Why marketers should be considering OOH this holiday season
Why marketers should be considering OOH this holiday season
November 7, 2022
Out-of-home advertising is expected to influence shoppers this holiday season. We take a look at why many advertisers are ready to invest in this channel despite international economic uncertainty.
Why marketers should be considering OOH this holiday season
With excited shoppers eager to grab a bargain in the run-up to Black Friday, marketers are looking at OOH (Out-Of-Home) marketing to connect customers with their products. According to the National Retail Federation, this year’s holiday spending is set to smash records and marketers are eager to take advantage of this; looking at billboards and traditional media displays as an addition to their marketing strategy.
Although it is believed that the impending recession could affect advertising spend, Insider Intelligence reported that U.S. advertisers are projected to spend $8 billion on outdoor advertising in 2022, which is a rise from $6 billion in 2019. As many as 55% of consumers are excited to shop for the holidays, according to a survey by McKinsey & Company, with 56% having already begun their holiday shopping in October.
Why are consumers turning to OOH?
After the pandemic which saw a rise in remote working and digital shopping activity, these digitally fatigued shoppers are seeking more in-person activities, as a report by The Harris Poll indicated that 68% of US adults are burnt out from digital advertisements. The poll indicates that nearly half of Americans are noticing OOH advertising more after the pandemic, which is crucial to marketers as OOH is generally the last ad many consumers see before completing a purchase. 40% of Gen Zers and millennials in particular intend to spend on themselves or others this season.
Shoppers of clothing and electronics in particular find that promotional ad signage is exciting to them, an Out of Home Advertising Association of America survey has discovered. 38% of consumers say that they will be shopping in person on Black Friday and have an interest in advertising that include QR codes, near-field communication sensors or text messages. 58% of consumers planning to spend at least half their holiday budget on Black Friday state that they are highly interested in ad displays that provide discounts or special offers.
Why should marketers turn to OOH this year?
Contributions to OOH advertising should be made as more shoppers are out and about during the holiday season, where OOH can maximise visibility with its placements in shopping centres, entertainment venues and congested cities. Digital billboards are particularly advantageous due to the ability to adapt the content in real-time, which is beneficial throughout the run-up to Christmas as flexibility is as valuable as ever.
OOH can target audiences based on location with highly relevant and unskippable messages, encouraging customers towards a potential purchase. Pepsi’s chief marketing officer Todd Kaplan praises OOH, stating that “Out-of-home advertising provides the ability to tailor a local message given how and where you can buy around a certain community or a certain message you want to do and I think it also allows you to really use it as a creative canvas for storytelling”.
As consumers are engaged in ad campaigns that make use of QR codes and text messages that are displayed on bus shelters, street furniture etc. the possibility of an offline to online conversion can be instantaneous, immersing the consumer into the brand. Tracking this data lends brands the opportunity to measure their metrics, leading to greater ad optimization. Basing OOH advertisements on some of these elements allows marketers to create innovative and forward-thinking campaigns.
Pippa Gilroy is a Digital Marketing MSc student, content creator and social media enthusiast with a passion for writing about the latest industry trends.
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