According to Talon Tracker, out-of-home advertising has recovered faster than the industry predicted, with Q3 spend for 2022 in line with the same period last year. Diageo led the spend, with a total estimated ratecard of 3.2m. The top spending category for Q3 2022 was Retail with a spend of 7.3m.

Top Categories

The top five categories on OOH for Q3 2022.

Retail was the top spending category, accounting for 19% of total OOH spend. Spend on Supermarkets & Grocery Chains amounted to 4m, accounting for 55% of Retail spend. Lidl (1.2m) was the top spender of the mid-category, followed by Musgraves (1m) and Tesco (723k). Fashion stores/brands (1.6m) accounted for 22% of category spend, with Sports Direct (656k) as top spender of the mid-category, followed by JD Sports (560k) and Boohoo (182k).

Food was in second place with 18% of total OOH spend. Chain Restaurants (3m) took 44% of category spend with McDonald’s spending 1.7m, followed by Subway (431k) and Domino’s (265k). Confectionary/Treats amounted to 2.4m, 35% of the category spend. Mondelez International was the top advertiser of the mid-category, with an OOH budget of 1.4m, followed by Nestle (357k) and McVities (219k).

Beers were the third biggest category in Q3 2022, accounting for 11% of OOH spend. Zero/Light beers (783k) accounted for 18% of the total Beers spend. Heineken (409k) was the top spender of the mid-category, followed by Diageo (253k) and Asahi (121k).

News & Tv was in fourth place with 11% of total OOH spend. Newspapers (162k) took 4% of the category with Independent News & Media (65k) achieving the top advertiser’s spot in the mid-category, followed by the Irish Times with a spend of 41k. TV (4m) accounted for 96% of the category spend with Sky (2.5m) as the highest spender. Streaming Services took 46% of overall TV spend with Disney+ (973k) being the top advertiser of the sub-category, followed by Amazon Prime (537k) and NOW tv (359k).

Soft Drinks took fifth place with 8% of total OOH spend. Spend on Soft/Energy Drinks amounted to 2.9m, accounting for 79% of Soft Drinks spend. Coca-Cola (1.1m) was the top spender of the mid-category, followed by Suntory (826k) and Britvic (164k). Water/Juices (637k) accounted for 21% of the category spend with Suntory (268k) the highest spender, followed by PepsiCo (148k) and Coca-Cola bottlers (120k).

Top Advertisers

A look at the Q3 2022 top spending advertisers and a YoY comparison.

Category Increases/Decreases

Looking at the categories in more detail, we wanted to pull out who the big spenders/fast growers were when compared to the same period last year.

Category Increases

Retail is consistently one of the top-performing categories in Out-of-Home. The intense competition means Retail brands constantly have to fight for consumer attention and secure that all-important space in consumer baskets. As we have now entered the busiest quarter of the year, we expect retail to keep its top spot with events such as Black Friday and Christmas in the not-too-distant future.

Retail (+31%)

It comes as no surprise that the Beer category remains resilient in the current economic climate. Diageo is a top-performing advertiser within this category. In recent years, we have seen low/non-alcoholic beers become increasingly popular. Similar to Retail, this category is entering one of its busiest times of the year, therefore we don’t expect to see much of a change in spend.

Beers (+23%)

Our tracker report showed Soft Drinks as one of the biggest spenders in OOH for Q3. Soft Drink brands such as Coca-Cola and Suntory are consistently turning to OOH for both mass communication of brand/new products while also using digital sites and point-of-sale sites to drive further action. Another strong category that should hold its spend going into the final quarter of the year.

Soft Drinks (30%)

Category Decreases

Motors (-75%)

Health & Beauty (-31%)

The Health & Beauty category includes a wide range of personal care products for both males and females.

Utilities (-76%)

The festive season seems to start earlier and earlier each year. As soon as the door closes on Summer, and Halloween is out of the way, brands turn their attention to Christmas and begin fighting for consumer attention and securing that all-important space on consumers’ shopping lists. October (23%) and November (22%) are key priming periods for early Christmas shoppers, even more so this year. With prices rising, our latest research suggests shoppers are moving their gift buying to earlier in the year, with many having already started (24%). This appetite to get going comes as no surprise given the current climate.

