OOH on the Advertising Week New York Confab Agenda: Perspectives on a Transformed Medium

OOH at Advertising Week New York: Perspectives on a Transformed Medium

Advertising Week New York was an action-packed week of IRL experiences that generated plenty of thought-provoking ideas, predictions, and a strong representation of the OOH medium. Among the prevalent topics were how omnichannel brands and agencies are increasingly harnessing the power of OOH to unlock brand reach and impact that drive results across the entire sales funnel.

The Rise of Retail Media on the Path to Purchase

Reaching consumers on the path to purchase has become critical to influencing mindsets and achieving measurable outcomes. Marlow Nickell, CEO of Grocery TV highlighted the advantage of brands who leverage growing in-store retail media networks.

“We’re super excited about the brand reach achievable through in-store retail. The frequency and the environment are unparalleled. The contextual relevance within the trusted community you’re in is unmatched. We’re just getting started with in-store activation and there’s immense untapped potential.”

Equally important to the scale and quality of screens is the use of data to enhance the customer journey with retail media. Aracely Moreno-Mosier, Senior Director, Omnichannel Marketing Head at PepsiCo offered advice to brands who utilize first-party data.

“The path to purchase has evolved, and to navigate it effectively, we should utilize the tools at our disposal today, including first-party data, available communication channels, and other insights to create a win-win for all. If we do this right, I believe it’s a strategy we can carry into the future.”

Marketers are embracing the growing array of DOOH screens to reach consumers throughout daily journeys, while enroute to retailers, and within physical stores. This full-funnel shopper marketing strategy plays a pivotal role on consumer decision making throughout the path to purchase – reaching highly engaged, targetable audiences at scale and delivering tangible business outcomes.

The Role of OOH on the Full Media Mix

In an era of ongoing media fragmentation where fewer individuals engage with local radio or TV, it’s OOH that stands out as an impactful, broadcast medium. As Outfront’s VP of Marketing, Liz Rave explained how OOH distinctively ingrains itself in communities.

“Integrating OOH into neighborhoods creates a truly unique real-life medium that seamlessly becomes a part of the community, almost like a neighbor,” said Rave. “OOH builds trust for digital brands and when you execute it effectively, by getting the creative and location right, it sparks conversations — and what’s better than people talking about your brand.”

OAAA President & CEO, Anna Bager challenged marketers to improve overall performance and effectiveness by embracing the evolution of OOH from a proven brand builder to a full-funnel marketing channel.

“There’s a lot of misconceptions about OOH that I hear almost every day,” said Bager. “It’s a great medium for brand building, it’s great for spectacle, but it’s a little siloed…OOH is much easier to transact these days. It’s definitely more measurable and you can use data in very smart ways.”

Dan Levi, CMO of Clear Channel echoed the importance of rethinking the role of OOH and how marketers are approaching the medium as part of the larger media mix.

“The question revolves around the role that OOH plays and can it perform effectively with other digital channels and social influencers,” said Levi. “How do we make that overall mix work more effectively? Our collaboration is a prime example of how we can not only gauge the impact of exposure to a billboard but also measure its incremental contribution to your business.”

It is increasingly important for marketers to look at the holistic impact of media channels from the lens of a consumer to truly understand what’s shaping a brand’s success. Levi added:  

“Don’t think of OOH or measure it in a silo. There’s not a single consumer on this planet who thinks about media channels – that’s something we, as marketers, do. Think about your consumers holistically and the essential role that OOH plays in driving performance.”

Advanced measurement capabilities have elevated OOH’s role in the omnichannel media mix. No longer a strictly upper-funnel medium, OOH has proven effective at delivering outcomes that include increased levels of awareness, consumer footfall to brick and mortar locations, and both online and offline sales lift. When integrated with 360-degree marketing strategies, OOH has produced a halo effect, positively impacting brand performance by reinforcing a consistent brand message across channels.

Programmatic DOOH Advantage

The growth of DOOH and the ability to transact programmatically will continue to play a role in the advancement and adoption of the medium. During a session that offered an insider perspective on the state of programmatic DOOH, Wade Rifkin, EVP/GM Programmatic at Clear Channel shed light on the convergence trend and the growth occurring.

“The flexibility of programmatic buying, the auction-based model, granular media decisioning, and optimization – these things are not coming down the pike,” explained Rifkin. They’re available today, and they’re doable. This has really cemented the use case for programmatic OOH, particularly when combined with audience data targeting and measurement capabilities that are now table stakes across all channels. These two elements coming together have really accelerated the adoption of programmatic OOH.”

The integration of DOOH inventory within omnichannel DSPs is a crucial step in un-siloing the medium by making it more easily transactable for buyers. Whether tapping into curated inventory packages in a self-serve environment or utilizing a managed service to plan and buy programmatic campaigns, flexible execution paths are increasing the adoption of DOOH.

Natrian Maxwell, GM of Emerging Channels, The Trade Desk shared similar views on the role programmatic DOOH within the omnichannel media mix and the importance of measurement.

“What started off as a silo channel has now become part of a marketing flywheel. It’s a touchpoint for folks who are not watching CTV, aren’t at their computers, or aren’t using mobile devices, but are simply living their lives. In these moments of living life, brands have a unique opportunity to connect with their customers naturally and organically, without being intrusive or disruptive. This is where much of the value of the OOH channel lies, and it’s resonating with brands, advertisers and consumers.” 

“I believe OOH has reached a point where, over the last few years, we’ve made significant strides in achieving parity with other channels like CTV. Now, our focus is on bringing attribution and measurement to the space that aligns with our customers’ requirements and in terms of what they’re doing across their omnichannel campaigns as well.”