[PARTNER CONTENT] Out-of-home advertising has emerged from lockdown stronger than ever as a dynamic platform for marketers to capture resurgent audiences, writes JORJA WILKINS.
Brand out-of-home (OOH) is the strongest it has ever been. Yes, you read that correctly.
We took the first Covid-19 blow, the hardest hit – but we were not knocked out. In fact, we have risen, stronger and more determined than before.
Specifically, the key media platform of digital out of home (DOOH), which pre-Covid had accelerated the growth of our traditional platform, and globally has surpassed all other traditional media, second only to pure-play digital. A recent study conducted in the US, the 2020 Nielsen Digital OOH Advertising Report, found DOOH drives action across multiple formats for travellers across 30 top markets and also examined their behaviour once exposed to a DOOH format on their journeys.
Their findings indicate that DOOH drives engagement for audiences, with 50% or more of those surveyed saying they noticed DOOH either “all the time” or “most of the time”, while 64% took at least one action, or purchased online or in store.
The news we need to hear
As we came out of various degrees of lockdown regulations around the globe, we were welcomed by the undeniable impact and power that is DOOH. DOOH guided our audiences through confusing times by informing them of changes to business operating hours, options for delivery or click and collect, directions to clinics and hospitals – you name it, DOOH showcased it, and at a speed unrivalled by any other platform.
Preventative measures in curbing the spread of the virus were displayed across all DOOH environments, ensuring the nation took all necessary actions to remain safe. The agility and dynamic capability of DOOH ensured that the nation was kept abreast of Covid-19 statistics and all regulation updates, through the utilisation of live feeds from Eyewitness News on all of Primedia Outdoor’s DOOH structures, which cover the country and key environments.
Brands pivoted their marketing communications at a touch of a button, ensuring their consumers were informed and empowered as they stepped out of their safe zones. A recent Future of Strategy survey conducted by WARC on strategists reported that, on a global scale, more than 40% of clients commissioned new creative work in response to the pandemic with only 18% stating a few or none pivoted their communications.
Admiration and praise for those who have risked their lives on the front lines dominated the local DOOH landscape. Primedia Outdoor utilised its dynamic, optimised, creative-capable Social Wall platform with #PrimediaBigThanks to ensure messages from social media could be linked to the big screens of DOOH, making the nation’s voice louder and prouder. Small businesses were supported with free display advertising to help them get back on their feet as they opened their doors to re-emerging audiences. Primedia Outdoor launched HelpLocalBiz, which gave micro-businesses free display advertising across all of its roadside DOOH networks, ensuring consumers knew they were open for business.
Dynamic strategies for a dynamic platform
The widening availability of DOOH has shown the level of investment to which owners of outdoor-related ad inventory have committed. DOOH has experienced an incredible transformation, with data and technology providing new levels of insight into the platform.
Owners of inventory must utilise this data effectively, guiding advertisers with their campaigns and playing a crucial role in ensuring effective targeting strategies are aligned to changing audience behaviours. More than 70% of clients surveyed in WARC’s Future of Strategy survey have adopted new strategic thinking in response to the pandemic. As media owners, we are the specialists and we need to help brands build trust with the flexibility, agility and tactical strength of DOOH.
The hyperlocal capability of OOH and DOOH positions brands in proximity to places of purchase where attention and intent to buy are high. Nielsen reports at least 82% of those surveyed immediately visited a store and made a purchase as a result of seeing a DOOH advertisement.
Contextually, DOOH has the power to speak to audiences based on where they are, what they are doing, and how they feel about what they are doing. Dynamic, contextual messaging plays a very important role in communication on DOOH and brands need to recognise the power of this capability; it should be an always-on strategy. Programmatic DOOH (pDOOH) has been available in global markets for a few years now, and what we have seen during the past 6 months is that development is beginning to take scale on demand and supply platforms. Globally it is predicted that 2020 will be the year for pDOOH to come to the forefront in OOH with its traditional platform. In South Africa, pDOOH has only just been launched and the learnings from these initial campaigns will be insightful for the industry as a whole.
Open for business
Never before has there been such solidarity among local and international OOH companies. Webinars have been hosted across different markets: Primedia worked together as a team to understand the changing landscape and how OOH could provide solutions. Primedia Outdoor took part in two worldwide initiatives: #SendingLove and #OurSecondChance. “#SendingLove” promoted messages of love and was positioned to unite communities all over the world in the fight against the effects of the virus.
Advertising space donated by more than 70 media owners across 153 cities made it the biggest user-generated campaign ever screened on DOOH. #OurSecondChance is currently running in 58 countries with more than 180 media owners – and as the World Out of Home Organization president, Tom Goddard, said, the campaign “shows the out-of-home industry at its best and most striking: a reminder to advertisers and agencies that, as the world reopens for business, out-of-home remains the only true global broadcast medium”.
So here we are, back on our feet and ready for action. More than ever, our industry is poised for the return of audiences to absorb the smorgasbord of high-impact advertising emblazoned across our screens, perfectly positioning brands in a host of environments.
The future is bright. Well, certainly brighter.
[Partner content is sponsored]
About Primedia Outdoor
Primedia Outdoor is the premier provider of out of home media solutions within sub-Saharan Africa. A Level 1 BBEEE contributor, Primedia Outdoor is currently the largest wholly South African-owned outdoor advertising media specialist, offering national outdoor exposure throughout South Africa and high reach in key markets in the rest of the continent. Primedia Outdoor offers flexible coverage of the entire LSM/SEM spectrum, targeting cosmopolitan consumers in major urban areas through to those living in rural communities.
For further information, please contact Jorja Wilkins: Jorja@primeoutdoor.co.za and telephone: +27 11 475 1419
