How to use out of home advertising to market your business.
Is out of home media helpful to your brand?
Even seasoned marketers might not have heard the phrase “out of home media” or “out of home advertising”, but most people are familiar with this outdoor media advertising trend. Out of home advertising is a form of outdoor advertising – that is the kind of marketing that a consumer won’t consume in their home, like a TV commercial. Some examples include ads on:
- Highway billboards
- Buses
- Trains
- Park benches
- Sides of buildings
In an age of digital media, it can be hard to believe that OOH advertising would occupy space on any business’s marketing spend. But when done the right way, for the right products and the right business, billboard advertising and other methods of out of home media can be very successful in creating brand awareness and growing conversation around a brand. Here are some things to keep in mind when considering your advertising plan to help understand if any out of home media trends can work for your brand.
Digital Out of Home Advertising
One way that outdoor media companies are modernizing their advertising techniques and pairing the digital age of marketing with the tradition of outdoor advertising is through creating digital out of home advertising campaigns.
One way this works is by introducing new billboard technology. Instead of static space that businesses can rent for weeks at a time with a singular message, many advanced billboards today can change or flip messaging through a dynamic screen. This means that either multiple businesses can advertise in rotation or that one business can use the moving of the billboard to create a more complete message. The quick scrolling or changing nature of the screen is more likely to catch the attention of those passing by, helping to make a bigger impression to more people. Plus, if cars are stuck in traffic or passengers are observing, a billboard that tells a story through rotating messaging is more likely to make a memorable impact on consumers.
Another way that advertisers use digital outdoor advertising is using the same kind of location data that cellphones use. Outdoor advertising screens enabled with this technology can create customized messaging. For instance, if an energy company takes out billboard space, they could have a weather-triggered campaign that only displays when the temperature falls below a certain number, reminding users to turn their heat up because it’s getting colder. Advertising that only appears when it’s relevant to consumers is more likely to get more attention, because customers aren’t seeing it constantly and therefore seeing it as another part of the landscape.
Clearly the most important part of out of home advertising and media methods is making sure that it stands out. With so many visual advertisements competing for customer attention – especially when including screens and mobile devices in the advertising landscape – having an interesting or novel outdoor advertising piece is crucial. Because billboard and outdoor marketing is essentially renting real estate, businesses should have a solid plan before taking on this marketing expense.
What are your thoughts on outdoor media? Do you feel that digital outdoor media methods can help your business stand out when it comes to out of home advertising?
