In a compelling panel discussion titled "Measuring the World: The Pace Quickens" at the WOO Global Congress in Hong Kong with Media4Growth as its media partner, industry leaders from various countries shared their insights on the complexities and advancements in third-party data measurement. The panel, moderated by Gideon Adey, CEO of Gurooh, had as panel speakers Denise Turner, Chief Executive of ROUTE; Pawan Bansal, Chairman Indian Outdoor Advertising Association (IOAA); Mats Rönne, Chairman of the Outdoor Committee, Outdoor Impact, Sweden; and Charles Perry-Okeden, Independent Chair, Outdoor Media Association (OMA) and MOVE, Australia.

The session kicked off with an introduction to the panelists and their respective backgrounds. Denise Turner, who heads ROUTE, an out-of-home audience measurement service in the UK, emphasised upon the intricacies involved in the metrics’ operations. Despite her extensive experience in agencies, publishing, and marketing, she acknowledged the unique challenges in measuring OOH audiences. She highlighted ROUTE's commitment to expanding coverage to Northern Ireland, reflecting her dedication to comprehensive data collection.

Pawan Bansal provided a glimpse into India's vast and diverse market. He laid emphasis on the importance of scalable and affordable models to measure the 1.4 billion audience more definitively. He also highlighted the use of mobile data as a starting point, noting the complexities of ensuring data reliability and representativeness.

Mats Rönne from Sweden shared insights into the country's long-standing tradition of public data availability. He emphasised the importance of transparency and the need to measure people rather than devices. Rönne highlighted Sweden's robust system that integrates various data sources to ensure accuracy and reliability in audience measurement.

Charles Perry-Okeden provided an in-depth look at Australia's MOVE 2.0, a revolutionary advancement in audience measurement. MOVE 2.0, developed over five years, integrates over 100 data sources, creating a sophisticated activity-based model. This model tracks individuals' travel behaviour and calibrates the data with numerous datasets to provide a comprehensive view of audience movements. Charles stressed upon the importance of making complex data accessible and trustworthy, a sentiment echoed by other panelists.

Challenges and Innovations in Data Measurement

The discussion delved into the challenges of integrating multiple data sources. Denise pointed out that layering data correctly is crucial to avoid destabilising the entire measurement system. Transparency and rigorous evaluation of data sets are vital to maintaining the integrity of the measurement process.

Pawan explained India's method of cleaning mobile data to ensure it accurately represents the population. By dividing India into millions of hexagons, they track mobile movements to create a reliable panel. This meticulous process highlights the challenges of using mobile data as a primary source.

Role of Sensor Data‍

Sensor data was another critical topic discussed. Denise spoke about ROUTE's ongoing tests with various sensors to enhance volume counts and make data more contemporary. The sensors' ability to provide real-time data could revolutionise audience measurement, although the variability in sensor performance necessitates thorough testing and validation.

Charles discussed how MOVE 2.0 uses sensor data to calibrate volume counts and temporal profiles in environments like malls and airports. This integration helps create a more granular and accurate picture of audience behaviour.

Concluding Thoughts

The panel concluded with a consensus on the importance of transparency, trust, and collaboration in the evolving landscape of audience measurement. By incorporating diverse data sources and ensuring rigorous validation processes, the industry can provide reliable and actionable insights for media owners and advertisers alike.

As the world becomes increasingly data-driven, discussions like these underscore the necessity of continuous innovation and adaptation in audience measurement methodologies. The pace is indeed quickening, and the industry's leaders are at the forefront, navigating the complexities to deliver precise and trustworthy data.

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This week, the OAAA released compelling findings from a survey conducted by The Harris Poll on the efficacy of digital out of home (DOOH) advertising, showcasing its unparalleled ability to engage consumers. The study found a staggering 73% of consumers view DOOH ads favorably. Most notably, consumers ranked DOOH as the medium that would most drive them to take action, as 76% of recent DOOH ad viewers noted they had taken action because of a DOOH ad.
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“Digital out of home not only captures consumers’ attention but also drives meaningful actions making it an indispensable tool for marketers seeking to engage and influence consumers,” said Anna Bager, President & CEO, OAAA. “Marketers are increasingly seeing the value of DOOH, and it is reflected in the growth DOOH is seeing. In fact, one-third of all OOH spend in 2023 was directed to DOOH and it is projected to grow another 10% this year alone. These survey results underscore the power of DOOH, which should keep it in the forefront of the marketing mix.”

Consumers Prefer and Take Action From DOOH
The study found that DOOH has emerged as the favored and most motivating medium for advertising when compared to competitive media, particularly among younger generations and urban dwellers, as well as those utilizing transit.

