Why are marketers placing their bets on DOOH in 2020?

Marketing spend on digital out of home advertising (DOOH) is expected to grow by over 10% annually between 2018 and 2021. In fact, digitals share in the total global OOH ad spend is expected to rise to nearly 40%. These are some staggering numbers. In fact, in our own engagements with agency partners and brands, we have only seen DOOH taking more and more mindshare over the last couple of years.
DOOH is all set to go mainstream in 2020. Why, you ask? Because it scores over other channels in some very significant ways and delivers exactly the outcomes that marketers need in 2020.

Here are five reasons marketers will allocate significant ad spends to DOOH in 2020

1. DOOH enables dynamic creative optimization in the OOH environment

Not only does DOOH enable creative optimization and contextualization in the OOH environment, but it also allows it to happen at a rapid pace. Traditional billboards used to take weeks to change, but DOOH delivers it within minutes, thanks to its digital capabilities. From weather to sports event results, footfall patterns to promotions, just about any significant can trigger creative optimization on an ongoing basis, even several times during a day.  

2. Omnichannel impact for an omnichannel world

DOOH gives marketers better capabilities in omnichannel amplification, i.e. running coordinated out of home and digital campaigns. According to Nielsen, OOH is the most effective in driving online engagements like search and social. Xaxis further found that consumers exposed to DOOH in an omnichannel campaign were more likely to engage with the brand on mobile, while also increasing reach by up to 303% when added to mobile or web messaging.

3. DOOH reduces ad waste

With physical world consumers always on the move, brand marketers reliance on OOH has continued unabated despite digital and other opportunities.  However much of it has taken the approach of casting the net wide. This just doesn't work in the times of hyper-targeting, and audience targeting strategy continues to by and large depend on demographics. DOOH, with its digital and creative optimization capabilities combined with real world intelligence, allows brands to address the exact audience in the vicinity at the exact time they are most likely to not only view the ad but also act on it.

4. DOOH opens up stronger attribution and measurement capabilities

Todays CMOs demand business outcomes and metrics that mean business instead of the same old OOH metrics such as potential views. Real world intelligence makes it possible to attribute store footfalls and even online purchases to DOOH exposures. This is one of the most critical and effective outcomes of DOOH combined with real world intelligence that is making marketers consider increased spending on DOOH in 2020.

5. DOOH counters the challenges of digital advertising

Even as DOOH brings digital-like possibilities such as hyper-targeting and contextualization, retargeting, interactive advertising, it also simultaneously removes the known barriers of digital. There are no ad blockers in DOOH. It can continue to exist unabated in a cookie-less world. Viewers cant skip DOOH ads. Brand safety is by and large ensured in DOOH because brands have more power and control on site selection. But most importantly, the billion-dollar organized crime that is ad fraud is yet to hamper DOOH in ways that it has affected online display advertising.

Clearly, DOOH is scoring over several other channels in todays advertising landscape, including not only OOH but also digital. Combined with real world intelligence, the powers of DOOH only promise to increase. It is little surprise then that marketers around the world, including our own customers, are considering larger spending on DOOH in 2020. Exciting times ahead!