Out of Home Caters to Singles

By Norm Chait, Director of Out of home Product and Sales at Ubimo, a Quotient Brand.

Norm Chait, Director of Out-of-Home Product/Sales, Ubimo, a quotients brand.

Vaccinations are increasing steadily with the warmer temperature—and with more Americans getting vaccinated and getting back outside every day, it’s becoming apparent that we’re at the cusp of a “hot vax summer.” People who are single are ready to mingle and couples are excited to rekindle beloved date nights.

Advertisers can skillfully leverage out-of-home (OOH) advertising to get in front of these consumers while making their brand stand out.

The State of DOOH 

While many consumers limited their time outside the house at the height of the pandemic, Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) was still there to help brands get in front of consumers, 90% of whom were still making at least one shopping trip per week.

During the peak of the pandemic, DOOH demonstrated its agility and power as brands discovered they could update, change or turn a campaign on or off in response to changing COVID-19 mandates—just like their other digital campaigns. Over a year later, and with over 117 million Americans vaccinated, DOOH is making a big comeback. As more of the American population continues to get the vaccine, brands are amping up DOOH advertising spend as their consumers are heading back outside and meeting up with others.

Meeting Consumers Where They Are

For brands to engage consumers where they are, they need to understand precisely how to use DOOH advertising to its fullest. When talking about DOOH, many people think of traditional billboards; however, DOOH also encompasses gyms, grocery stores and places of travel like airports and gas stations. With vaccinated consumers eager to get outside, meet new people and shop for events this summer, brands are starting to expand their advertising to match the customer journey.

Mask mandates are being relaxed and appearance is being re-prioritized. Brands that cater to singles (including dating services, consumer packaged goods (CPGs) or health and beauty brands) or couples (who are probably seeking new outfits in preparation for date night) have a unique opportunity to approach consumers in a new way ahead of date night. If people are trying to meet someone special on a dating app, buy trendy food for a picnic or the newest clothes for a weekend adventure, brands must recognize the importance of knowing where to reach their target consumer.

According to our dashboard, malls and restaurants have increased movement as consumers have already begun shopping and setting dinner reservation plans. Consumers are returning to their offices, salons, bars and other public venues. DOOH is welcome reprieve from the 15+ months of screen fatigue and allows for brands to monitor movement patterns and respond accordingly. As more businesses return to pre-COVID operating hours and shoppers’ movement patterns change, our dashboard shows which DMAs are trending with higher outdoor movement with both roadside formats as well as venues like gyms, bars and more.

DOOH as Part of an Omnichannel Campaign

For today’s consumer, the OOH customer journey is only a part of the equation; savvy advertisers need to ensure their DOOH campaigns are integrated across the entire digital and physical experience.

While OOH was once considered a top-of-funnel approach, technology innovations and use in conjunction with other channels have positioned DOOH as a more full-funnel strategic opportunity. For instance, OOH advertising can pique consumer interest through a billboard on the highway, while further down the funnel, DOOH can reach shoppers onsite at the grocery shelves where shopper intent is highest. OOH also works in tandem with other omnichannel capabilities like display or banner ads on retailer performance platforms which broaden awareness, social influencers which drive consideration of a product, digital promotions that drive conversions and more.

With DOOH, brands now have the capacity to connect the dots and leverage data and insights across an entire campaign to help shape both targeting and creative to ensure a cohesive message.

With this summer approaching, we can expect to see brands coming out in full force to leverage their new agile DOOH campaigns.

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