“Our findings show DOOH is a highly effective advertising medium that can be both striking and shareable,” says John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll. “DOOH’s ability to drive consumers to take action is apparent, but when DOOH ad concepts are executed well, it can have a second life on social platforms as shareable content.”

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An overwhelming 73% of consumers expressed a favorable view of DOOH ads, significantly surpassing other forms of ad media, such as television/video (50%), social media (48%), online (37%), audio (32%), and print (31%). In addition, the study found that 80% of consumers are likely to take action after seeing DOOH ad content they deem entertaining (creative, clever, or humorous) or visually appealing (vibrant or bold). Similarly, 71% reported a likelihood to share DOOH ads that feature their favorite products or brands.

Notably, DOOH demonstrated its potency in driving consumer action, with 76% of respondents indicating that DOOH ads had recently prompted them to take action. The most frequent actions generated by DOOH ads included: watching video programming (38%), restaurant visitation (36%), in-store purchasing (30%), word-of-mouth conversations (30%), and store visitation (29%).

Furthermore, the study illuminated the symbiotic relationship between DOOH and mobile. It found that an astounding 74% of mobile device users reported taking action on their mobile devices following recent exposure to DOOH ads, with actions ranging from online searches about advertisers (44%) to direct visits to advertiser websites (38%) and social media platforms (30%).

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DOOH Increases Store Traffic and Impacts Purchasing Decisions
As businesses seek innovative ways to stand out in a competitive marketplace, The Harris Poll study found that directional DOOH advertising offers a clear pathway to increased foot traffic, heightened brand visibility, enhanced customer engagement, and increased sales.
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The study found that 30% of consumers have recently noticed such ads providing directions to businesses, and a significant 51% of those who noticed directional DOOH ads subsequently visited the advertised business. More strikingly, of those who visited the business after noticing a directional DOOH ad, an overwhelming 93% completed a purchase, highlighting the tangible business outcomes generated by DOOH ads.

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An Overwhelming Majority of Consumers Find Contextual DOOH Useful
The study uncovered that dynamic ad content featuring product deals or offers, such as those tailored to current weather conditions or time-specific discounts, are instrumental in capturing consumer attention and spurring action.
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A remarkable 86% of consumers rate ads with special deals on groceries as useful, while 84% of consumers deem the same for ads featuring special deals at restaurants. Weather-responsive advertising also emerges as a game-changer, with 81% of respondents finding ads with product offers related to current weather conditions, like temperature or precipitation, highly relevant and useful.
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Furthermore, time-sensitive promotions resonate strongly with consumers, with 80% rating ads featuring time-specific offers on food menus and beverages, or special deals on clothing, shoes, or accessories, as useful.

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“Dynamic DOOH advertising represents a paradigm shift in the way brands connect with consumers, offering unparalleled flexibility and relevance,” said Bager. “By delivering hyper-targeted contextual messaging that aligns with consumers’ interests and needs, advertisers can create immersive experiences that resonate deeply and drive tangible results, all while leveraging the power of location to enhance engagement and deliver messages in precisely the right place at the right time.”

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New findings from a study looking into the impact of OOH on attention reveal that participants’ attention increased with each exposure to a specific ad.

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The study from Group M, OOH, Lumen and media owners, found that just three seconds of attention led to a 26% increase in metrics such as brand recognition across five household brands measured.

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Longer amounts of attention were also critical for driving lower-funnel metrics (directed at those who show potential to buy), such as consideration, which saw a 6% increase after three seconds.

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In order to conduct the test, Lumen used cutting edge eye-tracking technology on a representative sample of 900 UK adults.

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“This research not only enriches our understanding of attention dynamics in OOH but also provides actionable insights to optimise campaign strategies and drive tangible results for brands looking to enhance campaigns right through the sales funnel,” said GroupM OOH insights director Sarah Harding.

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In the study, participants were immersed in video simulations of bustling environments like Birmingham’s Bullring shopping centre and London’s Liverpool Street Station, before being exposed to varying frequencies of OOH adverts.

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Planners can utilise the findings by selecting the right combination of formats and strategy, and changing creative to suit different OOH environments.

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Creatives are then able to leverage the insights to further improve effectiveness by implementing small but impactful adjustments, for example by packaging messaging into easily digestible chunks, using contrasting colours or incorporating elements like subtle motion.

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The report also recommends incorporating 3D, interactive or longer copy in order to aid brand storytelling. “Lumen’s mission is to turn attention into action,” said Lumen managing director Mike Follett.

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“We were excited to take part in this ground-breaking study that brings frequency into play for the first time to understand the impact multiple ad exposures has on metrics, memory and – most important – purchase intent.”

