DOOH advertising is a modern evolution of out-of-home (OOH) advertising that utilizes digital technology and screens to display ads. Similar to traditional OOH ads, which include billboards, posters, and transit ads, DOOH ads aim to reach users outside of their homes. However, instead of static images or printed materials, DOOH ads leverage digital displays to present dynamic and engaging content. The use of digital technology has brought a significant impact on screen advertising, as marketers can now deliver content with great flexibility, real-time updates, and precise measurement tools.
Different types of DOOH marketing strategies exist, each with distinct benefits and purposes. Depending on the brand or marketing campaign goals, marketers can employ the strategy most suitable for delivering their ad and reaching the desired audience.
Large format DOOH ads are large-scale high-resolution digital screens, LED billboards, or video walls. Whether it is on a highway, bus shelter, or the side of a city building, these ads are strategically placed in areas with high street-level traffic to reach a huge audience as they move through their daily routines. These ads are easily noticeable due to their size and vibrance and are beneficial for delivering high-impact exposure in a short amount of time.
Place-based marketing, also known as location-based marketing, delivers targeted messages and ads based on the location. Ads served on a place-based screen are contextually relevant to the area it is in, which is effective for capturing the target audience’s attention at the moment. Displays at a bar advertising a concert, or a gym promoting sportswear ads are examples of place-based marketing. It is also commonly used in locations like malls, movie theaters, universities, and hotels.
Point-of-purchase screens are typically used in retail environments like grocery stores, fast food restaurants, or shopping malls. They are specifically found within stores that are selling a brand’s product and positioned at the point of purchase or in close proximity to the product display. Point-of-purchase displays are meant to capture the shopper’s attention and sway their last-minute purchasing decision, which is effective for driving sales and ROI. For example, a grocery store with a Reese’s point-of-purchase ad placed near the checkout area where the candies and convenience items are could easily convince on-the-go shoppers to add a bag of Reese’s in their cart as they checkout.
One of the features that sets DOOH apart from OOH advertising is its compatibility with mobile marketing. Pairing DOOH ads and mobile exponentially improves marketing activities as it enables multi-channel marketing, point of interest (POI) targeting, and retargeting.
DOOH ads can include content like QR codes or specific call-to-actions (CTAs) that prompt viewers to engage with the ad on their mobile devices. CTAs could provide additional content or offers that users can access on their personal devices, which allows for multi-channel activity and heightens user engagement. Using DOOH ads to raise initial awareness among low-intent consumers and nurturing that lead with a more personalized, mobile version of the ad is beneficial in further bringing them down the purchasing funnel.
Due to the nature of DOOH, anyone in public can view these ads, making it difficult to narrow down locations to target a specific audience. However, nowadays DOOH ads can use GPS technology to track the location data of mobile devices, which enables proximity/POI targeting to deliver ads only in the locations that matter.
With mobile location data, marketers can monitor audience movement patterns and understand the areas near DOOH ads their target audience tends to crowd. Marketers use this data to designate POIs they would like to deliver DOOH ads or send mobile notifications to. Typically, the most effective POIs are areas like key store locations or a competitor’s store location the target audience frequently visits. Afterward, when a targeted mobile device is detected within the radius of a POI, nearby DOOH screens can display targeted ads or mobile notifications encouraging brand engagement.
Along with location tracking, some DOOH ad platforms offer a solution called device ID passback that streamlines the retargeting process for marketers. By collecting location and device ID data, marketers can identify when and where each user device was exposed to their DOOH ad. Using this information, they are able to retarget their target audience with follow-up ads across other channels, including mobile devices and social media platforms linked to the device ID. Re-engaging these individuals will help reinforce the DOOH message and sustain the brand experience which can lead to conversions. It is important to note that DOOH ad platforms adhere to privacy regulations by anonymizing the device ID data before they are available to marketers for measurement and retargeting.
