power technology to meet the electricity needs of a digital building or even the power needs of a building where a billboard is placed. Going forward, brands need to focus their efforts towards environmental responsibility in every aspect of business and industry.

Creating A Compelling Narrative

When it comes to successful marketing campaigns, brands have long understood the importance of a great narrative. In other cases, though, they are so focused on delivering a single message that they fail to see the need of creating a history to go along with it.

With the constant influx of new brands entering the market, businesses will need to focus more on conveying a compelling narrative via their advertising in 2022. Telling a story that excites and creates a buzz surrounding advertising campaigns is the best way to drive audience engagement and word of mouth.

Outdoor advertising will have great potential for storytelling in advertising campaigns; if brands only present a portion of the storyline at a time, viewers are left wanting to know what happens next.

A History Of Billboard Advertising: From Printable Flyers To Modern Day Digital Outdoor Advertising

The history of outdoor advertising is fascinating. Since the days of stonemasons engraving store signs, the industry has made great strides. The following is a collection of some notable instances that impacted the modern outdoor advertising landscape and contributed to the development of the outdoor art form and onward to the growing trend of digital outdoor advertising.

The Invention Of Outdoor Advertising

Johannes Gutenberg pioneered movable type printing in 1450, which resulted in the first-ever advertisement piece. Initially, starting as flyers and onward towards illustrated posters in 1796, outdoor advertising continued to evolve as the lithographic process was refined, becoming more like the billboards we see today.

Laying The Foundation For Billboard Advertising As We Know It

When advertising icon Jared Bell understood that a large scale poster was the ideal method to promote the circus’ larger-than-life attractions to New Yorkers in the early 1800s, he created the first known billboard. As a result, the circus was a massive success, and the foundation for modern-day billboard advertising had been laid.

The Growing Need For Billboards With The Development Of City Infrastructure

Billboard advertising became more popular in the early twentieth century due to the rising use of motor vehicles and highway and road infrastructure development. As a result, vehicle retailers, hotel establishments and roadside eateries would purchase or lease billboards to attract new consumers.

Billboard advertising became widely used in developing towns and cities to persuade travellers to spend some time exploring their surroundings before continuing on their journey. As a result of the success of these billboards, a new sector of the advertising business was born, as companies sought better and more visually appealing adverts to tempt passing travellers to stop and spend their hard-earned money.

Digital Technology Leading Billboard Advertising Into The Future

With the advancement in digital technology, hand-painted billboards soon became replaced by computer designed and generated imagery. The 90s saw a rise in digital place-based advertising, and by 2003 about 2% of outdoor advertising mediums consisted of digital displays; by 2010, that figure had climbed to more than 10%, and today it is significantly higher.

The first digital billboard appeared in 2005 and was a spinoff of conventional outdoor advertising choices and digital place-based screens. Advertisers realised that they could distribute interactive video content to a broader audience.

Innovation Will Take Outdoor Advertising Firmly Into The Future

Marketers now use digital billboards to create advertisements that can be readily changed and shown in real-time. This enables them to reach a wider audience with more than one advert or message. Digital outdoor advertising continues to evolve with the implementation of solar and wind power technologies, now used to power displays and with a very innovative concept, using billboards combined with solar technology to power the buildings in which they are placed.

Thanks to improved data collection and analytics reporting, hyper-targeted digital advertisements have been made possible. In addition, innovative brands are finding ways to enhance consumers’ digital outdoor advertising experience by combining it with virtual and augmented reality.

The evolution of billboards and the progress of civilisation really do go hand in hand – with the constant development of technologies and trends, the industry’s future promises to be as fascinating as its history.

When it comes to marketing, there are two main schools of thought. The first is the ‘tried-and-true’ approach which relies on tested methodologies. The other is ‘disruption for impact’, which uses any available means to garner as much attention as possible. At Face First Media, we believe in a combination of both! Maximising the use of outdoor advertising ensures that you rely on both tested and reliable marketing and allows the creativity and unsuspected twist of modern disruption to come to the fore. The question is: What are these different types of outdoor advertising?

Billboard Advertising

As our number one choice for most marketing campaigns or OOH campaigns, billboards have an added edge in terms of visibility, recognition, and demand for attention. Great billboards are strategically placed and selected for the maximum target audience exposure and offer quite a large degree of flexibility. Billboards are designed to be bold, with a strong message, and offer instant brand recognition.

There are multiple types of billboards available to you, including:

  • Static billboards
  • Mobile billboards
  • Digital Billboards

The market is also starting to explore interactive billboards and augmented reality billboards, so watch this space!

