Out-of-Home Media: The Theater of the Streets and the Power of Public Space

What is Out-of-home media? Most people think of billboards and bus shelters. Rick Robinson, PJX Media CEO has an even broader view.

“An artist on a stage performing in a venue full of thousands of people is out-of-home media,” Robinson said.

At the 2024 Media Post DOOH Insider Summit, Robinson talked about how OOH is something we come across as part of our everyday lives.

“Nobody wakes up in the morning and says, ‘Oh goodie, I’m going to look at some out-of-home media,’ but when they run across it and when it intercepts their life in a way that adds value and stops them, when it creates a theater of the streets we matter and it matters, and part of that is because out-of-home media is real media for real people,” Robinson said.

But it’s important to get OOH advertising right: to find the right message and creative that resonates with the audience and to find the right mix of traditional static, digital, and programmatic digital OOH to reach them effectively.

“Our business is important. We take it seriously. We want to get it right, not just for us, not just for our careers, not just to be able to say we know how to do out-of-home, but more importantly for the public. We owe it to them. We occupy their space without invitation, and we owe it to them to reward them for their attention, to get our campaign right, to make it matter,” Robinson said.

Unlike online channels, TV, and radio, OOH is visceral. It’s a proof of life. It’s making a statement in the public space.

“When you make a statement in the public space, it’s a statement of confidence. There’s a vulnerability to that. There’s nowhere to hide. You’re standing tall and saying this is what we believe in. This is what we have to say. This is our promise to our public and we’re not backing off. And that means something,” Robinson said.

In today’s rapid-fire information age, it can be difficult to find media you can trust. Some people choose an amalgamation of sources and draw their own conclusions, while others believe everything they hear. Robinson says though he has some friends whom he calls ‘TikTok graduates’ because they believe everything they see, he thinks everyone knows that the information we are getting may not be true.

“Think about what that means. That’s overwhelming for people and they’ll begin to shut down,” Robinson said. “But what that means for OOH is that we may end up being that symbol of truth because I’ve seen it. Because it’s in front of me.”

Ultimately, the public decides whether the media is relevant to them. Robinson said OOH advertisers need to earn the right to occupy people’s space.

“We need to deliver value while we’re out there, and when we do, they’ll look at the screens in a positive way,” Robinson said. “With everything else going on with Digital Out of Home, where we’re adding public wayfinding messages, public art, and things like that, it’s becoming truly the visual voice of culture and commerce, and that makes us powerful and relevant going forward.”

Watch the full keynote presentation at the link above.

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