Consumer behaviours are ever-changing, and brands must keep up. To help with this we surveyed 250 respondents 16+ to get a glimpse of how the nation is feeling heading into the busiest quarter of the year.

With the cost of living rising, Christmas 2022 may be challenging for some, however, consumers are still craving acts of kindness and instances of connection. When looking at the differences between spending power this year versus last year, our research suggests that 73% of shoppers plan on spending more or the same this Christmas. With 26% citing that they have more disposable income than the previous year. Family is also a common theme this year with 35% citing that they will be spending more as they want to make this Christmas a special one for their family.

According to Kantar, Irish grocery sales were worth 3.1 billion during the 12 weeks to 26th December 2021. This year, our research suggests that the Irish public is geared up for a larger Christmas with 33% planning more family gatherings. More guests mean more food and 53% plan on trading up to a more premium retailer, with only 20% of shoppers staying loyal and sticking with their usual store.

For many, shopping for the Christmas season is all part of getting into the festive spirit. When looking at the in-store versus online shopping patterns we noticed a stark difference from last year. In 2021, 45% of shoppers were doing all their Christmas shopping online, this year that figure has decreased by 31% to 14%. With a further 38% of shoppers planning on doing a mix of in-store vs online. For those choosing to buy gifts in person, 47% are planning to visit shopping centres, 24% will visit the high-street, with 30% doing a mixture of both. This presents an opportunity for brands to capture consumer attention using the OOH channel.

Key Takeaways

Overall, the nation’s mood seems to be an optimistic one, with 49% looking forward to a normal Christmas without restrictions and 26% excited to see family and friends. As the Christmas shopping season has begun, what can advertisers and brands do to make the most out of this time of year? Based on our findings, see below a few points to consider:

  1. Advanced planning: With shoppers actively seeking Christmas deals earlier than usual. Consider planning your Christmas campaigns ahead of time so your brand is top of mind for consumers.
  2. Despite inflation, spending power is still prevalent: Our findings suggest that despite inflation, the nation’s mood seems to be optimistic, however, businesses need to be sensitive in their approach and adapt their strategies accordingly.
  3. Strong Community Connection: With friend and family gatherings being a common theme throughout our research results there is still that sense of importance in our local communities. So, although there are no movement restrictions in place brands should be making a conscious effort to reach these areas in their outdoor campaigns.

Methodology: Research was conducted by Spark Market Research, on a main urban sample of 250 respondents 16+ using an online methodology.

If you read our previous collaboration with Orb, you’ll know that over the last few months we have collaborated with some of our media partners to take a deeper look into the different areas of creativity in OOH. This month, we teamed up with XL Media and turned our focus to the enduring power of a special build.

Talon’s research shows that special builds not only position a brand as exciting and innovative but positively influence consumers’ purchase behaviour. In 2018, Talon UK conducted a special build campaign effectiveness research study whereby they compared those exposed to special builds vs those that were exposed to standard OOH formats. The results showed a +15% increase in positive impression of the advertising, +17% increase in consumer action and +35% increase in purchase consideration.

Before the pandemic, there would be no denying that the demand for special builds was low. However, the tides have turned and since 2020 we have seen a marked increase in appetite for creativity. Brands are looking to interact with and encourage consumers to remember their OOH ads – while also hoping for that share on social media. With all the new creative briefs hitting our desks, we sat down with Jeff in XL Media to take a look back at some of our favourite out-of-the-box moments.

As we’re entering a new era of creativity in OOH, looking back what campaigns stick out for you & why?

I very much liked the special that we built for White Claw. Mark Anthony Brands wanted to create something memorable around the New Year’s Eve celebrations, so we built a large freestanding ‘2022’ installation, with each number made out of real White Claw cans. White Claw has 4 flavours, so each 2022 number was built from that flavour can. We further reinforced this with 4 custom programmed LED colours for each number, representing each flavour. These LEDs pulsed individually for each flavour and then simultaneously at the end of the sequence. From a rigging perspective, this was above a canopy and footpath so plenty of behind-the-scenes work had to be carried out to ensure a structurally safe installation without causing any damage to the building. The main reason I like the campaign is because of its simplicity and that it looked as strong both during the day & the night.

