Understanding Programmatic OOH: A Comprehensive Guide
The PJX Media Newsletter: Volume XXXVIII
The out-of-home media world is so much more than billboards. We are everything from aerial banners flying above beaches in the summer, outfield signage at baseball games, pole banner ads in parking lots of your favorite store, to video displays at your doctor’s office, screens at the deli counter, and custom dry-cleaning bags and pizza boxes - that, by the way, your audience brings into their homes! Don’t forget about experiential activations either. From branded food trucks and coffee carts to brand ambassadors spreading the word about your products and services. When thinking about your OOH media mix, keep these formats in mind. There are so many unique ways for OOH media to get in front of your audience and make an impact this year, but many continually think of billboards only. So next time you are working on a media brief, try to use the creative portion of your brain and reflect on the vast range of touchpoints the average consumer experiences throughout their day. Reaching them along this journey can be fun!
Market Update: Programmatic OOH
In the years leading up to the pandemic, programmatic DOOH was experiencing steady, albeit cautious growth/adoption from agencies and advertisers/brands. There was always the hesitation of giving up control over where and when your ads would run, especially for environment, location, and format-specific clients. However, the flexibility was intriguing, and the audience targeting & budget optimization capabilities were more relevant than ever. On top of that, 75% of digital (online) media was being purchased programmatically, and the digital community has always been a driver for OOH, with the endless hopes of more seamlessly integrated multi-channel planning.
Fast forward to March/April 2020, and there was unprecedented uncertainty about when consumers would be returning to life outside of their homes. At this point in the year (late Q1), many advertisers had already committed to substantial media campaigns that were non-cancellable and set to imminently go live . While operators did their best to shift schedules and adapt to the changing landscape & consumer behaviors, it was a wake-up call for many advertisers that there was a need for added flexibility to plan with more agility. This inevitably led to the surge in programmatic that we’ve experienced in OOH over the past 12 months, as digital adoption increased and brands refocused their marketing efforts to be where their consumers were now spending their time.
As we sprint through Q2 2021 with the US continuing to reopen, coupled with the strengthening economy, consumer spending is projected to explode over the next two quarters. This creates an incredible opportunity for brands to influence potential customers with contextually relevant messaging, capitalizing on this increased mobility and new ability to move around the market. This doesn’t mean that traditional, direct OOH buying should be abandoned, but programmatic as a DOOH layer with audience & behavioral targeting should certainly be considered to round out the out-of-home media mix. Utilizing multiple OOH platforms only helps to break through the clutter and create ubiquity around brand messaging.
There are still several questions when it comes to programmatic OOH. What are the major differentiators between DSPs in the space? What inventory is available on what platform? Who is leading the sector in growth? But one thing is for certain - programmatic is here to stay, and it’s more important than ever to understand the entire ecosystem.
If you’d like to learn more about programmatic OOH by speaking with our team of strategists & planners, please reach out to hello@pjxmedia.com.
Out-of-Home Spotlight: Day / Night Bulletins
A Day / Night bulletin is a unique way to change creative on a static bulletin from day to night. You would choose one creative to show during the day and a different creative to show at night. The nighttime creative can use the entire bulletin area or you can choose to highlight smaller areas of your creative, change a headline or tagline or show a particular image only at night.
The full bulletin area can be used in most markets.
Lead time is 8-12 weeks depending on complexity.
The Day / Night effect works best when the daytime creative is lighter than the nighttime creative.
Send us your ideas or we can recommend a placement for your next buy.
Campaign Freeze Frame
News & Views
News & Views
Marriott Debuts Biggest Global Campaign Yet As Travel Rebounds (Via Adage)
After a nightmare year many travel brands would like to forget, the category is back on an upswing with ad spending. In addition to the film, Marriott will feature two interactive out-of-home storefronts in Manhattan in collaboration with Pinterest.
U.S. Ad Market Expands 50.3% In May, Smaller Ad Categories Surpass The Top 10 (Via Mediapost)
The U.S. ad recovery continued in May -- posting a 50.3% increase over May 2020, which was one of the worst months of the COVID-19-influenced advertising recession last year. While the top 10 ad categories' ad spending rose 41.0% over May 2020, all other categories were up 69.3%, indicating that the U.S. ad industry's recovery isn't just happening among the nation's biggest advertisers.
Nissan unveils breathtaking 3D optical illusion ad (Via Creative Bloq)
Nissan's eye-popping new 3D poster is live on the South Bank until the end of this week. Designed to demonstrate the all-new electric Nissan Qashqai, the cube-shaped display is able to create a 3D depth effect, with the vehicle itself appearing to burst out of the screen.
