DOOH: Digital Out of Home Advertising Explained

Digital Out-of-Home advertising (or DOOH) offers the best of both worlds by combining the advantages of traditional and digital advertising.

Unlike traditional ads, DOOH can be updated in real-time and can be customized to suit different locations and demographics. This makes it a more cost-effective and efficient way to advertise your business. 

If you’re curious about how you can benefit from digital out-of-home media, keep reading as we go over its benefits, challenges, and how you can make the most of it.

What Is DOOH? 

Digital Out Of Home Advertising (DOOH) is a modern way of advertising that uses digital screens to display advertisements in public places like malls, airports, or transit systems. It's an effective way of reaching a large audience through dynamic and interactive content. 

Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising has become a popular form of digital marketing, with the global digital OOH market size estimated at $6.8 billion in 2021 and expected to grow by a 13.8% CAGR over the next six years. DOOH marketing surpasses traditional ads and is expected to make up 42% of US OOH ad revenue. 

The great thing about DOOH is that it offers real-time data tracking and analytics, allowing advertisers to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns and make data-driven decisions. It combines the effectiveness of billboards in raising awareness, and the advantages of digital marketing.

Types Of DOOH Advertising With Examples

Vistar Media organizes digital out-of-home advertising into three major types: large-format media, place-based media, and point-of-purchase media.

Large Format Media

Most viewed by drivers and pedestrians, large format media are placed on billboards, bus stops, or sidewalks along major highways or highly-populated areas. These can be digital billboards or street furniture. Its primary purpose is to spread awareness to as many people as possible.

Source: Samsung Newsroom

A cool example would be Samsung's “Tiger In The City” campaign. Days leading to Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2022 event, the Samsung tiger was shown in a giant digital display across four major cities: New York, London, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, and Seoul. The majestic interactive display is a visual stunner. It’s impossible not to marvel at how real the tiger seems to be because of how it pops out of the imaginary flat screen.

Large-format media is a great tool to make a big splash and catch people’s attention when they’re on the go. To make this effective, it’s important to make it eye-catching so that people who pass by it would give it ample attention –and maybe even tell their friends about it.

Place-Based

Place-based DOOH is digital advertisements you can find in places where people go for a specific purpose. It aims to integrate its messaging into its surroundings to integrate its brand into people’s day-to-day activities.

Source: Geospatial World

To maximize the effects of place-based DOOH, make your message contextually relevant. Place-based DOOH can offer some level of audience segmentation. People in a bookstore, for example, are likely to be bookworms. In gyms, fitness enthusiasts. In expensive salons, people who are willing to invest in their grooming. This allows marketers to create more specialized messages that will be relevant to a prospective customer’s needs at the moment.

Point Of Purchase

Source: Broadsign

Digital ads placed in retail locations or near cashiers are called point-of-purchase ads. These ads are normally used for small-ticket items that prospective users can buy on impulse or memberships that the store wants to promote. It maximizes the wait time consumers have to use while waiting for their turn to pay for their goods.

Source: Broadsign

For point-of-purchase ads to work, the message should be clear and visually attractive. Also, ensure that your product is easy to find, making it completely eligible to be added to the cart at the last minute.

Benefits of DOOH Advertising

The digital nature of OOH digital and the fact that it appears in spaces occupied by potential customers allows for many benefits that brands can take advantage of. Let’s go over them.

Increased Engagement

Unlike traditional out-of-home media, DOOH offers a dynamic and interactive experience that captures people's attention and keeps them engaged. 

Source: Misreor

A great example is Misreor’s digital posters that encouraged passers-by to swipe their credit cards to make a small donation to their causes. Swiping would trigger an animation that makes the cause more visible as you see a piece of bread sliced, shackles cut, and more.

This level of interactivity is something that traditional media simply can't match. By incorporating DOOH into your advertising strategy, you'll be able to create a more memorable and engaging experience for your customers, which can lead to increased brand recognition, loyalty, and sales.

Collection Of Digital Data

Digital out-of-home advertising (DOOH) doesn’t just offer visually engaging ways to promote products and services. It can also help brands collect valuable digital data.

By using technologies such as facial recognition and mobile tracking, DOOH campaigns can gather information on audience demographics, behavior, and preferences. This data can then be used to inform future marketing strategies and improve overall campaign performance. 

By embracing DOOH as a tool for collecting digital data, brands can gain a competitive advantage in the market and enhance their customer engagement efforts.

Fast Edits, Updates, And Optimization

With the flexibility and versatility of DOOH, brands can now easily edit, update, and optimize their ads according to the changing market trends and consumer behavior. This means that brands can stay ahead of their competition by delivering relevant and personalized messages to their audience. 

The real-time nature of DOOH allows brands to make quick changes to their campaigns and measure the impact on their target audience. By leveraging the power of DOOH, brands can create memorable and impactful campaigns that resonate with their audience and achieve their marketing objectives.

Cost-Effective

Digital ads have become more cost-effective compared to traditional advertising methods, especially in the DOOH arena. Unlike their traditional alternatives, digital ads will no longer require you to pay for large-scale printing. Revisions are a breeze as well for regular digital posters.

As mentioned earlier, unlike traditional ads, digital ads can be optimized in real-time, allowing businesses to adjust and improve their campaigns for maximum impact. By leveraging the power of digital advertising, businesses can save money while achieving better results than traditional advertising methods.

Wide Reach

Digital Out of Home (DOOH) advertising is gaining immense popularity among marketers due to its ability to reach a wide audience. 

DOOH combines the strengths of traditional print advertising and digital ads to create an engaging and effective marketing strategy. With DOOH, marketers can easily connect with their target audience at the right place and time. 