Another campaign I liked was the launch of Lucozade Alert. Suntory wanted a giant oversized can, to literally pop from the billboard. My concern with these types of builds is that often, products when enlarged never look like the real product when finished and sometimes look a little cartoonish. Our goal for Lucozade Alert was to provide a very premium looking can that looked identical to the real product in terms of proportions and finished look. For the build, we scaled the cans support frame from a real can and worked from there. We were delighted with how this one turned out.

What are your thoughts on the future of creativity and what advice can you give to brands who are looking to find the best route to take, e.g., special build, murals etc?

Creatively, there is always something good brewing with numerous great ideas being regularly proposed to clients. However, in terms of deciding on the best route to take, I would advise you to work hard on the creative and the tag lines. Identify an unusual element of the creative (that ideally has never been done before) and build that into your OOH special. More than ever, as consumers, we are being bombarded by messages fighting for our attention, good OOH campaigns need to, not only be clear & simple but, incorporate a clever attention-grabbing twist with the standard printed message which results in increased audience engagement and ensures that the campaign’s message not only registers but STAYS with them.

About XL Media

XL Media Ltd is a Dublin-based OOH advertising company specialising in quality one-off builds & installation. We seamlessly connect a diverse range of skills, experience & craftsmanship to deliver premium OOH projects to the highest professional standards. Visit www.XLmedia.ie

With the world’s most anticipated sporting event of 2022, the FIFA World Cup Qatar kicking off in November this year, and the final game set to take place just a week before Christmas, the advertising sector is gearing itself up for a very busy Q4. Without a doubt brands and advertisers need to put their best creative foot forward and tackle this quarter head-on. And Out-of-Home advertising (OOH) is the ultimate creative canvas for brands to capitalise on consumer interest for this once in four-year opportunity.

OOH Strategies for FIFA World Cup 2022

Although the boys in greens World Cup campaign ended in Stade de Luxembourg and not in Qatar, we are a nation of football enthusiasts. 26% of the Irish population have an interest in football and that’s not including the people who generally don’t like it but suddenly become obsessed when the big games come along. Football is also the second most-watched sport in Ireland (after Gaelic of course) and as the EUROS final in Ireland received 1m viewers in the republic, OOH is perfectly placed to position brands in the heart of the action.

Our latest consumer insight piece identifies two viewing opportunities – In-home viewership and Out-of-Home viewership. 50% of respondents will be watching the matches at home with a further 27% saying they will watch some matches in the pub and a number (11%) unsure of their plans just yet only knowing that they will be watching with friends. And as they are planning to walk (34%), drive (22%), taxi (17%), bus or DART (17%) to get from A to B the opportunity for Out-of-home (OOH) is huge. With most matches kicking off around the afternoon time there is further opportunity for brands to capitalise on dynamic digital Out-of-Home (OOH) as brands can build up excitement and hype in the morning and target consumers who are out and about before the games begin.

The impact of the World Cup on consumer spending is massive and when you add Christmas into the mix although reports are stating that Irish consumers plan on cutting their spending due to Inflation concerns, our data reveals quite the opposite for this year’s tournament. 45% of respondents have admitted that they will be spending more money during the World Cup, with 47% unsure of the amount they will be spending and only a small minority (9%) saying they will be spending less.

There’s also another reality. Christmas time usually sees a massive influx in family and friendly gatherings. This year, given the timing of the tournament we will no doubt see more spontaneous gatherings than normal all accompanied by food and drink. As you can imagine Snacks (66%) and Beer (54%) are the items at the top of everyone’s list creating a huge revenue opportunity for brands in this sector. Not to mention pizza (46%), crisps (45%), wine (22%), Chinese (18%), spirits (16%) and Indian (5%).

With anticipation building, now is a critical time for brands to start planning their Out-of-Home (OOH) campaigns and gain that competitive advantage against their competitors. Here are just a few tips to remember when planning your World Cup campaigns.

If you found this blog interesting and are looking for more information, please reach out to a member of your client service team.

Methodology: Bounce Insights conducted an online survey of a main urban sample of 250 respondents aged 18+. The research was conducted on the 6th of May 2022.

If you read last month’s collaboration with Headcase, you’ll know that as an Out-of-Home specialist agency we are constantly seeking the next big thing for our clients. Throughout the summer months, we are collaborating with some of our media partners to take a deeper look into the different areas of creativity in OOH. This month we sat down with Orb to discuss further technological advancements in the OOH space and find out how your brand can harness the power of technology within your campaigns and target consumers in more exciting and creative ways.

