Outdoor advertising or out of home advertising (OOH), is a way of advertising products or services using various outdoor media such as billboards,transit ads, posters, bus-shelter ads, etc. These ad placements usually target a certain geographic location to make sure they reach customers when they are away. They consider various factors, such as time, location, route, etc., to make sure they make the most of the space.
In this digital era of communication, brands and companies still choose this form of advertising as they find this traditional method of execution very effective. This old school ad placement always captures the audience and makes the brand stand out. There are various benefits to this form of advertising, but first, let’s get a better background on this medium.
Outdoor advertising can target a mass audience, and the message can be communicated very easily. It is a great way to increase the brand image.
Medias of Outdoor advertising
Outdoor media strategically uses several media formats to promote businesses and reach a large target audience while being cost-effective too. Here are some of the formats that businesses pick, and advertisers help in promoting the campaigns.
Billboards
The large static displays placed in high-profile areas give out contact exposure and grab the attention of the audience. They are highly visible due to their size and give out impactful messages to passersby. With evolving technology, companies also use digital billboards to stay on trend and reach out to a wider audience.
Source: Movia
Posters
The small version of billboards, which are often found at outdoor buildings, bus stops, etc., is the static kind of outdoor advertising and is an effective form of advertising. Also, they are more cost effective than billboards.
Source: Pinterest
Transit Advertising
One of the most popular means of outdoor advertising is through transit. Advertising on subways, taxis, buses, etc. to promote a product or service by a company or to even deliver a message that will benefit the audience and society
Airport Advertising
Often, when traveling on flights, we see several ads on airports for areas such as escalators, elevators, terminal walls, jet bridges, and more. This technique is quite effective when targeting international travelers.
Mobile Billboards
Movia Media too promotes mobile advertising, where the ads are promoted via trucks or on trailers to reach a larger audience. The trucks drive through the targeted area to promote a promotion or local campaign. This technique garners millions of impressions and is cost effective as well.
Targeting technique in Outdoor Advertising why is it important?
Targeting your audience on the basis of outdoor advertising is an important part, as everyone is switching to digital ads these days. The techniques used in targeting the audience when promoting outdoor advertising are important to reach the desired goal and help businesses reach the desired audience by selecting locations that align with target demographics and marketing goals that are set by the company.
Here are some techniques which help reach a larger audience through outdoor advertising –
Geographics Tagging
Businesses can select the desired location of their choice where they want to flourish sales and create more brand awareness. Be it the city they want to target or even a neighborhood, with the help of geographic tagging, anything can be achieved.
Example – A newly opened burget joint places an ad near its physical location and targets the neighborhood around it.
Behavioural Tagging
Here, the businesses and the marketing company understand the interest of the target audience and then place the ads to reach the desired set of people.
Example – Health and fitness product shops may place ads near gyms, jogging and hiking trails, yoga centers, and more to attract the audience.
Demographic Tagging
This tagging is done on the basis of age and gender. It focuses on these aspects to generate a higher volume of impressions, which in turn brings out potential sales.
Example – A new lingerie shop brand places billboards near shopping centers to attract female audiences.
Social Media Integration
Nowadays, everyone is going digital. And so is the outdoor advertising, too. These days, on almost every billboard that there is, a QR code or the hashtag associated with the trend is placed to give the audience the opportunity to explore the brand while being at their own comfort.
Example – A clothing brand may post a selfie of a model and now ask customers to do the same while wearing the clothes of that brand. They can run a contest in which participants can win prizes and goodies.
Mobile Integration
Ever since COVID-19 struck the world, numerous creative ways have emerged to interact with the audience. One such technique that gained popularity was QR codes for restaurants. Since the no contact rule was up, restaurants had billboards that had QR codes for customers who could scan them and see the menu. This contactless technique gained popularity, and customers could look at anything they wanted with the touch of their screen.
Time of day targeting
Companies put in ads on digital billboards when they think it will be the most relevant to attract the audience.
Example – Popular coffee chains put up their morning coffee specials on digital billboards to attract consumers commuting to the office, or fast food chain restaurants pick up the evening time to attract people to have the dinner specials.
The importance of this traditional way of communicating
Even though digital advertising is booming and trends with the audience, the traditional way of communicating is still working like a charm. Outdoor advertising elements like posters, billboards, and transit ads are important in the modern advertising landscape. Below are some reasons why it is still important in today’s time
Consistent Exposure
Outdoor ads are visible to the audience in the high-traffic areas at all times. This creates good exposure, reaches several audiences, and gets stuck in their heads if they’re taking the same route.