Retail Advertising

Retail advertising includes elements such as floor graphics, lift graphics, and mall media. This type of marketing is generally aimed at inviting customers into the store, purchasing a specific product, or increasing brand awareness through sheer immediacy and increase of foot traffic. This type of printed advertising is both engaging and impressive. It adds dynamic and prestige to a brand, drawing customers in for more intimate interaction.

Point Of Sale Advertising

Point Of Sale (POS) or Point Of Purchase (POP) advertising is aimed at engaged customers to further drive a sense of ‘there and then’ purchases which increases the end basket total. These methods may not seem traditionally “outdoors”, but they are often included since there is a certain amount of flexibility in this area which allows advertising to be capitalised on. This type of advertising includes branded display stands and adverts above containers or shelves ‒ often visible to passers-by even though the intended recipient is an in-store client.

Honourable Mentions

There are so many types of outdoor advertising available ‒ don’t miss out! Here are some other ways in which you can explore outdoor advertising:

  • Construction advertising
  • Lamppost or bridge advertising
  • Vehicle or transit advertising
  • Stunt advertising

Basically, if an outdoor location lends itself well to visibility, traffic, and engagement, there is potential for outdoor advertising.

An OOH (Out-Of-Home) Campaign is designed to create an impact in areas and specially chosen locations where they can draw the most attention. More importantly, these campaigns are created to get the attention of the people who matter.

OOH campaigns have a physical presence that cannot be ignored and often are targeted at the routes and areas in which potential customers frequently travel or interact. So how do you make these facts work for you? Our team at Face First Media has prepared our list of the top five tips you need to incorporate for maximum success of your OOH campaign.

One: Think Outside The Billboard

Mixed mediums are a sure winner when it comes to drawing attention to your OOH campaign. Using 3D elements in your 2D marketing can be a massive drawcard and even an after-the-fact talking point (which prompts word of mouth interaction). If you can creatively incorporate elements of your marketing campaign into your supposedly 2D environment, then you are sure to create a memorable and effective campaign that grabs and holds audience interest.

Two: Audience Based Convenience

This one takes a bit of work in getting to know your target market, but once you know where they’ll be or when they’ll be there, it makes a massive difference to how you see location choices. If your target audience is on vacation, on a seminar, or attending an industry-related conference, then you want your marketing to be there. This means not only using the locations that are close to the business in terms of proximity and relevance but also using those locations where you know your intended audience will be. Make the message travel and remind them of their favourite brand back home!

Three: Disrupt The Status Quo

This is a time for headline-grabbing activations. Change the mundane and expected into an energy-driven touchpoint by introducing unexpected, location-integrated marketing. The right use of this methodology will result in interest and attention from those unfamiliar with the brand, and it will strengthen and embrace the connection shared by those who already love your brand.

Four: Interaction Breeds Relationships

Positive facetime and interaction make OOH marketing so much more than “just advertising”. Use something that is instantly recognisable by the already loyal brand followers or customers, and turn it into the added value they didn’t know they wanted. This includes everything from 3D props to digital interaction (linking this to DOOH) based in a location where heavy foot traffic and social gathering encourages interaction.

Five: Be Iconic

Relate the actual content of your OOH campaign to an iconic location that matters to your target audience. Make it stand out with lighting and intelligent design to catch the eye and become recognisable as something important and belonging to that location. Soon the correlation will become that the brand is important and belongs to the people within that location.

Remember, for every OOH campaign, you will need to consider:

  • Demographics
  • Traffic Count
  • Visibility
  • Land Use Type
  • Proximity
  • Campaign Intent

Use all of these factors with every one of the tips we have suggested above, and you are sure to create an amazing OOH campaign.

As businesses around the country are becoming more aware of their carbon footprint, they want to take necessary steps to be sustainable, and advertising agencies need to recognise this. Alternative solutions are being provided in terms of packaging, zero waste production efforts and recycling. But how much does the advertising industry contribute to sustainability? Energy-efficient electronic billboards are just one way of doing this, and Face First Media is taking the lead.

What Is An Electronic Billboard?

Electronic billboards are the new age alternative to static billboards. They are essentially billboards with LED screens placed in high traffic locations and feature high-resolution graphic advertisements in a digital form. Compared with static billboards, digital billboards allow for moving text and images to add a greater appeal to your advert. They are eye-catching and highly effective.