Gone are the days where Out-of-Home advertising was defined as just your average paper poster or hand-painted sign. Over the last decade, we have witnessed digital displays increasingly replacing static out-of-home ads, with 40% of OOH ad revenue in Ireland now falling under digital. The use of data within OOH is also becoming more and more prevalent as it helps marketers reach consumers more effectively and efficiently. With greater technology, there’s no stopping what Out-of-Home campaigns can achieve.

Q: Can you go into a bit of detail on the offerings Orbs provide and then tell us how brands can utilise these offerings in their OOH campaigns?

Using current data to understand audience movements around selected points of interest and Orb panels is changing how we utilise our network. Insight into who has been exposed to a panel including dwell time and the number of visitations has many creative applications. It presents the opportunity to expand beyond broad awareness campaigns and use the panels based on the location of your target audience. This style of campaign means you can define locations where a higher proportion of your target audience are, pinpointing locations like events, retail outlets, restaurants, cinemas where your chosen audience dwell. Using this information and exposure to Orb panels creates an index, dictating where campaign plays or impressions should be delivered. This is really all about improving context, reducing wastage and bringing transparency to how the campaign performed.

For example, recently we did a campaign for a fintech brand that aimed at growing Irish awareness amongst millennials 25-44 who love shopping. Using current mobile & sensor data we analysed the previous month to see which screens had the highest concentration of this target audience. This presented 61 targeted panels with the campaign delivered in audience plays. A similar campaign was put together for a brand within the TV space whose aim was females 18-44 in Dublin with an affinity for reality TV. Using the same audience tool, 35 panels were identified that had a high skew to this specific audience. What both these campaigns have in common is using data to define the most relevant audience by panel.

Other new campaign options are dynamic triggers and advanced campaign measurement. Playout can now be in response to things such as dust levels, mosquito activity, barbecue conditions, flight arrivals, taxi availability and much more. These can all be used to offer another level of creative targeting and can be paired with measurement tools like brand uplift. The uplift of a campaign can be measured based on who was exposed to the ad. We can look at two groups of people, those who were exposed to the ad and those who weren’t, layering on different audience surveys all to truly see if the campaign had tangible results for the client.

These audience tools, dynamic triggers & measurement capabilities all present a new way DOOH can be used to really enhance and blend with client objectives. Why not look at using digital Out-of-Home through a more strategic lens, considering data strategy has made this possible.

About Orb

Orb set out on a mission 10 years ago to make DOOH a format where audiences were measurable, and campaigns could be designed to target them. Recent breakthroughs have seen their network being utilised based on two main categories, audience demographics and affinities. Their campaigns use frequency, play or impression buys and is measured on awareness and brand uplift to dive deeper into the campaign performance. See orb.ie for more.

The 2021 back-to-school shopping season came with many challenges for both families and the marketers that wanted to reach them. This year, however, parents are anticipating a different type of threat, inflation.

2021 Back-to-School Shopping Insights: Family Plans & Trends

To help brands stay ahead of the evolving conditions, we surveyed more than 200 families with children in school to find out their plans for this year’s back-to-school shopping season.

Amid heightened expectations from consumers on quality and value, we wanted to find out how consumers will be feeling heading into this back-to-school season and share some insights into how your brand can strategize for the shopping season ahead.

Most anticipate back-to-school shopping to take place in July (34%), followed by August (29%), with a number already having started to get organised (June 27%).

Our research also confirms that despite inflation, consumers are planning to spend in preparation for the upcoming school year, with most families (37%) estimating a spend of between 200-400, followed by 28% spending between 400-750 and a small number (18%) estimating a spend of +750.

Consumers will be shopping across several stores, with Tesco being the most popular (65%), followed by Dunnes Stores (60%). 52% of respondents will be keeping it local, by spending in school supply stores within their local area.

40% of back-to-school shoppers will be shopping across high-street, shopping centres and local stores. 27% will be using a mix of in-store and online. Only 4% of consumers will be doing all their back-to-school shopping online, this shows that there is a growing comfort with a return to in-store shopping.