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Myth: Outdoor advertising is tired, stagnant and archaic.
Fact: It’s one of the most dynamic ways of reaching your target audience.

Here’s why:
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→ Real-time content updates: Show me another advertising model that can detect weather patterns, audience demographics, foot traffic - and then adjust the content accordingly in real time.

→ Dynamic, interactive, creative: DOOH screens offer dynamic creative capabilities, which in turn offers marketers the freedom to play with new mediums and formats.

→ Data driven messaging: DOOH is sensitive to its surroundings and audience. I recently posted about how Tesco used DOOH during the month of Ramadan to target and celebrate its Muslim customers (genius!)

Still not convinced? Send us a message and let's chat.

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📈 Increases consumer exposure.

→ Digital out-of-home (DOOH) is a direct, measurable way to reach a wide network of people in a very short span of time.

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📈 Enhances engagement.

→ DOOH content can be mind-blowing. It can offer interactive experiences to drive engagement.

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📈 Targeted advertising.

→ Data-driven tech allows your digital OOH billboard to deliver targeted messages to the right audience at the right time and place.

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📈 Flexible and scalable.

→ DOOH campaigns can be quickly adjusted, making it an easy channel to tailor to any brand.

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📈 Tracking and analytics.

→ The tracking and analytics capabilities of DOOH advertisements are second to none. They provide key insights, enhancing and improving future campaigns.

Dynamic and Live content has become a significant trend in out-of-home advertising. Digital technology and new opportunities for data integration have enabled more creative and contextually relevant ad campaigns that help brands become active social participants. However, what sets live content within out-of-home advertising apart from other media options?

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ALWAYS LIVE.

Live streaming and live content can take various forms, such as live sports scores, social media feeds, and interactive video streaming. This type of live Out-Of-Home (OOH) messaging has become a powerful tool for brands to establish a connection and interact with their audience in real time.

With the availability of live streaming options and the increasing broadcasting capabilities of social media platforms, user-generated content has become a crucial component of live advertising. Brands prefer OOH to broadcast such content, as it helps them to establish a presence in the daily lives of their audience when they are out and about.

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THOUGHTFUL USER-GENERATED CONTENT

Live out-of-home (OOH) content and user-generated content complement each other perfectly. OOH campaigns are famous for their exceptional ability to build brand recognition and fame. By allowing consumers to showcase themselves on a billboard, campaigns establish authentic consumer connections and seamlessly integrate themselves into the lives of their target audience. From the participant's and the audience's perspectives, featuring real people live in a campaign promotes brand trust and generates organic social media coverage that can make a campaign go viral.

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_{An excellent example of this is adidas takingover The Triple Crown with its “I’m Possible” user-generated content (UGC) campaign. Through social media, adidas invited women to share photos of what sports means to them, along with their stories of turning the impossible into possible every day.Every post shared, irrespective of the sport, was turned into billboards across the city in real-time, with the centrepiece being The Triple Crown on Sheikh Zayed Road. The billboards, in return, became countless pieces of social content, starting conversations about making sports more inclusive.}

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FROM ADVERTISING TO REAL-TIME CONVERSATIONS

Many of us are more connected than ever; therefore, we expect immediate communication and instant gratification. However, even with all this technology, physical experiences still make a more lasting impression. Out-of-home (OOH) advertising is a familiar presence in the daily lives of urban consumers. Brands can go beyond typical advertising goals of raising awareness, amplifying a brand message or building interaction by integrating live content in their OOH communication. They can start a conversation with their audience, creating a more natural, human dialogue in the moment.

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A FLEXIBLE MEDIUM THAT BUILDS TRUST

OOH (Out-of-Home) advertising has traditionally been considered a relatively inflexible medium. However, with the advent of digitisation, brands can now be reactive and proactive. By creating educational, informational, or entertaining campaigns, live content allows brands and consumers to be in sync. Advertisers can display content tailored to the audience's time, place, and mood, demonstrating an understanding of their needs. When a brand understands the audience's needs, it fosters deeper connections and trust among consumers.

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REAL-TIME DATA INTEGRATION

Data integration in Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising can provide seamless, real-time updates to cater to the audience's requirements. It includes live dynamic content such as moderated social media feeds, sports scores, or current browser search trends. This type of content helps the brand to be more helpful and in sync with the audience's interests.

THE FUTURE BRAND COMMUNICATION

As younger generations make up a more significant portion of the consumer market, they expect more from brand messaging. Specifically, they will desire instantaneous, current, and genuine audio-visual content. Fortunately, the platform for delivering such contextual, in-the-moment campaigns is ready for mass rollout. This is due to the widespread availability of content-ready digital panels and cost-effective OOH data integration. The success of these campaigns now depends on advertisers' creativity and awareness of consumer needs.

