In a flash, consumers can easily lose attention. It has become so easy to get drowned by tons of messages from competing sources online and offline, with information at everyone’s fingertips. And while more ad dollars are being spent for digital, a comprehensive research by Magna Intelligence and Rapport in 2018 has shown that out-of-home (OOH) ads remain relevant and effective globally, including the Asia Pacific region. Advertisers continue to pour in money into OOH executions. Outdoor media has a 2% market share of ad spending in the Philippines totalling ₱21 billion, according to a 2019 report by Kantar and market research company Strategic Consumer and Media Incites.
OOH is any form of advertising experienced by consumers when they are outside the comfort of their homes. It can either be traditional or digital and includes everything from billboards, street furniture, and transit ads. Taking advantage of advancements in technology, outdoor ads have innovated to use LED screens and geolocation and mobile carrier data in capturing the attention of more consumers. Several studies have also pointed out that static placements are still valuable. The real-life experience that OOH ads bring have allowed marketers to set up three-dimensional and experiential displays that have piqued the interests of customers.
But like in all other forms of advertising, great care must be taken in planning and implementing OOH campaigns. Through the years, Flash has compiled some tips brands must consider.
1. Study and do your research
Rolling out a marketing strategy without going through research can prove costly for a brand at best. Before implementing a project, study existing market research and insights. Conduct your own surveys and focus group discussions and compare these to trends. Advertisers must go beyond mere brand awareness and build lasting connections with their stakeholders. Doing research also means understanding your competitors. Look at best practices and see if those can apply to your campaign, service, or product.
2. Keep your brand and USP in mind
Any strategy must rest in your branding. Do not forget to also highlight your USP or unique selling point. These two things must at all times be at the heart of your campaign. Standing out from other industry players is achieved with the help of a strong and solid brand. But, being flexible can be beneficial so long as it does not go against your core branding and company philosophy.
3. Be creative
Aside from improvements in campaign management and audience measurement, analysts believe that outdoor media has been growing consistently—at around 4.1% per year globally in the last nine years (2010-2018)—even in the internet age because of its nature: unlike digital ads, consumers can’t skip or block OOH. Now, while that is true, the human attention span has been dwindling. Across all demographics, consumers nowadays have an average attention span of just eight seconds. Hence, brands and marketers must be concise and creative. Use eye-catching texts and images. Get out of the box and work on experiential displays. But, do remember to design your ads to fit the tastes, capacities, and sensibilities of your target. Consider their gender, race, age, income, disabilities, mobility, educational attainment, employment status, and location.
4. Target your consumers effectively
After going through the painstaking process of designing, you should now determine the ideal locations for your OOH because just one ad space might not be enough to deliver the message. Aside from taking cue from the obvious prominence of certain locations as in the case of major thoroughfares for large-format ads like billboards, brands may opt to use available data on foot and vehicle traffic. Prime locations are key to success. Moreover, determining which mode of public transportation generates the best results is also important. Consider the demographics; choose where it’s best to put up your ads: billboards, malls, storefronts, buses, taxis, jeepneys, or tricycles.
5. Integrate
It pays—in this case, it can save rather—to unify all aspects of your communication strategy from advertising to public relations, branding, sponsorships, and many more. An integrated marketing campaign is a necessary component that very well consolidates all your efforts by capitalizing on their mix of media, platforms, and tactics. This whole process involves weighing the pros and cons of your options and directing funds to those which can help you achieve your objectives.
One last tip: collaborate with people who are guaranteed to provide you with quick, brilliant, innovative, and exceptional work.
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