With the back-to-school shopping season already begun, what can advertisers and brands do to make the most out of this time of year? Based on our findings, see below a few points to consider:

1. Local communities are still vitally important. Even though we are finally at the point of a post-pandemic new normal that doesn’t mean local communities should be forgotten when planning your campaigns. Many consumers now, more than ever are making a more conscious effort to shop local therefore it’s important to still include these areas in your plans to reach audiences right along the path to purchase.

2. Despite Inflation, spending power is still prevalent for back-to-school shoppers. Our findings suggest that this will be a very competitive back-to-school shopping season with many consumers shopping across multiple stores. July is set to be the most popular month although of those who participate in back-to-school shopping, many have started to make purchases already.

3. Brick and mortar is still an area of focus. Even though consumers are beginning to shop more online, back-to-school shopping is likely to be done in person. Advertisers and brands should still be focusing their campaigns on driving footfall to stores, you can do this via campaigns that include directional messaging to the nearest location or prompt shoppers by displaying quieter times to visit.

All of the above findings point to the optimism consumers have heading into the 2022-2023 school year.

Methodology: Bounce Insights conducted the online survey of a main urban sample of 200 respondents between the ages of 18-54 with children of school age, either primary, secondary or both. The research was conducted on the 24th & 25th of May 2022.

If you found this blog interesting and are looking for more information, please reach out to a member of your client service team.

With Summer finally upon us, consumers are planning on how to spend a Summer in a ‘new normal’. Our latest consumer research piece looks at the Summer of 2022 and how consumers best plan to spend it. Although going abroad is top of the agenda for so many, results indicate strongly that many people plan on spending time locally but out of home, lending to new opportunities for advertisers using the OOH medium. We know from tracking mobility levels through out the pandemic that mobility remains strong throughout the Summer, despite school holidays. It’s fair to say this Summer will bring unprecedented levels of mobility with people of out of home, bringing new targeting opportunities for advertisers.

Seizing Summer 2022: Out of Home Advertising Insights

Spending time outdoors is on everyone’s agenda! Holidays are top of that list, both abroad but staycations too.  42% of respondents plan on going abroad, while a further 28% plan on going abroad and taking a staycation. 16-24’s are most likely to go abroad with almost 50% stating so.  Interestingly, many of us will be making the most of our Summer through staycations (61%), day trips around Ireland, daily activities, and days out with children.

The question on how respondents plan to travel for staycation trips and day trips as mentioned previously, yielded some interesting results.  80% of those interviewed will be travelling by car.  In addition, 91% will be using some form of public transport to get around this Summer, either by bus, train, DART or LUAS.  Therefore, planning an OOH campaign couldn’t be easier.  By using a mix of multi environment formats across roadside, travel and retail formats, brands are guaranteed that key messages will be communicated effectively to target audiences.

Attending festivals and concerts is the top performing activity this Summer across all demographics.  53% of us will be attending at least one concert or festival this Summer, while 26% will be attending a sporting event.  45% of respondents will be travelling to a main city to socialise while 32% plan on shopping in at least one main city this summer.

Finally, when we asked respondents what they are most looking forward to, “Being able to be outside and enjoy the Summer” topped the poll, as well as spending time with family and friends and everything re opening.

The summer of 2022 is shaping up to be productive, with many people making up for lost opportunities and spending as much time out of home as possible.  With so many audiences on the move, there has never been a better time than now to plan Out of Home Advertising.

*Results are based on a sample of 250 respondents nationwide using an online methodology.

The latest spend figures released for Q1 depict a positive story for the Out of Home Industry in Ireland, according to OMA/Nielsen.

Q1 2022 saw an increase of 109% on the same period last year. The OMA/Nielsen figures, which report rate card less discount to reflect market conditions reported an increase of 11.1m compared to 2021, with 7 of the top 10 advertisers increasing their spend on the same period last year. The numbers are re-assuring, providing evidence that the OOH sector is undergoing a strong period of growth after a steep decline as a result of the Covid19 pandemic.

OOH Expenditure Overview: Key Trends and Insights from Q1 2022

Category Trends

The top category was retail with an overall spend of 5.3m, up 25% on same period last year.  Retail as a sector has seen a challenging few months, with supermarket groups increasing spend promoting price stability on the back of inflation worries.  Home grocery shopping has been an upward trend too with almost all supermarket groups now offering home delivery and promoting same message.  For example, Tesco increased spend in quarter 1 (+118%) to 948k, as it invested heavily in Price Comparison, Grocery Home Services and Good Grub campaigns.  The figures reflect trends seen in our own consumer research studies in Jan- Mar with so many consumers opting for healthy options and home cooking, lending to increased grocery spends.