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At BackLite Media we have an ecosystem of partners and data sources that enables us to create dynamic content campaigns and make your brands stand out. Our Digital Out-of-Home Network comprises over 400 outdoor and in-mall screens that allow you to target audiences with different demographics. We have the capability to set triggers and personalise your campaign based on your objectives to ensure that you get the best results possible.

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Contact us today to learn more about our services.

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Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising is undergoing a significant transformation driven by advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), which are revolutionising advertising experiences and how consumers interact and engage with brands, in a new way, than ever before, to create personalised, impactful, and highly effective campaigns.

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Here’s why I’m super excited to see what AI can bring to the world of DOOH →

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🤖 Audience analytics and targeting: AI tech, like facial detection and computer vision, helps advertisers analyse audience demographics, so that they can create more specific, targeted campaigns.

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🤖 Contextual relevance: AI analyses contextual information, like time of day, location and even foot traffic, to adapt and enhance the DOOH advert in order to maximise reach and engagement.

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🤖 Predictive analytics: AI algorithms can predict trends and patterns in audience behaviour, helping advertisers anticipate when, and where certain audiences will be present.

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🤖 Integration AI: can integrate with other tech to create interactive experiences. Sensors and cameras enable gesture recognition, allowing audiences to physically interact without physical contact.

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🤖 Content optimisation: AI algorithms analyse real-time data, like weather conditions and traffic patterns to adjust content on billboards.

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What are you excited to see change in DOOH with the advent of AI?

The proliferation of digital in out-of-home (OOH) advertising across the globe has driven the need for data. Reliable data has driven the ability to plan and buy digital OOH (DOOH) by impressions. The ability to plan and buy by impressions has driven the growth of programmatic DOOH.

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But where are we, the UAE, in this timeline? Well, we’re at the start, the middle and the end at the same time. The proliferation of digital in OOH across the globe has driven the need for data. There has been a boom across the globe in LED conversions and builds, driven mainly by the UK and Australia, with 59 per cent and 56 per cent respectively of the total out of home revenue attributed in those markets to digital, according to PWC’s estimates. In comparison, in the UAE only 11 per cent of the overall outdoor spend is represented by digital, according to Ipsos.

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Clive Humby coined the phrase, “data is the new oil”, and although we’re in the Middle East, the phrase is still relevant when analysing the growth of audience-led, data-driven OOH campaigns. Data alone isn’t the answer, though. Like oil, if unrefined it can’t be used; it needs to be broken down and analysed for it to have value. Right now, data is still in its infancy in the UAE, but there are many new companies offering solutions, with different and alternative systems for measurement and aggregation.

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Reliable data has driven the ability to plan and buy DOOH by impressions. With the increased availability of data and the launch of our new Digital Icons on Sheikh Zayed Road, we have seen a surge in dialogue around impressions-based, audience-first campaigns. The ability to pick the hours of activation, to target a specific moment in time, to react to external factors has piqued the interest of many clients and agencies. Only through the use of digital can you bring these campaigns to life. The leading example of data use so far this year was the campaign for YSL – Libre, using Sheikh Zayed Road, targeting specific hours of the day to capture an affluent retail audience outside of the peak commuter hours. This campaign was activated programmatically by The Trade Desk, via Broadsign Reach.

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The ability to plan and buy by impressions has driven the growth of programmatic DOOH. With the launch of The Triple Crown – three prominent digital billboards on Sheikh Zayed Road near Mall of the Emirates – we have seen an unprecedented rise in demand for digital, but the requests and activations can still be very linear. To truly take advantage of this great product, we need to see more dynamic campaigns activated with a more audience-first mentality. Of course, OOH will always be a one-to-many mass audience solution but the more relevant the message, the more effective your message will be.

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For programmatic out-of-home to truly flourish in this market we need to define the currency; we need to establish one data source as the benchmark for the region. With BackLite Intelligence, we aggregate data from multiple sources then analyse it with custom algorithms, generating insights around traffic flows and audience demographics, to ensure a transparent and robust measurement. Still, this solution is only available for BackLite customers; for the wider industry to adopt programmatic DOOH there needs to be greater collaboration. Programmatic DOOH is still at its infancy and will evolve alongside technology and data measurement to realise its true potential.
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OVER EID THIS YEAR, WE WITNESSED A HUGE INCREASE IN MALL VISITORS.

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Festival City Mall, Dubai saw a massive jump, with an enormous total of 4.7 million impressions over the Eid weekend, and a peak of nearly 1.2 million impressions on Friday 14th  May. This was 233% higher than the peak for Q1 and 391% higher than the Q1 average, making them the most impressive stats of 2021 so far.