OOH wow! A visit to the city of the Future: Dubai
Fiona Renner, Client Director at Talon International, recently went on an exciting trip to Dubai, and discovered the world of Out of Home (OOH) advertising in this region with the Talon MENA team. Her week-long adventure was full of learning, cultural discoveries, and building strong connections.
Exploring the World of OOH Advertising in Dubai with Talon International
Recently, I went to Dubai to visit the Talon MENA team and deepen my understanding of the local market. Here’s a glimpse into my week in Dubai, the insights I gained and why such experiences are essential to thinking outside at Talon.
Exploring the Local Culture and Office Dynamics
Our Dubai office, located in Media City, opened its doors less than two years ago. Arriving just two weeks post-renovation, I found it to be a vibrant and fresh space on the ground floor of Building IV, with lots of amenities like a shared office area, a coffee machine, and big windows that flood the space with natural light. The office is strategically positioned amidst Dubai’s lively media hub, near iconic landmarks like The Palm, and Dubai Marina and among the headquarters of technology and media giants like Google, Microsoft, Meta, BBC, and others.
The team at Talon MENA is as dynamic as the city itself, it includes people from diverse nationalities who bring a rich set of skills and perspectives. I brought a taste of London with me, sharing delicious treats like tea cakes, Penguins, and Biscoff chocolate bars—a small gesture Idid that turned out to be a conversation starter.
The Power of Roadside Advertising
Dubai’s advertising landscape is dominated by roadside billboards, particularly large-format classic locations. The city’s growing digital advertising scene is also making waves with the introduction of many new screens.
One of the striking features of Dubai’s advertising infrastructure is its extensive network of billboards along major streets like Sheikh Zayed Road. This iconic highway sees a daily traffic volume of approximately 800,000 cars during peak seasons, ensuring significant exposure for Out of Home (OOH) ads. Luxury and ultra-luxury advertising on OOH media is prominent in Dubai. This differs from the use of roadside OOH in other cities, and highlights the high socio-economic status of Dubai’s residents.
While I was there, I saw OOH campaigns from brands including Samsung, Louis Vuitton, Roberto Cavali, Huawei, and high-end property development (Damac and Emaar). The OOH locations themselves are massive, some towering up to 16 meters high and one even stretching 200 meters long, perfect for capturing the attention of Dubai’s affluent residents and visitors.
During my visits to various roadside and airport sites, I saw many OOH advertising formats, from dynamic digital screens to traditional back-lit paper sites. Different OOH formats can be used to achieve different marketing objectives and target audiences.
Meeting Clients and Understanding Their Campaign Goals
My time in Dubai included a visit to the Arabian Travel Market Expo, where I gained valuable insights into our clients’ objectives for international OOH campaigns. Meeting clients including Saudi Tourism and Dubai Tourism allowed me to delve deep into their campaign goals, whether it’s raising brand awareness or driving consumer engagement. Understanding their target audiences—whether tourists or local residents— is important in planning our strategies to meet their specific needs.
Visiting Dubai Airport – DXB – with Wissam and Yasmine from JCDecaux
One of the highlights of my trip was having exclusive access to Dubai Airport’s terminals, including T1 and T3. As an international travel hub, Dubai Airport serves millions of passengers annually, each terminal is designed to meet the unique requirements of different airlines and travelers. T1 serves all other international airlines and is the busiest terminal due to the high volume of layovers and transit flights, T2 accomodates low-cost airlines and cargo, T3 is exclusively for Emirates Airlines. It was nice to see how brands utilize airport advertising to reach a captive audience of global travellers. And what made this day better was the tasty lunch that followed our visit to one of the most renowned Lebanese restaurants.
Words I learned
Arabic and its dialects are spoken by approximately 422 million people worldwide, making it one of the most widely spoken languages globally. And I had the chance to learn a few words while I was there such as:
- Marhaba – Hello
- Khalas – Enough, Finished
- Burj – Tower
- Habibi – My love, and can work for anything actually…
- Eh – Yes
- Laa – No
Enhancing Talon’s Global Expertise
Working in diverse markets like Dubai enhances my ability to offer informed and culturally relevant advice to our clients at Talon. This experience allowed me to stay up to date of the latest trends, technologies, and consumer behaviours in the OOH advertising space—knowledge that is crucial for crafting effective strategies that resonate across different markets and demographics.
My experience in Dubai underscores the importance of being part of the Talon International team. These immersive experiences not only contribute to our company’s growth but also ensure that we remain at the forefront of the OOH advertising industry, delivering impactful campaigns that resonate globally.
By embracing opportunities to immerse ourselves in different cultures and markets, we strengthen our capabilities to innovate and adapt, ultimately driving success for our clients and reinforcing Talon’s position as a leader in the global advertising landscape.