Kim succeeds Debbie Benadiba who steps down from her role as CEO

Talon, the world’s leading independent Out of Home agency, has appointed Sarah Kim as Managing Director of Talon Canada. Promoted from her role as SVP, Investment & Strategy, Kim has played a central leadership role in the business, helping to shape its strategic direction, commercial approach and client offering.

Kim joined Talon in 2023 as part of the acquisition of Novus Media Canada where she held several leadership roles and has since played a key role in shaping the combined business. In her new role as MD, Kim will report directly to Ryan Laul, CEO of Talon North America, and join the North America Leadership Team.

As part of the transition, Debbie Benadiba steps down from her role as CEO and leaves the business. Previously President of Novus Media Canada, Benadiba became CEO of Talon Canada as part of the acquisition in 2023.

This move aligns Canada’s leadership structure with other major Talon markets and positions the business for its next phase of growth.

Ryan Laul, CEO, Talon North America, said: “Sarah is a highly respected leader with the experience, vision and market knowledge to lead our Canadian business, while providing continuity for our clients and our people. She has played a central role in the evolution of Talon Canada over the past few years, and I look forward to working with her even more closely as we enter this next chapter. I would also like to thank Debbie for her contribution to Talon Canada which she leaves in excellent shape, and wish her all the very best for the future.”

Sarah Kim said: “Talon Canada is in a really strong place, with a fantastic team, a distinctive proposition and strong momentum in the market. I feel incredibly proud to have the opportunity to lead the business forward and to continue building on everything we have created together.”

The role will focus on building a unified measurement framework across the U.S. and U.K.

The tightening link between media investment and measurable business outcomes is driving agencies to better demonstrate impactful results for its clients’ out-of-home investments.

Talon’s new Head of Effectiveness role is a story about where OOH is going – toward unified global standards, deeper analytics and a more accountable future for the channel. This is not a traditional analytics role; it’s a senior leadership position designed to formalize how OOH proves business impact at a time when marketers are demanding clearer ROI across every channel.

Qingxin Zhao, who will begin this role in April based in New York, will oversee research partnerships and leverage IPA accreditation to differentiate Talon and ensure better reporting for clients. Zhao comes from previous roles at IPG Mediabrands and Media Storm. Most recently, she was Head of Revenue Analytics at accessiBe. Zhao will report to Ryan Laul, North America CEO at Talon.

“Marketers want clarity, confidence and proof that their media investments are driving measurable outcomes — and OOH is in a position to deliver that at scale,” said Ryan Laul, North America CEO at Talon. “By adding Qingxin as our dedicated Head of Effectiveness, we’re doubling down on a core pillar of our offering. It’s a major step in shaping the future of OOH as a performance marketing channel.”

OOH agency Talon’s creation of its first Head of Effectiveness, North America role is a direct response to more measurable outcomes and deeper analytics. This comes as the category continues growing from a reach‑based channel into a performance‑driven one – backed by econometrics, mobile/location data, creative testing and MMM inputs.

This Talon U.S. hire signals that independent OOH specialists are now building the same measurement infrastructure typically associated with holding companies. This move also reflects a broader trend of OOH stepping into the same accountability arena as digital and CTV, armed with more robust data and cross‑market learning as part of the agency’s broader strategy.

Talon, the global independent Out of Home (OOH) agency, today announced the appointment of Ryan Laul as its North American CEO. Laul will lead the continued growth of Talon’s business in North America, assuming the role on June 23, 2024. Reporting into Sue Frogley, Group CEO, Laul will join Talon’s global board.

Laul is a seasoned OOH media executive with an excellent track record of delivering growth and overseeing commercial investment across all media disciplines. He brings a wealth of OOH and Digital experience, joining Talon from Omnicom where he spent the last 13 years, initially as  President of Outdoor Media Group, the largest OOH specialist in North America, managing OOH spend across over 200 clients, including 8 of the top 12 OOH spenders in the US.    Most recently he served as President of OMnet, Omnicom’s principal investment group.

Under Laul’s leadership, Omnicom executed the largest data-driven OOH campaign, integrated mobile audience data into fundamental planning and buying, developed the largest demand-side resource for DOOH media and became the first company ever to establish a cinema upfront with the nation’s largest supplier.

Before that he started his OOH career at Zenith Media and then moved to Outdoor Vision/ Posterscope where he spearheaded the Digital Division – Hyperspace.  

Laul also sits on the board of directors of the Advertising Club of New York, helping to provide leadership in connecting the OOH industry with young professionals and previously sat on the Agency Advisory Boards of the OAAA, DPAA and Geopath.

According to recent data released by the OAAA, Out of home (OOH) advertising revenue increased 6.8% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the previous year, accounting for $1.94 billion. This is a continuing growth trend based on the medium’s growth trajectory and increased revenue reported in 2023.

Sue Frogley, Group CEO, said: “Ryan is a values-driven business leader with exceptional strategic capabilities.   I am delighted to have someone of Ryan’s caliber with deep Out of Home and Digital experience leading our North America business.  I look forward to working with Ryan and our teams to deliver Talon’s next chapter of growth.”

Ryan Laul said: “Out of Home has long been my passion and I cannot wait to return to this exciting industry. Talon has an innovative and evolving business model in North America and I look forward to not only enabling Talon to realize its full potential as the leading OOH Agency in North America but secure the medium’s role in the broader advertising ecosystem and propel the industry forward.”

