Is Billboard Advertising the new Brick & Mortar for D2C?
Rick Robinson
Chief Strategy Officer
rick@pjxmedia.com
November 8, 2022
“They use OOH to breakthrough and disrupt – and they have seen measurable and material results in website visitation, sales lift and of course general awareness and positive brand sentiment.”
The answer is YES! The street level presence missing for most D2C brands is becoming real via the most public of mediums – Billboard advertising – otherwise known as Out of Home Media (OOH). Brands like GOAT, Glossier, NAADAM, Guideline, Herschel, Betfred, Back Market and others, reached out to Project X this past year to help deliver proof of life out in the real world. They use OOH to breakthrough and disrupt – and they have seen measurable and material results in website visitation, sales lift and of course general awareness and positive brand sentiment.
Further, the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) reports significant growth in OOH Media investment for brands from all sorts of on-line categories including sports betting, food delivery, fashion, home goods, B2B services and others.
Why is this happening? Think about it a moment: Thousands of eager D2C online brands launch every year. They immediately hire growth marketers and start pounding the digital performance engine. Calculations of all sorts take over – ROAS, CAC, RCR, CRR and the coveted Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) – all in the pursuit of supporting the next series of funding and maybe one day the ultimate “liquidity event” exit. Yet the reality is very few make it to the promised land.
Their changing media playbook is clearly shining new light on the innate gravitas of OOH. “While performance on Facebook falls faster than their stock price, and the digital landscape becomes more fragmented, OOH media remains consistent in its ability to be disruptive and scalable. Providing direct access to consumers, without competing for screen time.” Says Nicholas Wootten, recently appointed CMO of Q Mixers who also has a history of making markets for several D2C brands.
People simply want experiences in the real world. They resonate with visceral statements of purpose and confidence, often best communicated by stating your brand’s promise out loud in public spaces via OOH. They believe in brands that believe in themselves enough to put their message on display 24/7 with no chance to back out and no easy option for retreating to the safety of the fleeting digital ecosystem. The public wants brands willing to stand tall, shout out and hold ground.
