Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising has been around for many years and has not only gone from strength to strength but is set to overtake newspaper ad sales in 2020.

Why Does OOH Still Work?

OOH advertising remains one of the most popular advertising types mainly because of its effectiveness and ability to adapt. The growth of digital media was seen as a threat to OOH advertising but in fact, it has made OOH advertising even more effective.

OOH advertising drives consumers online due to social media and people’s immediate interaction and reaction to their environment. This means consumers are taking photos and making videos of outdoor advertising and posting it online resulting in greater reach for brands.

What Makes OOH Different?

With OOH advertising it can be much harder to compel engagement from consumers. But if it does work it can have a lasting and large impact. Consumers do take notice of massive static and digital displays. As it is a fixed medium it is not easily ignored.

Creativity Is Key

Advertisers have the opportunity to create unique, flexible and responsive campaigns. OOH advertising in a way forces advertisers to get creative. Elements such as big white backgrounds, too much copy, the wrong font, a boring message can all contribute to an OOH advertisement not getting the necessary attention.

OOH advertising needs to be creative and in order to catch consumers’ eye in order to draw them in and put them into action. The evolvement of technology regarding OOH advertising also means more ways to be creative seeing that these forms of advertising can be changed in seconds and can be adapted to individual consumers in order to catch their attention.

OOH advertising campaigns are integrating more and more with mobile, digital channels, social media and television and in fact helping to fuel the growth of these mediums. There has been an increase in omnichannel campaigns to reach multiple audiences and this is very efficient as it ensures consistency across all mediums.

Omnichannel campaigns also make it possible to take creativity to the next level seeing that different messages can be communicated on the different platforms which in the end ties everything together. OOH advertising in an omnichannel campaign is only one of the mediums used but can be as creative as possible seeing that it only communicates one part of the total message being conveyed with the campaign.

Outdoor advertising, better known as Out-of-home (OOH), keeps on evolving and 2020 promises smarter advertising, more storytelling and better integration.

Four big trends for outdoor media in 2020 include:

Audience Targeting

Outdoor advertising has always been a highly effective medium for targeting a specific audience. This is a trend that keeps on evolving and in 2020 it will become even easier to reach exactly who you want and when you want. Mobile locational data marketing gives way to personalized context and with improvements in real-time, it is allowing OOH to become hyper-targeted.

This could, for example, mean that a shopper can be targeted to receive offers based on location, time and even weather and that OOH media units can be personalized to their context.

Location data can also be used to determine ideal target markets, develop audience profiles, analyse audience patterns, and improve the efficiency of campaigns.

Digital Integration

OOH advertising is integrating increasingly with mobile, digital channels, social media and television and helping to fuel the growth of these mediums. There has been an increase in omnichannel campaigns to reach multiple audiences and this is very efficient as it ensures consistency across all mediums.

Omnichannel refers to a multi-channel approach that involves multiple mediums and is customer centred. This is a combination of physical and digital which is also called phygital – consumers want both a digital and physical brand experience.

Artificial Intelligence

The rise in the use of artificial intelligence in Ooh advertising means more insight and personalisation than ever before. AI is being used to analyse data sets and keeps on making better predictions and recommendations which enables better decision making.

New and better software such as facial recognition, sensors and other smart features also means net level interaction with target audiences and more engagement with technologies such as augmented and virtual reality.

Storytelling

Stories engage customers and even more so when there are creative out-of-the-box ideas involved. Stories need to have an aim, catch, and keep the audience’s attention, needs to evoke emotion, have a plot, have a satisfying ending, and deliver a valuable end-experience.

The conceptualisation of an impactful campaign is key to deliver a simple but meaningful message in a memorable way. Consumers receive information overload which is why storytelling can prompt a natural and emotional response that is memorable. Consumers are looking for more personal and intimate engagement through experiences that also involves human interaction.

Out-of-home (OOH) or outdoor advertising is set to overtake newspaper ad sales in 2020.

This is according to GroupM data seen by the Financial Times. According to data, this segment accounts for about 6.5 per cent of the $600bn global advertising market.