Plus, the interactive nature of DOOH ads allows customers to engage with the product or service in real-time, leading to a higher conversion rate. Studies have found that full-motion billboards are 5.8x more effective than static OOH when catching attention and increasing awareness. 

Moreover, DOOH is highly adaptable and can be customized to suit different business needs. This innovative marketing technique is an excellent way for businesses to increase their visibility and stay ahead of the competition.

Challenges Of DOOH Advertising

While out-of-home digital advertising offers many great advantages, there are also challenges you’ll have to navigate to make the most of this platform.

Dependence On Location

While DOOH advertising can be a powerful tool for marketers, it's important to recognize that its effectiveness is heavily dependent on location. This means that businesses must take the time to carefully choose the right locations for their ads to maximize their impact. 

While it may seem daunting to navigate these challenges, it's important to keep in mind that DOOH advertising also offers several unique benefits that can make it well worth the effort. With careful planning and a thoughtful approach, DOOH advertising can be an incredibly effective way to reach customers in the right place at the right time.

Technical Issues

While technical difficulties can be frustrating for marketers using DOOH advertising, it's important to remember that these issues can be resolved with the right approach. 

First, work with a reputable provider offering reliable hardware and software solutions. Additionally, having a plan in place for troubleshooting and quick resolution of any issues that may arise can help minimize the impact of technical difficulties. 

By staying proactive and responsive, marketers can ensure that their DOOH campaigns continue to run smoothly and effectively, even in the face of technical challenges.

Distraction-Filled Environments

Marketers today use DOOH media to catch people's attention while they are on the go. However, one of the significant challenges they face is the abundance of distractions in the environment where DOOH displays are placed. It becomes challenging to grab the attention of people who are already busy in their lives. But, don't let this demotivate you! 

With the right strategy and creativity, it is still possible to make your DOOH ads stand out and get noticed. Use bright colors, bold fonts, and catchy taglines to make an impact. Also, consider placing your DOOH displays in areas where your target audience is likely to be present. With a little bit of effort and innovation, you can overcome this challenge and make your DOOH ads a success.

Tips To Make DOOH Advertising More Effective

Let’s dive deeper into ways brands can maximize the benefits of digital out-of-home advertising.

Integrate With Other Advertising Efforts

If you want your DOOH ad to deliver maximum impact, it's essential to have a clear understanding of your consumer journey, and offer an omnichannel approach. This means identifying the different stages that your target audience goes through before making a purchase decision and creating ads that are tailored to each stage and that resonate with your audience. 

Cosmetics brand, Loreal, for example, used digital tech to encourage customers to try on their makeup using their mobile phones. Once they get to the Loreal store, they see a new array of digital ads now meant to encourage them to go on with their intended purchase, and maybe even add more products to their cart.

Source: Geospatial World

An omnichannel approach can help you reach your target audience across multiple touchpoints, including social media, email, and display advertising. Studies show that OOH digital advertising is a great way to optimize your social media campaigns. When you integrate your DOOH ads with other channels the right way, you increase the chances of your message being seen by the right people at the right time. 

Alignment and coordination are key for synergy to happen. It’s best to use a project management tool like Workamajig to help ensure that you’re covering all your bases for your omnichannel campaigns.

Make It Clear And Eye-Catching

When it comes to out-of-home marketing, it's important to remember that you have a limited window to capture your audience's attention. That's why one of the most valuable tips is to make your message clear and easy to absorb. 

Don't try to cram too much information into your ad - instead, focus on a single message or call-to-action that will resonate with your target audience. Keep it simple and straightforward, using bold, attention-grabbing visuals and minimal text. Either that or evoke curiosity.

Remember, the goal is to make an impact in just a few seconds, so don't overcomplicate things. By prioritizing clarity and simplicity in your DOOH ads, you'll increase the chances of capturing your audience's attention and leaving a lasting impression. 

Choose the Right Location

If you're looking to make the most out of your DOOH ad, choosing the right location is key. With the right location, your ad can reach more people and have a greater impact. So, take the time to research and analyze the best spots for your ad. 

Look for areas where there is high foot traffic or where people tend to congregate, such as shopping centers or public transport stations. Additionally, consider the demographics of the area to ensure that your ad is reaching the right audience. By selecting the perfect location for your DOOH ad, you're setting yourself up for success and maximizing your chances of achieving your marketing goals.

Monitor And Measure Results

If you want to make the most of your DOOH ad, then it's important to monitor and measure the results. By doing so, you can understand how your ad is performing and make necessary adjustments to improve its effectiveness. 

Keep track of metrics such as impressions, engagement, and conversions, and analyze the data to see what's working and what's not. This will help you optimize your ad for maximum impact and ROI. 

Don't be afraid to experiment with different strategies and tactics, and use the insights you gain from monitoring and measuring to refine your approach. With patience, persistence, and a willingness to adapt, you can create a DOOH ad that truly stands out and drives business results.

Optimize Your Materials

If you are running an out-of-home advertising ad campaign, it's crucial to ensure that your materials are optimized to grab the attention of your target audience. One tip to maximize your DOOH ad is to optimize your materials. 

This means that you need to make sure that your visuals and messaging are clear, concise, and visually appealing. Use high-quality images and graphics that are relevant to your brand and message. Avoid cluttering your ad with too much text or images that can be distracting. Keep it simple and straightforward so that your message is easily understood by passersby. 

By optimizing your materials, you can significantly increase the effectiveness of your DOOH ad campaign and achieve better results.

Wrapping Up

With DOOH, you can display dynamic and interactive content that can grab the attention of your target audience. Unlike traditional ads, DOOH can be updated in real time and can be customized to suit different locations and demographics. This makes it a more cost-effective and efficient way to advertise your business, especially when you integrate it into an omnichannel approach, and optimize them according to relevant brand insights.