Fifty Explains is a series that breaks down the different technologies, lingo and jargon of the ad tech world.
Ok, I’ve heard of OOH, but what’s DOOH?
DOOH stands for Digital Out of Home Advertising. It’s essentially the billboard gone digital.
Oh right, like those advertising screens on the tube.
Yep, that’s one mechanism for advertising DOOH but there are loads of others. There are large format screens – essentially digital billboards that you might see when walking around outside, then there are smaller media such as in shopping centres or digital screens outside supermarkets or alongside bus stops.
How does it all work then? And why is it better than a regular old billboard?
The beauty of DOOH is in the name. The fact that it’s digital means that it is dynamic, unlike a traditional billboard which remains the same throughout a campaign run. There is so much room for creativity with a DOOH campaign. The most promising thing about it is that it can change –– that means it can be responsive to the time of day or even if the weather has changed, and you can easily inject new bursts of creativity as needed.
But why do I need DOOH when I already spend on online digital advertising?
Good question. Well one of the main perks is that no one can skip you. Online digital advertising is an amazing and highly effective means of targeting your audience, but DOOH offers the ability to reach your customers in ways that are hard to ignore. Almost everyone (98% of consumers) has visited a DOOH venue in the last 30 days and 84% recall seeing a DOOH ad, according to DOOH provider Vistar.
Now listen, it’s not about replacing your online advertising strategy with DOOH, it’s about expanding your reach and complementing your digital advertising by taking your campaign out of the home.
In fact, Vistar found that 46% of consumers are more likely to engage with you online if they’ve seen your DOOH ad and when you combine DOOH with social media advertising, you could see a lift in footfall of 68%!
That sounds like a win-win to me. I’ve got one last question…it still feels a bit like hitting and hoping, how can you know that DOOH is effective when its reach is so broad?
Well, because just like the best digital advertising strategies, DOOH needs to be powered by audience insight. You need to understand the right placement and the right timing, this means understanding who your audience is, what they are interested in, so you can serve them advertising in a relevant way. By using behavioural targeting, you’re more likely to get your ads in front of the people who will be interested in whatever you’re providing.
Look, you’re never going to have the type of targeting that you do online –– or the ability to measure performance in the same way, but we still think DOOH is an important tool in your arsenal.
Why?
Well, consider the fact that most click-through-rates of online ads hover around 1% – that’s because consumers are used to ignoring online ads. There are just so many of them! DOOH enables you to cut through the online noise and make memorable campaigns that are more noticeable because of where they are. They aren’t part of the cluttered online landscape. For that reason alone, DOOH should be part of anyone’s omnichannel strategy.
But if you’re curious about how to make your online strategy even stronger – check out our post on why Fifty’s approach to digital marketing is so effective.
To find out how Fifty’s audience insights can optimise your DOOH performance, book a demo today.
