What is OOH?

Out-of-Home (OOH) marketing refers to advertising campaigns that reach consumers when they are outside their homes, making it a powerful strategy to capture attention in everyday outdoor settings. With more people spending time outside, as highlighted by a recent study from the Office of National Statistics that encourages outdoor activity for better health, there’s a growing opportunity for brands to engage audiences on the move.

In this article, we delve into the concept of OOH marketing and explores its effectiveness in 2024.

The Pros and Cons of OOH Marketing

Like any marketing strategy, Out-of-Home (OOH) marketing has its advantages and disadvantages. Let’s explore both sides.

Pros of OOH Marketing

1. Enhancing Impact on Outdoor Audiences OOH marketing is designed to make a significant impression on consumers as they go about their daily lives. A campaign with a clear message displayed on a vehicle in a busy city like London can increase awareness of your brand and products among a large audience. The key is to ensure that your OOH messaging is memorable and resonates with those who see it.

2. Boosting Visibility Visibility is crucial in any advertising campaign, and OOH marketing excels at putting your brand in front of your audience. By placing creative ads in high-traffic areas, you not only increase visibility but also build familiarity, trust, and brand recall over time.

3. Supporting Other Marketing Channels OOH marketing is most effective when integrated with other channels in an omnichannel approach. A recent report showed that businesses using two or more channels in a single campaign saw a 166% increase in engagement. Transit media can complement digital campaigns through features like shadowfencing, which delivers ads to mobile devices within 200 meters of the vehicle and retargets users later on their connected devices.

4. Targeting Specific Locations OOH campaigns can be highly effective when tailored to specific locations and demographics. For example, if you’re targeting professionals in a particular London borough, well-placed OOH ads can engage that audience directly and more effectively.

Cons of OOH Marketing

1. Measuring Campaign Effectiveness 

One of the biggest challenges in OOH marketing is accurately measuring the impact of your campaigns. Traditional methods may not provide the insights needed to evaluate performance. However, via our fleet telematics software, we address this challenge with our live vehicle tracking dashboard, which offers real-time updates on your campaign’s reach and effectiveness.

2. High Impressions Not Always Leading to Conversions Just because many people see your OOH campaign doesn’t mean it will translate into sales. The challenge lies in converting high impressions into tangible conversions. Ensuring that your messaging and targeting are aligned with your conversion goals is crucial.

3. Limited Targeting Precision In the past, OOH campaigns may have been too broad, missing the mark with your target audience. However, with advancements in data and technology, hyper-targeting is now possible. We use key data insights to refine our OOH and DOOH campaigns, ensuring they engage the right audience.

How OOH Differs from DOOH

OOH marketing includes traditional forms like billboards, bus ads, and Point-of-Sale displays. In contrast, Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) campaigns use digital screens that can change dynamically, offering greater flexibility and impact. DOOH has shown better results than static billboards, and by 2026, it’s projected to account for 36.5% of total OOH media revenue globally.

Examples of OOH Marketing Campaigns

1. Transit OOH In cities, transit advertising is highly effective, as it moves with your audience.

2. Traditional Billboards Traditional billboards, often placed in high-traffic areas, have been around for centuries. While they raise brand awareness, they come with challenges like longer setup times and higher costs compared to digital alternatives.

3. Digital Billboards Digital billboards are a modern evolution of traditional billboards, allowing for rotating ads and dynamic content. For more mobile audiences, transit campaigns may offer better engagement.

4. Mural Advertising Mural ads are visually striking and can be highly effective in urban areas. For example, a Fintech brand recently used murals with embedded QR codes in several UK cities to engage the public and clarify their business offerings.

In summary, OOH marketing can significantly boost brand visibility and impact when executed strategically, but it comes with challenges in measurement and targeting. Integrating OOH with other channels and leveraging digital advancements like DOOH can help overcome these challenges and maximize campaign success.