Drink & Food categories also fell within the top 3 spenders.  Diageo are leading the charge within the drinks category as the overall top spender in Q1 at 1.6M, no change to its position last year, but we’ve also seen numerous new zero alcohol products come on stream too and use the OOH medium effectively to communicate with target audiences.

Similarly, food spend on OOH saw an increase of 12% on previous year.   Mondelez took 4th place as top spender @ 649K, coupled with various other food advertisers investing heavily in the medium.  The pandemic reinforced that there is a desire for quality food produce, that consumers are prepared to spend more on luxury and premium food items, which lends to the increase in this category too.

2 categories that have emerged as strong contenders in the Q1 figures are household services and entertainment and media.  Rising inflation has led to a demand for price reductions and switching of household utilities, a trend set to continue.  Both Sky and Virgin Media demonstrated strong spend results for Q1.

Similarly, with entertainment & media Disney Plus featured in the top 10 advertisers, with numerous other entertainment platforms using OOH also.

Similarly, entertainment & leisure saw a big increase v Q1 2021.  Advertisers such as McDonalds, JD Sports and Paddy Power used the power of OOH to drive key messaging of their brands across this category.

Film releases within the entertainment category also saw an increase which is no surprise given the backlog of movies released once cinemas and theatres re opened.

Summary:

It is fair to say that OOH is on an upward trajectory.  The spend figures reflect investment in our medium, not just by brands and advertisers that use the medium regularly but newcomers who recognise the inherent benefits of using OOH to reach key audiences.  Audiences are spending more time out of home too, putting reach and frequency front and centre for advertisers.

There’s no denying that the pandemic affected all areas of life, OOH advertising included. However, the industry has recovered far faster than predicted with the growing adoption of digital screens which has grown at a rapid pace across multiple environments. This, in conjunction with new innovations in data and the rise of non-traditional OOH media, has put OOH at the forefront of media plans.

Brands in 2022 are getting creative, they have re-emerged from the on/off lockdowns of the last two years feeling inspired and wanting to interact with audiences on a deeper level than before.

As an Out of Home (OOH) specialist agency we are constantly seeking the next big thing for our clients, over the next few months we will collaborate with some of our media partners to take a deeper look into the different areas of creativity in OOH. First up, is Headcase Marketing.

Q: As discussed brands are getting creative with their Out of Home (OOH) campaigns in 2022, what would you recommend brands to consider this year in order to stand out in the space?

In this mad, post-pandemic world consumers are craving deeper connections with brands and each other. They want to be associated with brands that have a purpose, that they align with, that they can trust. This presents a challenge for advertisers. But innovative, creative & experiential solutions can help address this challenge, and pay dividends into the future. Below we take a look at just some of the ways we feel here at Headcase this can be done:

Whether on the street, at shopping centres, on trade, or at a brand owned pop-up shop or event, bringing your brand face to face with consumers outside of the home will help you to engage with them in a relatable way, allowing them to understand what your brand is all about whilst creating impact both online and offline.

Last year, White Claw wanted to end their Summer on a high by creating an immersive pop-up experience whilst driving a product trial. The Wave of Summer pop-up gave Dubliners the opportunity to dive into music, entertainment and creativity from some of the country’s top personalities while trying a complimentary White Claw Hard Seltzer. The immersive experience was located in the stunning surroundings of Portobello’s Lock 6. The campaign combined online, offline, social, content & PR, creating hype and demand so much so that the first week sold out in just 7 minutes. Over the course of the 3 weeks, over 1,500 consumers were treated to a unique, immersive brand experience with food, drink, fun and meaningful connection.

Cultural partnerships help brands connect with or shine a light on cultural organisations that fit their core values and message. By creating unique innovative activations that can live both online and offline you can deliver added value for your brand, partner and audience.