Maximise Reach, Reduce Carbon Footprint

Since a computer can directly transmit digital images to electronic billboards, this cuts down tremendously on costs and energy consumption associated with printing large scale static billboards. Face First Media has recently introduced solar LED billboards, which helps to conserve electricity. We are constantly striving towards greener practices and environmentally friendly technology that will help both our clients and our business to leave a smaller carbon footprint.

Electronic billboards also help to cut down on paper waste generated by traditional print advertising. Even so, you can still achieve maximum brand exposure to your target audience. Customers are intrigued by digital billboards, as they emit very clear illuminated images that are equally vibrant in daylight and at night.

The Future is Digital

With deforestation being a continuing issue, every effort has to be made to save on natural resources. Therefore, digital advertising in the form of electronic billboards is an excellent way for both advertising agencies and brands to show their commitment to a sustainable future for our planet.

Face First Media is committed to improving our methods of Out Of Home Advertising for a gentler environmental impact. We are confident that with some strategic planning, careful collaboration, and realignment of business practices, eco-friendly electronic billboards are going to reshape the future of advertising in the most positive ways.

Billboards have been around since the 1800s, and their resilience through changing times is nothing short of impressive. However, in the digital age, social media has made quite an impact on advertising, and many people are now considering the billboards vs social media debate. In this post, we lay out the pros and cons of each one to help you decide which is better for your business goals, audience and budget.

Cost

Social media has earned its reputation as being the most cost-effective way to advertise. It costs nothing to set up a Facebook or Instagram page and post regular updates. Even if you decide to spend a little on Facebook ads, the costs are still relatively low compared to other media. With South Africans spending roughly 9 hours a day on the Internet, social media is a great way to reach them. However, it can also be money wasted if not managed well.

Billboard advertising is known as the option for big budgets and big companies, and yes, it does cost more than a free social media account. But that cost comes with big value. Billboards can never be switched off and are visible 24/7. Their message is loud and clear, memorable, and not surrounded by thousands of other ads. So if you do have the budget, it’s money well spent.

Measuring ROI

It’s easy to track your ROI with social media through things like Google Analytics, Insights and click conversion rates. With billboards, it takes a little more effort, but it’s not entirely impossible. Through surveys, you can ask your customers how they found you and if they Googled you after seeing your billboard.  So, how are we doing with the billboards vs social media debate? Let’s consider one more point.

Input Vs Output

Billboards have a comparatively higher cost initially, but after they’re up there’s no work required on your part. Your billboard will be seen by thousands of people daily in high traffic areas, and by simply being there, they are working for you.

Social media, on the other hand, requires constant work and monitoring. You could spend very little in start-up costs, but then you end up spending time managing your pages, or you may decide to pay a social media company to do this for you. You could post every day and still not be noticed if your page is not constantly managed and optimised. So in this case, it’s more input for smaller results.

The Final Verdict

Well, our verdict when it comes to billboards vs social media is that there is no clear winner because it depends on each business. If you can, you really should use both for maximum brand awareness. The key to business success these days is to integrate all of your marketing efforts and reach customers on as many platforms as possible. If you are a small startup, by all means go for free social media marketing. If you do have the budget, billboard advertising is a must, as there is no doubt about its effectiveness in creating brand awareness. With the right strategy, a powerful message and very little text, billboards have huge potential to elevate your business.

Level 1 is upon us, and with it, an increase in outdoor traffic, it is estimated that South Africans spend an average of 15 hours a week on the roads – this offers incredible potential for outdoor marketing.

During the start of the pandemic, outdoor marketing flipped its narrative from advertising to relaying messages of health and safety and messages of hope and celebration for our essential workers. Proving that outdoor marketing remained a powerful platform even when the majority of the potential audience was spending their time indoors.

Now, with the flow of traffic returning to normal, it’s back to business as usual. We take a look at outdoor marketing costs in South Africa and what it can mean for your business.

Average Cost Of Billboards And Outdoor Advertising in South Africa

Billboards are among the most popular forms of outdoor advertising, ranging anywhere from R10 000 to R90 000 per month, depending on geographical location.

Outdoor advertising is an umbrella term that encompasses a range of media, all as effective as billboards but at a fraction of the cost – which can prove useful to start-up companies and SME’s.

Examples include:
– Street pole poster campaigns.
– Mobile billboards.
– Signage at bus stops and taxi ranks and advertising on motorbikes.

Factors That Affect The Price Of Billboard Advertising

Many aspects can influence what you’d end up paying for outdoor advertising, but the three key factors are as follows:

Circulation: The volume of traffic passing your billboard; these figures can be obtained from transportation authorities.

