Technological development has completely transformed the marketing landscape. Today, traditional channels, such as radio and TV, are becoming increasingly irrelevant as other modern channels, such as social media, are increasingly gaining traction.
One form of advertising that’s emerged as a result of this development is digital out of the home. They may sound foreign to you, but you’ve probably come across different kinds of DOOH advertising networks. For instance, a dynamic display of hotels ads played on screens in airport arrival halls and restaurant offers on a screen near a mall’s food court are all examples of DOOH.
This form of advertising is dynamic and is distributed across different place-based networks in various venues, such as barbershops, convenience stores, gas stations, health clubs, cafes, restaurants, colleges, areas, and other kinds of public spaces.
DOOH can essentially be categorized under two different platforms, which are digital billboards and signage, and digital place-based networks. DOOH networks usually include kiosks and addressable screens.
DOOH, such as digital billboards, is reportedly more attractive than other forms of media. Audiences find that these stand out more than different types of advertising, such as online ads and TV commercials.
This advertising medium is increasingly becoming popular in the United States, where the industry grew to $2.9 billion in 2015, which represented 40.8 percent of total OOH spending. The most popular locations for ad placements are restaurants, gas stations, and bars in the country.
DOOH advertising in gas stations
In gas stations, customers are getting all kinds of content, such as commercials, weather, celebrity gossip, and sports highlights, when they fill the cars with gas. The weekly reach at these gas stations is, in fact, more significant than those at prime-time TV shows.
The largest company in this particular advertising space is currently Gas Station TV. Such areas offer multiple advantages, such as a large number of viewers and a highly engaged audience that enjoys viewing content at gas stations because they have nothing else to do while fueling their cars.
DOOH advertising in car hailing
Apart from gas stations, DOOH has also extended to in-transit advertising. This advertising channel works because tablets are installed in ride-sharing vehicles, such as Grab, Uber, and Lyft. These tablets then display digital ads on the screen to target high-value passengers.
This advertising channel is particularly useful because target customers have very little to do when they’re inside a cab. Hence, a brand’s target audience is often undistracted, allowing the perfect opportunity for brands to deliver targeted messages that viewers will engage and interact with.
Reasons for the growth of DOOH advertising
There are multiple reasons why the DOOH industry has grown at a rapid rate in the United States. This is because the busy audience is usually working at home. Additionally, with the rise of streaming platforms and DVRs, traditional TV has become increasingly irrelevant, reducing the frequency at which the target audience views TV commercials.
Hence, today’s audience skips past television commercials, prompting advertisers to find new ways of reaching their target customers. This has increased the appeal of DOOH advertising, presenting marketers with innovative opportunities to deliver their marketing messages.
How the law affects DOOH advertising
The extent to which DOOH is utilized in the United States is affected mainly by laws of each state. For instance, the states of Hawaii, Maine, Alaska, and Vermont don’t allow billboards, while the others do.
Different jurisdictions regulate outdoor advertising to various degrees. Additionally, where digital billboards are concerned, these are regulated by each state and change ads every six to eight seconds. Furthermore, these billboards are equipped with light sensors to ensure the billboard lighting adjusts to the surrounding light conditions to avoid glare.
Conclusion
DOOH in the United States is only expected to grow further. Due to its dynamic features, it’s an excellent advertising method that markets can use to attract audiences and provide them with engagement opportunities.
