Company News
The 411 on OOH Advertising
by DW Green — May 13, 2010
I’m not much for acronyms. I find them difficult to remember and confusing. Weird, since my first name is acronym-like! Anyway, this IOW isn’t about acronyms but about OOH, which stands for “out-of-home” advertising. Out-of-home advertising (also referred to as outdoor advertising) is any form of advertising that reaches the consumer while he or she is outside of the home. It includes formats like billboards (I love billboards!); transit advertising for airports, bus depots and train stations; street furniture including bus benches, bus shelters and news racks; and commercial locations like shopping malls, movie theatres, ball parks, concert halls, etc. What about advertising in elevators? Or the new age sandwich board? Human directional signage, sign spinners and sign twirlers are very effective!
Out-of-home advertising consists of many, many venue choices and provides advertising opportunities that are often overlooked in traditional supermarket marketing. Another format, digital out-of-home advertising (DOOH), is dynamic media distributed across place-based networks in a variety of venues. DOOH advertising engages customers/audiences and extends both the reach, and the effectiveness, of marketing messages. Texting can also play a very effective role in out-of-home advertising campaigns.
Considering the decline of newspaper subscriptions and the high cost of print distribution, out-of-home advertising formats often make perfect economic sense. Billboards, for example, work 24/7! Out-of-home advertising is excellent for building brand awareness, communicating brand attributes, and even promoting specific products. A customer could redeem a movie theatre ticket for a product discount, for example, or send a text message to receive a free product that’s being promoted at a shopping mall. Out-of-home advertising provides a way for brands to communicate with consumers in ways (and places!) they might not expect.
What has been your personal experience with out-of-home advertising? Does it grab your attention? Is there a role for OOH advertising in your marketing mix? What do you think of acronyms? I’m off to an SSA (sign spinner audition.) Wish me luck!
Filed Under: Company News
