Moving forward, advertisers should be putting creative at the forefront of their OOH marketing campaigns.
What we’re seeing now—which has been one of the core pillars to driving adoption in the programmatic digital out-of-home (pDOOH) space—is it’s given marketers the opportunity to use one set of data, one definition of data, and apply it across the channels they want to include in their marketing efforts, with OOH being one of them. Therefore, it’s really important for them to have the opportunity to establish some continuity, to provide a better understanding of the audiences they’re targeting, and to bring a consolidated viewpoint that’s being powered by a data source they trust.
SMC: How will recent technological advancements and consumer behaviours influence the advertising landscape in 2024? What strategies should marketers adopt to stay ahead in this dynamic environment?
SM: The exciting thing about technology is it means we’re changing. If it continues to evolve, particularly in the OOH space, it means we’re doing something right. A number of different companies and partners are all adding benefits to the digital out-of-home (DOOH) space and the OOH space to help enhance it. What will continue is the use of data and measurement, along with the constant advancements in how creative can speak to the channel. Marketers won’t shy away from leaning into some of the technologies they’re currently using, but they will want to have an ongoing basis which allows them to understand if the dollars they’re investing into their channels are effective, where they’re going from a transparency standpoint, and measure through quantifiable results whether their investments are moving the needle on the back end. The idea of a siloed, channelled approach is almost antiquated, and it’s not a representation of what marketers are looking to do—which is bring more of an omnichannel lens to how they think of their consumers, and make sure they have the right tools at their disposal to better reach them, talk to them, and try to hit their KPIs.
SMC: Targeting was a key focus in the advertising sphere last year, including weather-based and location-specific targeting. Will it continue in 2024?
SM: Absolutely. It really plays into the ability to reach consumers in the most effective means. If you think of OOH’s role and the approach we take to it—which is helping marketers continue to bring the benefits they’ve seen from the online space, from a data and a targeting perspective, and translating it to extend into OOH—it’s still one of the most effective ways to understand who your audiences are and how you can reach them more effectively.
SMC: Is there anything else you would like to add regarding the changing landscape of the advertising industry, or how today’s trends will carry throughout the year and beyond?
SM: If the core capabilities of OOH and pDOOH are automation, data, and measurement, the next iteration is the creative canvas and allowing marketers to put creative at the forefront of their OOH marketing campaigns, which is going to be really important. Another key focus is removing the siloed approach that hasn’t really enabled them to take full advantage of software and instead promoting an omnichannel approach, where OOH can now be included to work in conjunction with their other plans.
