In the bustling streets of Cameroon, small business owners struggle to get noticed in a sea of competitors. The noise of the city and the abundance of visual stimuli make it tough for them to attract the attention of potential customers.
Enter Digit-AD, a start-up that is revolutionising the way businesses reach out to their target audience through the use of digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising.
Digital out-of-home advertising, also known as outdoor digital media, refers to any type of advertising that reaches consumers while they are outside their homes. This includes everything from billboards to digital screens at shopping centres and airports.
DOOH is particularly effective in Africa, where the majority of the population is young, tech-savvy, and always on the move.
We saw the potential of DOOH in Cameroon and the rest of Africa, and we knew we had to be a part of it. Our platform connects retailers with high-traffic venues, giving them the opportunity to monetise their indoor screens by selling their audience to micro-businesses. This means that retailers get to earn extra revenue, while small business owners get to reach their target audience effectively.
Offline targeting
One of the key advantages of DOOH is its ability to target specific audiences. In Africa, offline targeting is particularly effective due to the lack of reliable data and infrastructure to support digital targeting.
Digit-AD uses offline targeting to analyse consumer behaviour and determine which types of advertisements are most effective in specific locations.
For example, if we notice that a particular screen gets more views in the morning, we can show breakfast-related ads during that time.
The impact of DOOH on ecommerce, community commerce and social commerce cannot be overstated. In Africa, where the majority of the population is unbanked, mobile money has become a key driver of e-commerce.
DOOH can be used to promote mobile money services and other e-commerce platforms, driving sales for small businesses and creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Community commerce, or the buying and selling of goods within communities, is another sector in which DOOH can make a significant impact. By displaying ads for local businesses, we help to create a sense of community and encourage people to shop locally.
This, in turn, can lead to the growth of small businesses and the development of more vibrant and prosperous communities.
Social commerce
Social commerce, or the use of social media platforms to sell products and services, is another area where DOOH can be effective. By using social media data to target ads on DOOH screens, businesses can reach out to their target audience more effectively and create a seamless online-to-offline shopping experience.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is also playing an increasingly important role in the media industry. By using AI we optimise the performance of our ads and can make real-time adjustments based on audience behaviour. This gives clients the most effective advertising solutions and helps to constantly improve the performance of their campaigns.
Looking to the future, the opportunities for DOOH in the metaverse and programmatic advertising are huge. The metaverse is a virtual world where people can interact with each other and with digital objects. DOOH can be used to display ads within the metaverse, creating new opportunities for businesses to reach out to their target audience in a more immersive and engaging way.
Punting programmatic
Programmatic advertising, which involves the use of algorithms to buy and sell advertising space, is also an area where DOOH can make a significant impact. By using programmatic advertising, businesses can automate the process of buying and selling advertising space, making it easier and more cost-effective to reach their target audience.
In Western countries, DOOH has reached mature market status. In Africa, it is still a relatively new concept, rapidly gaining ground. And there are key differences between DOOH in Europe compared to Africa:
- The main difference is the level of development of the infrastructure. In Europe, DOOH is supported by a robust infrastructure, including high-speed internet and advanced digital screens. In Africa, the infrastructure is still developing, which means that DOOH providers need to be more creative in how they deliver their services. For example, Digit-AD has developed a platform that works even in areas with limited internet connectivity.
- Another key difference is the way that audiences interact with DOOH screens. In Europe, people are used to seeing digital screens everywhere, from airports to train stations to shopping malls. In Africa, however, DOOH screens are still a novelty. This means that audiences are more likely to pay attention to DOOH ads, making it a highly effective advertising medium.
- Finally, there is a difference in the types of businesses that use DOOH. In Europe, DOOH is used by a wide range of businesses, from multinational corporations to local small businesses. In Africa, DOOH is still mainly used by larger businesses – although this is changing as more and more small businesses realise the benefits of DOOH advertising.
At Digit-AD, we believe that DOOH has the potential to revolutionise the manner in which businesses reach out to their target audience in Africa. By using offline targeting, AI, and innovative technology, we are helping businesses of all sizes to reach their target audience more effectively, and more efficiently.
As the infrastructure in Africa continues to develop and more businesses start to realise the benefits of DOOH, we believe that the market will continue to grow and evolve, creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs and small businesses across the continent.
Nelson Pindjou is the founder of Cameroon-based DOOH start-up Digit-AD. Born in Cameroon, he graduated as an aerospace engineer from the University of Applied Sciences in Aachen, Germany. He held various positions in prestigious European companies – engineer, business developer, project manager, scrum master consultant – before setting up Digit-AD.
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