Out of Home Advertising Trends You Need to Try Now
Trends in the media also impact trends in the marketing world. The main goal of any marketing campaign is to make the biggest impact on the targeted audience and reach the brand’s short term and long-term goals. Since billboards are located in public locations, visibility in high-traffic areas practically guarantees that new customers will be reached.
Digital out-of-home advertising is becoming a popular strategy used by marketing teams because it combines the traditional method with modern distribution for maximum effectiveness. Digitally-driven out-of-home ads are harder to miss, which makes a broader audience reach possible.
Here, we’ll take a look at some of the hottest trends in out-of-home advertising and how marketers can leverage these trends to their advantage.
Digital Billboards
A digital billboard is similar to a traditional billboard. One of the biggest differences between the two is that a digital billboard serves as a television screen and supports full-length commercials or more interactive ads.
Getting an ad up and running on a traditional billboard can take time to print, transport, and set up, but a digital billboard can be uploaded at any time once it’s complete. These ads can also easily be updated to be of-the-moment. This increases the chances that a customer will visit a website or physical location if the ad was compelling.
Although one of the most popular forms of out-of-home marketing is billboards, there are also other options. Gas stations, shopping centers, and bus stops are some of the more common outside ads available. It’s also common for marketing professionals to use more than one method for advertising. Combining marketing strategies maximizes traffic and viewability. The more people who see an ad, the more money the business can presumably make.
Location-Based Marketing
Using the power of geo-location and GPS technology, location-based marketing is set to make a major impact in the world of advertising. Many businesses still use a locality-based direct mail strategy because quite simply, it is effective. While that method is still relevant in the marketing world, these businesses may not realize that people’s expectations are rapidly changing.
People may change their addresses, but they almost always have their phones with them. Additionally, these days, most consumers prefer paperless delivery methods compared to receiving so-called “junk mail” advertisements. When businesses fail to offer paperless options, they undoubtedly lose important customer segments. It’s easy to forget about a business that you don’t see in your email every day.
Location-based marketing helps businesses make sure that they are always getting their message across to new consumers, and also serves as a clever way to keep up with their loyal customers. Utilizing location-based marketing strategies also provides businesses with crucial information, like where the majority of their target consumers work, shop, or live.
Smart Cities Campaigns
The term “smart city” is relatively new, so most consumers have probably never heard it. A smart city can make living in the city more comfortable and easier to maneuver. Smart cities use IoT (internet of things) sensors to receive data that can make day-to-day tasks easier for residents and visitors. Smart cities work in much the same way as the navigation apps that are installed on most smartphones. However, they take navigation a step further by allowing people to do things like reserve parking or request a ride.
Being ahead of this trend can provide marketing strategists with the opportunity to do even more outside advertising because these areas are heavily populated and well connected. Advertising methods like digital billboards are more effective in smart cities because these marketing tools are easy to customize with what’s happening around the target audience.
Digital ads increase marketing effectiveness, and the more interactive an ad is, the greater likelihood that traffic to an app or a website will increase, if the ad is deployed correctly. The overarching goal of a smart city is to make city life easier, so businesses can leverage this trend to reach a new market.
The Future Looks Bright for Out-of-Home Advertising
Out-of-home marketing will always be a go-to method for marketing campaigns. As long as professional marketers can keep up with the growing trend of technology-powered ads, they will continue to business growth and increased brand awareness.
Through the strategic use of technology and location, businesses can gain the most from their audiences. Consumers will also be happier knowing companies are making it easier for them to access the products and services they love.