Longevity
Not only does outdoor advertising provide consistent exposure, but some billboard advertising remains in high-traffic areas for several weeks or even months. This not only provides contact exposure but also acts as a cost-effective method for the companies.
Local and targeted Marketing
One does not have to share the billboards at every corner of the street and in every high-profile area of the city. They can simply filter out their targeted audience and see from where the traffic is mostly consistent. There, they place the ads and reach out to the targeted audience.
Creative Flexibility
Advertisers have the authority to use their creative minds, be it in the form of compelling messages, striking graphics, or bold formats, to reach out to the audience. It ensures the passerby understands the message and gets their attention.
“The Psychological Impact and Brand Benefits of Outdoor Advertising (OOH)”
Outdoor advertising is a traditional way of communicating that has been followed since the beginning of marketing communication. The psychological implementation of this technique has proven very effective, and it has and still attracts various brands and companies to play a major role in their marketing and advertising strategies. In this digital era of communication where ads can be communicated through various channels such as social media, TV ads, content marketing, etc. OOH advertising has still been on top of the game and is still being preferred by many of the top grossing companies from various industries, including food, retail, entertainment, etc.
The agenda behind this is that successful execution is possible when targets meet certain criteria.
Attention is a Paramount,
OOH ads main focus is to grab people’s attention, be it billboards, transit ads, or posters. They make sure that the content is creative and grabs the eye in the moment. In this digital era of advertising, consumers are constantly overwhelmed with the content, and their attention is always on their minds. According to research, out-of-home advertising is particularly effective at capturing attention because it is often unexpected and visually striking.
Emotional Quotient
OOH advertisements also tap on the power of emotions. Consumer decisions are influenced by both rational and emotional factors and OOH campaigns that evoke humor or nostalgia. It can create a strong emotional impact with the brand that stays with them for a long time; their taglines or pictures presented can play a big role, which also persuades them to make decisions in their favor.
Cognitive biases also come into play. OOH advertising can effectively leverage these biases by aligning campaigns with consumers’ existing beliefs and associations, capitalizing on their decision-making processes.
Placement and positioning
One important factor to consider is the placement of the ads. This is essentially focused on the brand and the kind of content and audience they want to target. For a retail ad, the target billboard would be in the middle of the city, where the demographic audience can have easy access and is geographically closer to the stores. This blend of content and placement has created a great presentation and opportunity for great responses.
The great thing about outdoor advertising is that it meets people where they are, in their everyday lives – David Kurp
Benefits of OOH
Once we have looked behind the curtain and understood the psychological and behavioral aspect of OOH advertising, let’s look at the benefits it entails
Extensive reach for the brand.
When a brand decides to post its ad on a public platform, be it transit or billboard, they mainly focus on the content and placement. Considering it’s a retail ad placed in the middle of downtown, where there is a massive public at all times, this ad will have the potential of a lifetime; it will catch the attention of its target audience; additionally, it will also have the potential to attract new consumers, and the brand will develop a sense of curiosity and loyalty for the consumers. OOH media is practically unavoidable. After all, consumers see media everywhere and interact with it almost constantly. In fact, the average consumer spends a weekly average of 19.6 hours surrounded by outdoor advertising, according to the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA).
Increased recall
OOH ads have a way of catching people’s eye with their creative wit and powerful presentation; the taglines are always very catchy and keep the attention of people; they place calls to action and incredible offers; and the brand ambassadors promoting the ad have a great impact. This helps improve the recall and reflexes of the viewer. This benefits the brand by building its image and brand loyalty as they remember the ad for a longer period of time.
Flexible placement
OOH ads usually have the liberty to get creative with their ad placement and the way they present it. Especially in the digital era of advertising, people always look for eye-catching things when they look up the phone. OOH ads take this to their advantage. Especially in transit ads, posters, and billboards,certain unexpected placements develop curiosity in the viewer’s mind. Transit ads travel all along the city, covering the majority of the audience. Bus- shelter placements where there is a wait time and the majority of the people follow a certain route, these ads will be repetitive and very effective.
24/7 execution
OOH advertising is a natural way of communicating; it is a fixed advertisement with only quality content and a direct message. The execution of these posters is available 24/7 as long as they are replaced with a new idea. This advantage of fixed content and placement is only accessible to OOH ads.
