Part VI: pDOOH Goes Mainstream
According to a report by The Advertising Association, total ad spend in the UK stalled in 2022, with forecasts indicating an overall shrink in spending throughout 2023. Rising inflation across the globe, and the ongoing geopolitical crisis in Ukraine are expected to contribute to a contraction of up to 1% industry-wide.
One advertising medium which has weathered the storm in 2022 is OOH, with the sector showing impressive 146.2% year-on-year growth for Q1 2022. Whilst 2023 is unlikely to match these numbers, growth is expected to remain positive, levelling out to 28.9% as we move into Q1 of 2023.
How does this help digital advertisers? As a growing number of platforms offer programmatic solutions for the purchase of DOOH inventory, marketers in the digital space have more convenient and affordable entry points to this exciting market, with real-time tracking and dynamic campaign adjustment tools that combine the precision of digital with the impact of physical.
Implications
Contexts Over Cookies
DOOH skirts many of the privacy concerns of online ad formats, offering a non-personalised medium that allows advertisers to reach consumers based solely on local and contextual information (such as position, footfall, viewer demographics, and weather conditions).
At the same time, DOOH allows for real-time reporting of ad campaigns, including impressions, reach, and click-through rates. Advertisers can use this information to optimise their campaigns in real time, adjusting strategy on the fly to target ads towards specific demographics or locations.
Powerful Geotargeting
DOOH offers supreme options for locality analysis and regional audience targeting. By running a pDOOH campaign, businesses can effectively scale their regional OOH advertising on a national level, relying on empirical locality datasets rather than limited first-party knowledge, or—frequently biassed—media buyers.
Businesses who already devote a portion of their marketing budget to OOH or local advertising will find their efforts produce increasingly lacklustre results, as competitors run regional campaigns that are more refined, more precise, and—crucially—more profitable.
Creative Impact
Contextual and geographic targeting are compelling reasons to investigate DOOH, but the novelty of medium itself continues to make it an attractive option, regardless of strategic refinements. Research indicates up to 62% of consumers notice digital billboards, with 65% of views resulting in direct action (such as a website or physical store visit).
However, it’s vital for brands—even those with extensive digital marketing and programmatic purchasing experience—to first take stock of their existing creative assets. OOH is its own beast, and businesses shouldn’t assume that the assets which have proved successful in the digital space will have the same impact offline. Advertisers should look to new angles, solutions, and creative platforms to develop fresh ad units that are built specifically for an OOH audience.
Solutions
Google Display and Video 360
Google has used 2022 to make its first moves into the DOOH arena, offering inventory to users of its programmatic Display and Video 360 demand-side platform. In August 2022, it announced partnerships with big-name exchanges including Magnite, Place Exchange, and Vistar Media; through these channels, DV360 customers can purchase inventory from major media owners such as Clear Channel, Intersection, JCDecaux, Lamar, and Ströer.
Whilst not offering quite the same personalisation options as some of its competitors, for existing DV360 users the introduction of this inventory provides the perfect opportunity to test the waters of this high-growth market. For Google Ads users, meanwhile, it could prove a worthy incentive to scale current marketing efforts via the company’s DSP.
DAX
DAX is a digital ad exchange operated by media powerhouse Global, whose extensive portfolio includes some 253,000 outdoor sites that reach more than 95% of the country’s population—if you’ve seen a digital ad panel in the past few years, there’s a good chance it’s one of Global’s.
The company’s digital panels can be found in some of the most high-traffic areas of the UK’s high streets and motorways, and through DAX, advertisers can connect with this broad market. The platform has a range of effective targeting solutions and real-time optimisation tools, designed to boost consumer engagement and maximise ROI.
Tesco Media and Insight Platform
Launched in 2021, the Tesco Media and Insight Platform harnesses first-party data from 20 million Clubcard holders to generate diverse, nationally representative behavioural insights for brands and agencies. Operated in partnership with data science firm dunnhumby, the self-serve platform provides granular insights all the way down to the SKU level. In August, the platform announced an expansion of its DOOH network, working with JCDecaux to increase its digital display network to 500, and reaching over 75% of in-store shoppers in the process.
