Is OOH Still Relevant Today?
The meteoric rise of digital advertising within the last 5 years has made companies take a deep look at their marketing plans, looking at what they might have to phase out in exchange for the sexy, new trappings of advertising online. ZenithOptimedia anticipated that the growth of 13.5% would make digital the largest advertising category by the end of 2017, beating the long-standing leader of ad spend: TV. With this unprecedented shift in the advertising industry, it begs to question the relevance of other media that were once pillars in marketing plans for companies. Is OOH still relevant today?
The answer is a resounding yes. Will it stand to contend with the chunk that digital media is eating out of overall spend? Probably not. But here are a few reasons why OOH doesn’t have to throw in the towel just yet.
A Pivotal Role in a Marketing Campaign
Image Credit: www.thecamberleyeye.co.uk
OOH’s high impact and wide coverage serves as a great introduction to a brand and allows advertisers to direct large numbers of consumers to other channels that will deepen the brand connection. When executed perfectly and located in a high-traffic area, OOH not only has the ability to incite action (such as searching about a product, tagline or hashtag, or scanning a QR code), but it also allows brands to unlock and engage with consumers outside of their existing customer base. OOH can play an important part in a company’s marketing program as they can reach consumers along their path to purchase in key moments when other media can’t.
Capitalizing on Moment Marketing
Image Credit: Flare BBDO, Manila’s “Don’t Drive Hungry” Campaign for Snickers
According to Hubspot, 4 out of 5 of people have left a webpage because of a pop-up or auto-playing video ad, and 91% of people say ads are more intrusive today than two years ago. Not only can you not skip an OOH ad, but OOH ads are usually in places where consumers welcome distractions: while stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, waiting at a bus stop or standing in line at the checkout counter. These are crucial moments where consumers are actually open to engagement. Outsmart ran a study on “The Last Window of Influence” that took a look at the effects of ad exposure with 30 minutes of a shopper’s purchase, and it showed that 88% of the shoppers where exposed to an OOH ad. Being at the right place, at the right time, makes OOH a powerful tool.
Creative OOH Executions Can Still Generate Buzz
Image Credit: British Airways #lookup Campaign
OOH is unique in the sense that it can take advantage of physical elements, making opportunities for creativity boundless. Executions can play around with time, location, weather conditions, and even live data feeds and current events, making OOH ads more relevant and engaging. Of course, generating buzz around your ad execution translates to increased brand mentions and tapping into consumers’ affinity for your brand. The best thing about all of this? Your creative execution will stay there for as long as you book the spot for. Instead of taking your 5-second slice out of a small mobile screen, OOH ads can be larger than life and will stay for tons of eyeballs to see and appreciate.
Filipinos Still Appreciate OOH
Image Credit: www.filipinotimes.net
Amongst online or offline touchpoints that Filipinos are exposed to, OOH is a medium that still has the 3rd highest affinity, even more than TV. According to Nielsen Clear Decisions, OOH attained an affinity score of 114, with online and mobile leading the pack at 127 and 125 affinity scores respectively, and TV coming in at 4th with a score of 101. In the end, Filipino consumers still respond well to OOH advertising, which does not come as a surprise as commuting takes up a good part of our day. Filipinos are always on the move, traveling to and from work, spending weekends at malls and socializing with friends and family. These are definitely all great opportunities for OOH to shine.
