Data and Technology brings real opportunity to change, improve and disrupt in Out of Home

On Wednesday 21st October we hosted a session titled ‘Data and technology in OOH, what difference does it really make?’ Moderated by Atlas Senior Sales Manager, Kloe Wells, there was a short Keynote by Talon’s CTO, Josko Grljevic, followed by a panel discussion with Adam Pace, Digital Consultant, Sarah Robson, Head of Sales, OnDevice Research, Priyank Gupta, Partner, Sahaj and Maureen Stapleton, International Commerical Lead at Nielsen. The 45 minute session aimed to prompt debate, bust myths and arm attendees with an appetite to embrace OOH in a new way.

Data & Tech Impact in OOH: Expert Insights & Real Differences

Missed out? You can watch the session back here.

When it comes to the digitisation of one the world’s oldest advertising channels, what is the REAL difference that data and technology make?  Our expert panel shared their experiences from the world of Software development, Media, and Measurement and provided a holistic view of the value data & technology brings when it comes to transformation – adding some context to the role Atlas is set to play in transforming programmatic OOH.

Josko kicked things off by discussing how data and technology are now fundamental elements of our everyday lives, from social interactions, shopping, travel, health and so much more – they have all radically changed over the last 30 years or so due to the advances in data and technology. The likes of Google, Facebook, Netflix and Amazon have fundamentally changed behaviour. They did this, in relatively short space of time, and the reason they were able to affect change so quickly was down the amount of data that was available. Data, and having the technology to piece it all together, results in a greater understanding of behaviour, what we’re doing, what we’re going to do in future, and what factors are going to impact on those decisions that we make.

That’s all well good, but what does that have to do with OOH? As an industry, we’ve been going through our own transformation over the last 20 or so years, during which time we’ve had a few hits and as well a few misses. Ultimately, the goal for OOH transformation is to streamline OOH by reducing complexities and manual processes. OOH is a complex medium, our goal at Talon is to demistify the industry by creating tools and technologies which adds value, insight and ultimately reduce the barriers to entry for OOH.

The panel then discussed how ultimately, data and technology are key to transforming industries and making them future fit and competitive, today if you do not have data and technology as part of your strategy you will fall behind. It means creating a strategy and culture where you are always thinking ahead. That you are considering what data and technology are you building now, and how are to make what you are building future fit and adaptable.

Nielsen’s Maureen Stapleton discussed how Covid has accelerated the amount of data being collected and technology is needed to process this to make sense of it and activate it. Data capture & processing requires constant reviewing and improvement. What we are looking to achieve out of all this, is to create a more comprehensive 360-degree view of consumers which in turn drives better outcomes for brands.

From Sarah Robson at On Device discussed the research that we have done which found that when brands undertake an omnichannel approach and OOH is used in conjunction with mobile there is a +17% increase in effectiveness for those exposed to OOH & mobile. Data is proving there is a real synergy created through an omnichannel approach, and how this type of strategy drives effectiveness.

Sahaj’s Priyank Gupta outlined how the key to getting data and technology transformation right, businesses must embrace culture of curiosity, asking questions with authentic and honest working practices. Data must make sense from a business point of view – what does the client want, and how can we use the data we have to address these challenges.

At Talon it is about using data to help us best respond and adapt to client needs. This is a continual process, as we know after a year that’s seen notable change and upheaval, the need for an agile approach has never been more prevalent.

The opportunities of evolving data, improved technology with platforms like Atlas mean there is an amazing opportunity for us to provide seamless audience experience with a truly omnichannel approach that ultimately works to help clients and solve their needs.