Author: Alex Wilson, Manager, Content + Strategy, Regdon

Now is the perfect time to invest in Out-of-Home (OOH) marketing for your business.

Some of you may now be screaming silently at your magazine or tablet thinking two things: 1) Ooh what the heck is OOH? and 2) The world has gone digital – why on earth would I want to advertise outside? The answer to both is about getting back in front of your audience – particularly at a time when we are all craving the freedom of mobility, of venturing back out into the world with a new-found appreciation of the people, places, and occasions that bring us together.

So what is OOH advertising or marketing?

Generally, OOH refers to digital or static signage out in the “real world”, integrated into the physical landscape.

In terms of format, it’s the roadside billboards you drive by on your daily commute, the ads on the inside and exterior of public transportation, and the ones you notice when you arrive at your destination. It’s the signage in large, high-traffic public places like malls, campuses, and airports, and those on benches and bus shelters scattered across the city.

Strategically, it’s the unavoidable signal that something interesting, important, convenient, (or delicious!) is coming up on the path ahead. It’s the timely reminder to pick something up on the way home. It’s the curious flash image that triggers an online search and website view. It’s the friendly, knowledgeable face of a local expert proudly serving the needs of the community. It’s the precise tidbit of information you needed in exactly the right place, at exactly the right time.

Reasons to believe in OOH.

Out-of-home advertising allows you to get IN FRONT of your audience. Instead of chasing after potential customers online, or waiting to be discovered in a search (fingers-crossed!), OOH positions your brand at the heart of tangible, measurable, and predictable communities and traffic flows. Forget about “generating” traffic, OOH puts you in the middle of traffic – literally. The reality is tens of thousands of views a day, from day one.

Anthropology of Attention.

A huge part of the success of out-of-home marketing comes from the ability to engage your audience while they are in transit. When we leave behind the comfort and security of home, we inevitably pay more attention to our surroundings – continually scanning our environment for risks, opportunities, inspiration, and advantages, as we plan our next move. It’s built into our DNA! Traveling kicks our survival instincts into full gear making anything you put in our path almost unmissable! Even if it all happens within a split second, our minds will register, assess, an absorb any relevant and useful information to help us along our way.

So what does this mean for your brand? Get it out of the house and let it breathe again – it will do you both a lot of good ;-).

Always happy to chat marketing, branding, strategy and anthropology. Reach out anytime! alex@regdon.com

About the Author

Mississauga Board of Trade