Take Mars for instance, as part of its commitment to promote correct gum litter disposal. Mars launched a nationwide roadshow in 2019 that ran across the summer months. The “Bin It Your Way” campaign spent the day with each county council across the country to drive awareness of the correct manner in which to dispose of used gum. The education campaign was amplified by a heavyweight OOH campaign which ran across multi-environment and formats ensuring further reach. It is a fantastic initiative which harnesses the power of community spirit toward achieving a common goal: ridding Irish streets of littered gum.

Content output from experiential activations allows campaigns to reach and resonate on online & brand-owned social channels. Today’s consumers crave content that is both real and relatable to them, which is why experiential represents a valuable source for effective, localised content.

Take the below campaign for Zalando as an example, in a very challenging year of uncertainty and solidarity, Zalando, Europe’s leading online platform for fashion and lifestyle wanted to create a unique Christmas campaign that celebrated human connection in unprecedented times. The “We Will Hug Again” tease and reveal perfectly reflected the current circumstances and celebrated the ultimate expression of human connection and solidarity: the hug. Using two wall murals in high footfall areas on both North and South of Dublin. Headcase and Talon drew widespread attention, the campaign was picked up and ran in multiple media outlets making it a highly engaging and impactful element of a wider OOH campaign.

In summary, as we are finally settling into a post-pandemic new normal, the Out of Home industry is stronger than ever. With mobility data remaining at an all-time high when compared to pre-pandemic figures. Consumers are back outside in their droves and are appreciating their surroundings much more than before the pandemic began. The OOH environment provides endless opportunities to attract, connect and create deeper engagements with audiences while they are on the move.

About Headcase

Headcase is an innovation partner to agencies and brands – helping them navigate the non-traditional landscape, conceiving and activating creative communications projects. See www.headcase.ie for more.

Further Green shoots for Out of Home are reflected in the latest consumer sentiment piece carried out by Talon in conjunction with our research partners Spark Market Research.

The latest lifting of restrictions by the government has resulted in a return to old behaviours and the emergence of new ones, with all signs indicating that audiences are omnipresent.

With the latest mobility figures at 38% above baseline, consumers have returned to many of the behaviours and activities they missed.  70% of respondents agreed that they will spend more time meeting up with family & friends.  62% plan to eat out more while 51% plan to visit pubs more.  It is no secret that Dublin and main urban areas experienced a downward shift in mobility throughout the pandemic. This is changing at a rapid pace. 55% of our sample agreed that they would return to meeting up socially after work more regularly with colleagues, which only highlights the previously mentioned stats on the return to restaurants and pubs.

Another key area in terms of leisure activities is the return to gyms and exercise classes.  48% plan on going to the gym or a class more.  Student life is also set to resume, with 51% of students returning to face-to-face classes. Travelling abroad is one of the most overarching themes in the results with 63% planning to travel abroad more and not just on one occasion!  The return to old behaviours presents a prime opportunity for brands across multiple categories to capitalise on reaching audiences on the move across multi environments.  Given the rapid growth of DOOH inventory, the possibilities are endless.

The Great Return

Despite the adoption of hybrid working models, a new behaviour so to speak, a large proportion of respondents plan on returning to the workplace regularly.  61% of those interviewed said that they will be returning to their physical place of work most days, 45% of which will be returning full time. 45% of those returning to work will be commuting, with a further 42% using public transport as their primary means to travel to work. With long dwell times, transport and commuter formats are a prime environment to capture audiences on the move.  According to Apple mobility (14th Feb), public transport is currently trending at 56% above baseline, presenting an opportunity for brands to reach audiences multiples times through classic and digital out-of-home formats.  The rapid advancement in DOOH technology and big data allows clients to target consumers contextually, in the right environment, at the right time with the right message. Notwithstanding the value of the vehicular audience which has remained consistent.  50% of respondents agreed that they would commute to work by car, which strengthens our earlier Locomizer mobility figure at 38% above baseline.

Spending Power

One of the key trends we identified throughout the pandemic was the propensity for many consumers to save money, and our latest piece demonstrates that this behaviour has continued.  64% stated that they had saved money throughout the pandemic, 1/5 of which agreed that they had saved significantly more than normal.

However, 83% of respondents interviewed plan on spending their savings on big ticket items in 2022.  The highest spending categories will be holidays and travel, followed closely by home improvements and self-care:

It’s safe to say that Out of Home is on an upward trajectory.  With the rapid increase in mobility and presence of audiences, continued investment in our medium, big data and technological advances the future is looking bright!