Demographics: A breakdown of the audience profile – age, gender and the average income of those most likely to view your advertisement. A billboard intended for an audience with a higher income bracket would generally cost more.

Impressions: The number of people who view your advert based on its size, speed at which people travel past, and overall visibility. These numbers are generated from the circulation and geo-positioning of your advert.

Additional Costs To Keep In Mind

Production will be charged on top of your billboard rental. Lighting costs would also incur an extra free. Maintenance and repair are standard for any business asset – wear and tear and weather damage will generate additional costs over time.
The price of the chosen medium for printing your billboard advertisement will fluctuate depending on the quality of materials used. Installation might be charged as part of your monthly rental or as a once-off fee.

The agency contracted to handle your outdoor advertising will factor in the following costs:
– Cost of conceptualizing the advert’s message and supply of artwork.
– Printing and installation costs.
– Cost of scheduling new adverts and concepts.

Benefits Of Advertising Outdoors

– Outdoor marketing remains the only major marketing channel that isn’t content-based, so it is not being diluted by the surge of content-based marketing that emerged post-pandemic.
– It’s a marketing medium that lives in the physical world, and it cant be exited or scrolled past. It’s advertising that is bot free and encourages trust.
– Outdoor advertising has outshone mass media platforms like radio and television in terms of effectiveness and return on investment; this is because of a drop in demand caused by subscription-based streaming platforms.

In Conclusion

Outdoor advertising costs in South Africa can be expensive, but there are various options available to smaller businesses other than billboard advertising. The start of the pandemic saw significant decluttering in areas that are popular for out of home advertising, and the resurgence of traffic now that restrictions have been lifted means that prime rental spaces are available for your business to use.

Outdoor electronic billboards and other forms of Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) marketing are an excellent way to maximise your reach over an entire day. It gives you the flexibility to change your message regularly, and overall, it is a greater return on investment than most outdoor marketing methods. In addition, given that we live in such a digital age, it is the most modern and on-trend form of advertising that is rapidly gaining popularity.

Understanding the difference between digital and conventional billboards and knowing key factors to consider when choosing to go for outdoor electronic advertising will help you decide if it’s the right choice for your business.

 

The Difference Between Traditional And Electronic Billboards 

 

Both forms of electronic advertising hold sufficient merit – comparing them in key areas can help you make the right decisions regarding outdoor marketing.

 

Content Flexibility: A digital billboard can show a whole range of motion content that can be changed regularly. It can even convey several messages or advertise for many businesses – making it an excellent choice for property owners who rent out office and retail spaces. However, this means that your messages are allocated specific timeslots. While a traditional billboard shows a static image that is visible at all times, however, it needs more planning before it is replaced.

 

Appearance: Where conventional billboards sometimes deteriorate over time subject to weather conditions that can cause them to fade and peel, digital billboards will withstand the test of time and remain bright and bold. However, they can be subject to electronic faults if left unmaintained.

 

Scheduling: Focus your marketing in a more targeted way by advertising at peak times with an electronic billboard. Changing an advert can take a matter of days instead of a traditional billboard that needs more planning before it can be replaced. A conventional billboard conveys a static message, so placement is imperative.

 

Cost: A vinyl billboard design and installation are usually charged once-off, a monthly rental fee is implemented with further costs for maintenance and replacement. A digital billboard is often more expensive to install, but it eliminates printing costs and advert replacement requires very little labour.

 

Factors To Consider When Choosing An Electronic Billboard

 

Location: Your intended audience will determine the ideal location for your advert. If you want to reach a wide range of customers and have the option of measurable peak times, you must consider placing it near a highway or main road. 

 

If you want to speak to tourists and have a more lifestyle-oriented message to convey, consider putting it near hotels and commercial properties.

 

If your target audience is younger or working-class citizens, your placement should be near schools, universities, or office parks. And if the purpose of your advert is to draw clients to your place of business, then it wouldn’t make sense to place it very far away.

 

Installation Restrictions: Certain conditions might affect the viability of your installation. Cable management, potential security issues, accessibility for transport of equipment must all be previously thought out.

 

Brightness And Temperature Management: Consider your contrast ratio for a good quality image, especially on sunny days. Increased brightness will allow maximum visibility night and day.

 

Temperature regulation is essential – if your display gets too hot, it can permanently damage the liquid crystals in a process known as isotropic blackening. Consider internal air conditioning to protect your electronic components and external temperature regulation – whether natural or artificial to protect its display.