According to estimates from GroupM advertisers will spend $40.6 billion on outdoor advertising in 2020, about $4 billion more than on newspapers. GroupM expects outdoor advertising will exceed spending on newspapers and magazines combined by 2024.

Market Growth

According to a new report by the technology research and advisory company Technavio the global outdoor advertising market is poised to grow by $8.26 billion during 2019-2023.

“Growing penetration of LED mobile billboards has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, the growing popularity of digital ads on mobiles might hamper market growth,” the report found.

According to the latest research study released by HTF MI, the growth of the market can also be attributed to the expansion of infrastructure used, growth in the digital medium, and advances in the technology used.

Newspaper vs. OOH Advertising

Advertising in newspapers has traditionally been more expensive than other traditional media such as billboards. Each, however, has its strengths and weaknesses, pros and cons, and benefits.

Newspaper ads are very targeted seeing that they are distributed to a certain geographical area and also target specific demographic and psychographic segments. Newspapers are seen as a trustworthy type of marketing and also offer a variety of different advertising options and many newspapers now also have a digital extension such as a website or social media which offer more advertising options.

There has however been a steady decline of newspaper readerships year on year. Newspapers also have a short shelf life and a limited audience and can be weak for branding.

OOH has also become a trustworthy type of marketing. One of the main advantages of OOH is visibility, reach and frequency. Competitive pricing and the non-intrusive nature of billboards make it a very popular advertising type.

OOH advertising can also become expensive seeing that if often requires buying space in more than one location and for a minimum amount of time. OOH advertising also comes with obvious distractions such as driving and competition such as radio ads.

The audience also only has a short period to consume the marketing message. OOH advertising, however, remains a very powerful advertising tool despite some drawbacks.

Most people who have journeyed on a long road from one location to another have at some stage been stirred into action by a billboard announcing a rest stop, restaurant, or gas station. For instance, a billboard that displays a delicious-looking burger and an ice-cold drink and says, “Turn right at the net exit to bag Bobby’s Burger!” immediately calls to the person who needs to break the monotony of the drive or one who likes the look of the burger. In cities, these types of billboards are commonly spaced closer together to indicate the presence of a business or establishment. More billboards are located in places where traffic moves slowly, such as bottlenecks, traffic junctions and airport turnoffs. This provides the driver and passengers to peruse the message streamed to them via the billboard. If advertising media could be seen as a family, the billboard is the energetic uncle that does not visit very often, but when he does, he immediately captures the attention of everyone in the room. This makes him stand out, and because he stands out, he becomes memorable. Such is the power of the billboard.

Other pros you can expect when using billboard for your advertising campaign include the following:

• Cost-effective: Billboards provide an outstanding return on investment. Compared to other advertising media it is inexpensive but just as effective. The placement, design and location all have an impact on how effective the billboard is, but modern science and advertising studies have honed the skills of billboard companies to pick up the best locations and to design a top-notch billboard that gets noticed. They are especially useful for small businesses with small budgets because they pack a lot of punch for relatively little money.
• Large: Because billboards are tall, wide and large, they stand out above the landscape, which makes it easy for them to grab all the attention and stick in the memory of those who they impact.
• Targeted audiences: While some people consider billboards to be a very general and unscientific advertising medium that targets a wide but irrelevant audience, they cannot be more wrong. It is indeed possible to appeal to specific target markets or demographics. Location and design are very important factors here, for instance, a brand new young sportswear line could be featured outside a gymnasium or sports club, or a luxury vehicle brand can be featured near an exclusive golf club or in a high-income neighbourhood.
• Multiple exposures: Most marketing campaigns need a ‘multiple touch’ approach in order to be effective, especially when the brand is new. Billboards are highly suited to this kind of approach because they can provide a number of exposures before the call to action is made. Repetition reinforces the concept to market the brand effectively and deliver results.

There are many other reasons why businesses choose billboards and outdoor advertising to market their brands. For more information speak to our experienced team at Face First Media!

