As a digital native who has worked in online brand engagement and Internet advertising since 1998 — on three continents in agencies big and small — the IAB has made a life-long impact on my career. My time in outdoor media at Kinetic Worldwide is proving no different.
Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) is a mass media channel at the cusp of major reform. The rapid rise of place-based digital displays available at every touchpoint in our daily routines, and the automated platforms that link them together, has invoked a sudden convergence of historically disparate media channels and thrust traditional out-of-home advertising into the Internet of Things.
The ability to tailor messaging for a precise audience, provide real-time contextual content, measure impact, and drive ROI are understood to be the linchpins by which online media has been able to storm through the media landscape unhindered. The IAB’s recognition of DOOH as an emerging Internet-enabled niche is proof that real-world media has changed forever.
Many brand advertisers, with heavy online spends, have been wary to invest more in DOOH due to a lingering perception that it cannot deliver important goals in measurement and ROI. The launch of the IAB DOOH Buyer’s Guide is an announcement to the digital world that these perceptions are incorrect. Through the vast network of connected digital inventory available, the media industry has what they always loved about out-of-home (that it’s big, beautiful, and premium) – now with measurable results, and an increasingly connected mobile presence.
Here are five ways brands can use DOOH in their campaigns:
- Transact in real-time: Digital signage can broadcast the halftime score, post happy hour specials, unveil new album art, share tweets, and disseminate emergency broadcasts to keep communities informed.
- Be contextually relevant: Localization has always been a core component of outdoor advertising and this has increased trifold with day-parted messaging, traffic monitors, and weather feeds. For example, advertisers can share the pollen count in surrounding areas, offering a value to drivers, and reinforcing their product as a solution.
- Integrate personalization: Who doesn’t love seeing their photo on a big screen – especially on a billboard in Times Square? Campaigns that enable consumers to connect with friends and family members, via photos that appeal to our selfie-side, make an instant connection but also offer a valuable keepsake.
- Create unique experiences: Transit shelters were once places to pace and text your friends while you waited for your train or bus. Today, a consumer can shop for groceries, play trial video games, and virtually interact with products.
- Measure relentlessly: With mobile’s omnipresence, we are now able to track a consumer’s journey and exposure to digital signage and their actions afterwards. Did they visit a store after being exposed to digital signage? Were they more likely to purchase or recommend a product? Location based mobile research (including opt-in mobile surveys), foot traffic studies, and cross-channel attribution is providing additional data to optimize outdoor campaigns.
DOOH is making tremendous leaps, and the outdoor industry continues to grow with consecutive revenue growth for the past 19 quarters. Speaking on behalf of the Digital Out-of-Home Taskforce, together with the IAB, we look forward to educating marketers and agencies about these opportunities, and getting you just as excited as we are for what’s to come.
Get outside, look up, and see the digital revolution happening right in your neighborhood!
Read the Digital Out-of-Home Buyer’s Guide
MediaPost: IAB Posts Buyer’s Guide to DOOH
ScreenMedia Daily: IAB Recognizes DOOH Media, Launches Buyers Guide
MarketingDive: IAB Has Released a Buyer’s Guide for DOOH