 

Atmospheric Conditions: While digital billboards are often more durable, you’ll want to avoid areas of extreme temperatures and weather conditions, excessive rain or snow and humidity that can cause corrosion and equipment malfunction.

 

In Conclusion

 

Outdoor electronic billboards are an excellent and effective form of communication – keeping up with today’s faced-paced technological advancements. Implementing outdoor electronic advertising as a part of your marketing strategy can significantly improve your reputation with the general public. It is one of the most relevant, modern and eye-catching forms of advertising available today.

We’ve been hearing about the online market booming during recent lockdowns both locally and internationally. And yes, it’s true, with consumer movement restricted in recent months, mobile phone activity and online shopping and marketing has increased. As a business owner, you may be wondering if your investments in billboard advertising are still worth it. The answer is an emphatic Yes! We take a look at why outdoor advertising and digital billboards remain important in today’s economic climate.

TOP REASONS WHY BILLBOARDS GET NOTICED 

  • Strategically located: Billboards in high traffic areas can effectively reach specific markets that no other advertising media like TV, radio or print can reach with pinpoint accuracy.
  • High visibility: Billboard advertising is visible 24/7, every day! It’s hard to avoid them, and when audiences are stuck in traffic, they can engage even longer with your message.
  • Brand repetition: Billboards announce a brand, and repeated viewing leads to brand familiarity. Potential customers can become more reassured in your brand, which creates better sales.
  • Market dominance: Good brand presence leads to increased brand loyalty – boards do this in a way that ensures market dominance.
  • Cost-effective: When compared to other advertising methods, billboards are very cost-effective. Considering the numbers you will reach, they cost less than a Rand per person who sees your ad.
  • Creativity & lasting impact: Billboards allow for amazing creative design, and since they’re not surrounded by clutter, they don’t make viewers experience an information overload. This is especially true for digital billboards, where technology enhances the creativity and beauty of your ad. If you prefer static billboards for your outdoor advertising, you can still make an impressive statement with eye-catching graphics and memorable copy.

BE SEEN – FIRST

Face First Media is a specialised outdoor advertising company with a decade of industry experience. We are one of the top outdoor media players in SA. Our extensive and unique property inventory is made up of more than 160 premium advertising sites across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. We provide the perfect balance of strategically targeted sites and extensive exposure to help you effectively increase your brand visibility with eye-catching design, innovative concepts and advanced advertising principles.

Speak to our team today!

We’ve all done it. At some point in our lives (in fact, many points), we’ve looked at billboards, sometimes stared for a good few seconds, appreciating the attractive pictures, clever puns or humour. As motorists, passengers, or shoppers entering a mall, we not only see billboards, but we pay attention to them. We linger a bit longer, even if we shouldn’t, and the best part is that what we see makes a lasting impression. In this blog, we take a look at why billboard advertising as a whole, including outdoor advertising and digital billboards, still make an impact and how to make yours stand out.

WHY BILLBOARDS WORK

From a purely strategic point of view, billboard advertising works because of the sheer volume of people your message can reach in high traffic locations. They allow for endless possibilities when it comes to creativity, especially if you opt for digital billboards with high resolution, motion graphics. With high visibility, high exposure and the ability to connect with your audience through a creative brand message, it is bound to work. However, there are some things to consider to make your advert not only seen but also work effectively.

MAKE IT EFFECTIVE

Use less text: The average driving consumer has only 6 seconds to read a billboard, so they should be able to get your message in a flash. So use words scarcely and keep it catchy to make an impression.

Don’t distract: While the billboard needs to get noticed, it must not distract traffic. Avoid provocative or shocking images that could lead to a collision.

Consider response time: Motorists driving past your billboard will not have time to write down telephone numbers or memorise website addresses. Rather create a powerful message that highlights your brand name and business purpose so that customers can remember it further down the line.

Don’t get too clever: Billboard colours and messages should be vibrant and memorable to be effective, rather than a complex puzzle. Create a lasting first impression with your audience within a few seconds.

Use repetition: One billboard is good. A message is more memorable when repeated. You could also tell a story in consecutive billboards, e.g. posting a question in the first one that makes people wonder and then post the answer in a second or even a third billboard further down the line.

Use the wonders of technology: Modern LED display technologies used in digital billboards provide opportunities to animate images. This allows you to create a memorable visual display that can make a deeper impact than a static billboard.

GET AHEAD WITH US

Get your brand where it needs to be with effective, expert billboard advertising. Face First Media is South Africa’s leader in both static outdoor advertising and digital billboards, with some of the country’s leading brands in our portfolio. For precision marketing and maximum reach, speak to our team!