Upcoming Trends In Programmatic Out-Of-Home (OOH) Advertising

From posting a parchment flyer on a lamp post in the 1700s to large digital 4K billboards in front of airports today, the use of Out of Home advertising has always been prevalent. While digital OOH has been growing significantly over the past five years, it seems that 2021 will be a year of significant trends and changes. Digital OOH is any outdoor advertising that is dynamic, digital, and programmable.

Some of these changes have to do with the Covid-19 pandemic, which has left many industries forever altered, including marketing. After spending the better part of a year largely indoors, as people start to venture out again they will see new digital forms of advertising out in the real world instead of just on the screens in their homes. 

Increased Ad Spend On OOH In 2021 And Beyond

By 2021 we will see a 19.2% rise in ad spend in digital out-of-home marketing. It will become a $3.84 billion dollar market by 2023. The number of outdoor displays that are going digital is rapidly increasing each year. Digital billboards are the most common, with close to 10,000 across the US. While it was once used only for broad branding, it is now becoming increasingly data-driven and direct-to-consumer. 

The Use Of Storytelling In Digital Out-Of-Home (DOOH) Advertising 

With moving billboards, monitors, and projectors as the hardware, OOH advertising no longer has to rely on a single repetitive message or image. Ads can now harness the power of storytelling to sell products and services that are character-driven and filled with emotion. Some of these short-form digital stories are even released in parts, leaving consumers waiting for the next snippet of the story. This caters to the newer generation of consumers who are largely unmoved by general ads and seek a more personalized ad experience. 

Programmatic OOH Is Getting Smarter 

Using a mix of sensors, facial recognition, and AI learning, digital OOH is now becoming more dynamic than ever. It can literally change depending on how consumers interact with it. It can also connect to smartphones and integrate with apps consumers use. They could also soon be using virtual and augmented reality for a somewhat total immersion experience. This same technology is also busy collecting data that will drive advertising choices to come and make marketing more effective. 

Placements Of Digital OOH Advertisements

Large billboards are eye-catching, but you’re seeing these digital OOH ads popping up more and more in busy areas and being integrated into novel settings. You could see standing monitors in parks and playgrounds, shopping centers, and outside large venues like movie theaters and airports. They are becoming more common in shopping and waiting areas. Even large empty walls could become programmatic advertisements with the use of projectors. 

Outdoor marketing needs to enhance the consumer’s experience, not be obtrusive. So you will see these OOH advertisements blending in with the surroundings or serving a useful purpose as well as entertaining and marketing. New, more colorful, high resolution advertisements will help a restless society whose become numb to some forms of media ads find something in common with brands again. 

If you are ready to put together full-stack advertising programs, EKN has the process, people and technology to make it happen.  Let’s Talk!