Most marketing managers or business owners often wonder whether billboards actually work. Because there are now so many different, modern ways to advertise, including social media, there is a whole myriad of advertising media to utilise, and because billboards have been around for more than a century, some people may view it as a rather antiquated way to advertise. They may even question the effectiveness of billboards as a result.

The answer is easy. While billboards have been around for centuries and are still used very widely, it proves that it is an advertising medium that has retained its usefulness and effectiveness. They do produce a good return on marketing investment because, compared to television or radio, they are inexpensive, yet they attract a very wide audience.

The average person spends close to twenty hours per week in some form of transport, and some a lot more. Whether they are driving their own vehicles or commuting via public transport or taxi, they are on the road, and keen to enjoy the landscapes around them. They do listen to the radio and this provides great advertising opportunities, but radio advertising at peak times is very pricey. One of the most cost-effective ways to take advantage of the time that people spend travelling is the use of billboards and some other forms of outdoor advertising. There is a captive audience just waiting to be thrilled or entertained by your billboard advertisement, and you can leverage this with great results.

The placement of billboards is of importance and can have a great impact on the return on the investment. The design is also a critical factor that can impact ROI. Different locations will call for different designs; for instance, a billboard next to a highway with a lot of traffic will have to make an impact within 1 – 4 seconds, and a billboard at a busy intersection or bottlenecks where traffic routinely come to a standstill typically has more time to make an impact while vehicles are stationary. The design has to be adjusted accordingly to get the right results. Where traffic is slow, more information can be provided, where traffic flashes past, less is more. Impulse buying decisions can also be influenced by billboards. For instance, indicate the presence of a shop or restaurant further along the highway, and people may suddenly remember that they need to pick up some groceries or get something to eat on the way.

Getting the billboard noticed is great, but it only forms part of the strategy. You need to ensure that your advertisement is memorable once it was observed and that people take action accordingly by investing in your brand. It then goes without saying that yes, billboards are still one of the most cost-effective and effective ways to appeal to a large audience!

Small or medium enterprises often do not have large marketing budgets and every penny must be carefully applied for maximum impact. Exposure is critical to get the brand noticed and to persuade customers to invest in the brand, and often the budget does not stretch far enough to cover television, radio or print advertising costs. There are cheaper ways to advertise such as delivering brochures, but these are very localised. One of the most cost-effective ways that maximise marketing impact is the use of billboards. Because their vantage points tend to tower over cities and buildings, they are easy to notice. The impact of the billboard can easily be lost by poor design, and therefore a great design concept is critical.

• Know your strategy: The advertising needs of a small business are just as important as those of a large corporate. The primary objectives of the advertising campaign must be carefully considered. Priorities must be identified and focus on the most vital points only to get the results you need.
• Count your words: People cannot read a lot of text while driving, which is why the fewer words you use, the better. You can still create impact with a good image and a few words. Do include the name of the business and perhaps a memorable hashtag or message in less than ten words.
• Text and font: The font must be clear and easy to read from a distance. Ensure there is enough contrast between the font and the background to make the text jump out more. Use different fonts for your text and for the company logo or contact details.
• Impress with images: A picture can sell a concept in one glance. High resolution, bold images have an immediate impact in seconds, so you must choose the images well to get the right message across.
• Be daring with content: Utilise the surprise element to catch attention. Humour can also be used very effectively. People love to be entertained and using images that display the benefits of the product often results in better recall. Often people will also tell others about a funny or impactful billboard they saw, and this helps to market your brand even more effectively.

If you have a small business and would like to increase your advertising impact, billboards yield great results. Contact our team at Face First Media for more information.

Over time there have been many theories about what makes people tick in order to discover what makes them choose one product over another. Advertising has a lot to do with this – while some advertisements hit exactly the right note with a target audience, another will be a dismal failure. The trick is to get to know your target market, their needs, their lifestyles, tastes and trends, and in modern times this is easier to track than before. It is now possible to do data analysis by gathering information on consumer behaviours on social media and online shops, and this provides very clear indications on how advertisement and marketing should be formulated in order to appeal to a much narrower demographic on a more intensive level.

