Out-of-home marketing to stand out

Outdoor advertising, commonly known as OOH (Out-of-Home) marketing, is a dynamic and impactful way to reach a large audience outside of their phones or the digital space. From billboards towering over motorways to eye-catching posters at bus stops, OOH marketing strategically places ads in high-traffic areas to capture attention and leave a lasting impression.

Despite its grandiose presence, OOH marketing can be surprisingly affordable, offering businesses of all sizes the opportunity to enhance their visibility and connect with consumers in a tangible, memorable manner. By leveraging creative strategies, targeting specific locations, and utilising cost-effective printing technologies, businesses can harness the power of OOH marketing without breaking the bank, ultimately driving brand awareness and increasing ROI.

This blog will explore:

What is OOH advertising
How effective it really is
Top examples of OOH advertising
It’s surprising affordability
How Arke can help you incorporate OOH into your marketing strategy

What is OOH advertising

Picture this: you’re walking down the street and see a giant billboard of someone looking out the window of an aeroplane. On the bottom corner are the blue letters “BRITI” and you immediately know it’s British Airways. You, alongside thousands of other pedestrians, do the same thing throughout the day. That’s a millions of eyes on the billboard, a couple thousand people making the same connection as you, thinking of British Airways.

_{Source: mediacentre.britishairways.com}

This type of exposure is huge. A whopping 20 million UK adults have seen a billboard in the past week with consumers reporting a 198% increase in ad awareness when exposed to billboards and other large formats, resulting in a reach of roughly 80% – that’s higher reach than any other media. Evidence also goes on to show that 80% of consumers made a purchase after seeing an advert outside the house.

Other OOH marketing can be found at airports throughout terminals or at baggage claims, in Underground stations lining the escalators, and on trams and busses, or in the form of digital billboards that have the ability to rotate different ads over a certain period of time.

Does OOH advertising work?

Now, think about how many times that large, impactful creative you saw sitting at the bus stop peaked your interest, leading you to Google what you saw, or scan that QR code. Well, you are not alone. Research shows that OOH advertising works:

52% registered DOOH (digital-out-of-home advertising) with brand promotion information
57% of them visited the promo site immediately after viewing the ad
93% of people who visited the promo place also made a purchase

Among consumers who register digital advertising on railways / in the metro / on the train;

More than 50% will notice the ad itself
48% of them visited the promo site immediately after viewing the ad
More than 80% of people who visited the promo site also made a purchase

There’s also a common misconception that OOH is only good for the awareness stage, but adding in a call-to-action via a QR code or through incentives for viewers to go to the website can increase interactivity, driving conversation to really maximise ROAS.

So when asking yourself, ‘does OOH marketing work?’ the stats speak for themselves and the ROI’s are huge.

What kind of campaigns work well with OOH?

OOH advertising can gain a lot of attention, inspiring businesses to use the medium to share thought-provoking, funny, tongue-in-cheek campaigns in public spaces across the country, like the recent British Airways campaign we referenced earlier- the emotive ad showing people looking out the window.

Other ideas for traffic-stopping OOH marketing include Amazon’s Audible: with the rise of popularity of podcasts, Audible took a creative spin on their OOH marketing by combining a billboard in the shape of a cassette tape with a corresponding street-level control board. When the play button at street level was pressed, snippets of the podcast were played on the billboard. The QR code on the street level took audiences to the podcast’s homepage, keeping them engaged even after they headed on their way.

Can my business afford OOH marketing?

Although OOH is often associated with big brands who own the food, retail and travel space, we’re here to let you know that it is a lot more affordable than you might think! Incorporating OOH can be possible, and very effective, for businesses with smaller budgets.

Throughout the years, we have worked on building relationships with fantastic OOH partners who can hyper-target local areas or demographics with innovative offerings from as low as £200 a month!

_{Arke x Joint Living reverse graffiti OOH campaign}

How about targeting your audience via audio? Growing to be one of the biggest forms of consumed media, 30 million people in the UK listen to digital audio each week, spending 2 hours daily with their favourite content. Arke has developed one of the most extensive out of home advertising networks in the UK – partnering with powerhouses such as Global, JCDecaux, and Spotify to name a few – but also regional and local media placement owners, from local radio, poster and billboards, and even reverse graffitiing.

Making OOH work for your business

With the seemingly endless OOH options, here are our top tips for creating something with a lasting impact:

Rethink Urban Landscapes:
- By utilising high-traffic areas creatively, and implement cutting-edge design and technology, you can transform traditional spaces into interactive showcases.
- Lean into the sustainability movement by incorporating green spaces and nature into your campaign in subtle yet aesthetically pleasing ways, showing off how your brand is committed to environmental causes.
Contextualise or personalise:
- Tailor messages to specific demographics in that location. Consider what your billboard or poster is next to, playing up your surroundings to captivate your audience.
- Align topic of the radio show or podcast with your advert. A strategically placed advert before or after a certain “segment” of radio or podcast show can boost the ad’s effectiveness by tapping into the the existing interests of the podcast listeners.
- Use real-time data for hyper-localised content. Is it a rainy day? Let your DOOH advert reflect that. It’s like having a real-time conversation with your audience, which can peak interest, leading to them taking action.
Integrate digital/social campaigns with OOH for a holistic strategy:
- Using QR codes and near-field communication (NFC) that link to online social media activations will create consistent branding communication across channels.
- Utilise social media handles and hashtags to help create a seamless customer journey from the awareness stage, to consideration, to conversion.
And finally – it’s all about the results and performance tracking:
- Arke can help you implement advanced analytics and attribution models to monitor performance and value of your OOH campaign.
- Through insight and analytics, our expert team can optimise the campaign, ensuring it is the most efficient use of your budget – which is why we are named the UK’s most effective agency.