When it comes to billboards, it does help to analyse online media, but it can be tricky to apply the correct measures to billboard advertising strategies. Most billboards in South Africa still consist of the old-school static billboards that use a shotgun impact to get noticed and to drive sales. Two things are crucial here: (1) the message on the billboard, and (2) the location of the billboard. If a broad demographic is to be targeted, billboards are hugely capable of conveying a more general message (such as most fast-food chains with recognisable logos – these will appeal to anyone who is hungry). For smaller demographics, however, the billboard must be in the correct place and send out a very specific message to that group of people to yield results (for instance, a young clothing line for students can be positioned near a campus).

Digital billboards yield great results because they can convey a story more effectively than a static billboard. They are also very noticeable and provide entertainment in a variety of frames. This can be very useful at places where the desired demographic usually spend time – such as at a bus stop or a busy intersection where vehicles must stop and wait during a daily commute. Digital billboards can show mini-movies that entice people to try the product and can be used very effectively to tell a story using a series of stories.

Modern smart billboards take it a step further. Recognition software can now be used to target drivers of specific vehicles – the recognition software identifies the type of vehicle and an advertisement is then activated to target that driver. Digital billboards can also measure traffic density and speed, and slow images down or speed them up depending on how much screen time a driver gets. In a world where driverless vehicles are becoming a reality, billboards have the potential to play an invaluable role, providing drivers or passengers with entertainment while passing. Impulse purchases can be made on a smartphone or another online gadget in the vehicle. The most important question here is how people will behave in driverless vehicles. Will they take the time to see outside the windows or will they be engrossed in their smartphones? Only time will tell, but it goes without saying that technology will be developed where billboards still get noticed and remain effective despite the changes in human behaviour.

Over time there have been many theories about what makes people tick. These theories have been proven repeatedly and influence a lot of factors in people’s lives. The way they live, what they drive, what they eat, their norms and values, and their view of themselves and others are all related in one way or another to certain classic theories. Advertising is no different, and these theories, no matter how old, can improve the quality and effectiveness of your billboard advertising. Here are three of the most popular theories that are routinely applied to advertising.

1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Maslow stated human needs in priority in a triangular format with five layers. The most important are the physical needs (food, water, sleep, warmth), second is safety needs, third is the needs that relate to love and belonging, fourth is the needs of the esteem, and fifth is the need for self-actualisation. No matter which product or service your company advertises, it will inevitably fall into one of these categories. The way the advertising is presented therefore must create a need and then fulfil that need with the brand. Even though the most important need is the basic physical need, advertising is more effective if it appeals to more than one category in the hierarchy. For instance, if you sell a food product, which is a basic need, you can also appeal to the need for esteem by creating a product that looks and tastes exclusive. Security companies, for instance, can appeal to the need for effective security and safety while also building on the need for self-actualisation.
2. Game Theory: Probably the theory that is most present in business and advertising today, Game Theory involves being “in the game” and getting ahead of the competition. While it is hard to guess what the competition is thinking and doing, it is vital that the business makes educated guesses regarding the next move of the competitor, and then get there before the competition does. This theory also dictates that no actions of one company should harm the competitor, in order to keep a level playing field and to keep advertising and business fair.
3. Planned Behaviour Theory: On the opposite side of Game Theory is Planned Behaviour Theory, which states that it is indeed possible to anticipate the next move of the competition with relative accuracy. If the target market is understood properly, their past behaviour can be indicative of future behaviour, and their norms, values, belief systems must all be considered in any effort to advertise in order to be effective. Today we have market research and trend analysis, and even social media and customer data can be analysed in order to gain a better picture of what the customer needs are and how best to appeal to them.

There are many other theories that drive advertising and it helps to understand these before starting an advertising campaign. All of these should be kept in mind to make your billboard advertising more effective!

In any type of advertising, there are certain components that 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.
2. 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 in order to stand out above the competition.
3. 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 in order to appeal to a target audience.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

It goes without saying that 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.