Stewart Easterbrook, Chairman, said “Following rigorous selection processes I am thrilled to have both Sue and Ryan join Talon later this month.  Their strength and experience leading global media businesses will deliver great results on both sides of the pond.  I am hugely excited for them to join and to work together to drive the ambition of Talon and deliver business performance.”

New York, NY – March 5, 2024 – Talon, the global independent Out of Home (OOH) media agency, today announced appointments that will further strengthen Talon’s dynamic leadership team as the company enters its next phase of growth in North America with two key leadership positions. Former Senior Vice President, Client Strategy at Talon U.S., Enza Chiodi has been elevated to U.S. Chief Client Officer and the agency welcomes seasoned digital ad industry expert Laura Colona as its first Senior Vice President, Marketing, North America.

“Enza’s client-focused approach has been invaluable to Talon’s success. She is a trusted advisor who has enabled Talon’s clients to drive business results through brilliant campaign strategies,” said Group Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Sarah Parkes. “Laura’s wealth of experience in digital media, ad tech and OOH uniquely positions her to lead a strategic marketing organization that will ensure that marketers and their agencies are educated on the value of OOH through the benefit of choosing Talon as a partner.”

Enza Chiodi, U.S. Chief Client Officer

In her new role, Enza will lead the strategic priorities for client fulfillment journeys across Talon’s portfolio of brands, ensuring clients’ needs are met with excellence and innovation. With more than 20 years of experience in propelling brands forward, her work has extended beyond Talon having previously consulted for top industry players, including Intersection, OUTFRONT, Lamar and JC Decaux, as well as industry trade groups OAAA and Geopath, contributing to the modernization of the OOH industry and championing its digital transformation. Her contributions to the industry were recognized with her award of Changemaker – Top Woman in Media & Ad Tech.

Prior to shifting her career focus to the OOH space, Enza had senior roles in multi-channel planning agencies such as Omnicom’s PHD.  Her successful direction determined agency positioning, strategic initiatives and fostering staff growth. Notably, Enza’s reputation was built on trust and client-centric ideas with her consistently singled out by clients for her contributions to driving results.

Laura Colona, Senior Vice President Marketing, North America

Laura will spearhead Talon’s marketing and communications efforts to continue building the agency’s brand in North America, support the company’s growth initiatives, and foster a culture of creativity and collaboration. Most recently Laura served as the Commercial Marketing Officer at the OAAA where she provided executive leadership and management of OAAA’s marketing organization.  Most notably, she led the formation of its Brand Council with leading advertisers including IBM, Pepsi, L’Oreal, Allstate, Logitech, Inspire Brands and Little Caesar’s, delivering a collaborative platform to educate brands on the unrivaled value of OOH in the marketing mix.  Prior to joining OAAA, Laura served as Vice President and Head of Global Marketing at industry leading DSP, MediaMath where she was responsible for all aspects of the marketing organization and amplifying MediaMath’s industry-wide effort to create a 100 percent accountable, addressable and aligned supply chain.  Passionate about the rapidly evolving media landscape and creativity and effectiveness of OOH, Laura serves on the OAAA Marketing Committee, ANA Marketing Futures and Sustainability Committees, is a 2024 Grand Indies Judge and member of the Ad Council Diverse Leaders Group.

These appointments are the latest in a series of new senior hires, signaling Talon’s commitment to ongoing strategic growth worldwide. Last month, Talon announced its appointment of  accomplished industry leader Sue Frogley to Group CEO on the heels of Stewart Easterbrook joining as Chairman, the appointments of Mike Saunter as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Henry Lucas in the newly created role of Group Chief Commercial Officer and Todd Palatnek Senior Vice President, Client Development in North America.

Adds Parkes, “Talon’s strategic advantage in being at the forefront of OOH’s transformation will propel the medium forward as it continues to provide advertisers and their agencies the necessary tools to prove meaningful and incremental outcomes as they remodel how they capture consumer attention.”

New York, NY – February 20, 2024 – Talon, the global independent Out of Home (OOH) media company, and Out There 360, the Luxury Out of Home Independent Agency announced today that they have formed a strategic North American partnership to develop and execute data-driven, creative, and measurable OOH campaigns for luxury advertisers. 

“OOH remains a strategically vital medium for brands operating in the high-end market,” said Barbara Valensise CEO of Out There 360. “Talon is at the precipice of OOH transformation with proprietary data-driven tools and technologies that develop best-in-class creativity and drive measurable ROI at every step of the funnel. Being supported by a trusted and established local partner aligned with our values and approach to clients will enable us to deliver impactful and efficient ad experiences.”

Out There 360 provides bespoke omnichannel strategic solutions and a range of interdisciplinary communication services for high-end brands, from the development and production of creative concepts to delivery on traditional and innovative media. Headquartered in Milan, Out There 360 has extensive experience in the luxury fashion space, including partnerships with several of the most prominent luxury brands.

Talon will be fully integrated into Out There 360’s North American strategy and planning process, maximizing OOH’s impact and effectiveness for clients in this key region. Powered by best-in-class proprietary tools and technology, Talon’s suite of solutions will enable Out There 360 to capitalize on a transformed, innovative medium. 

“Our partnership with Out There 360 will be rooted in collaboration with the shared goal of unlocking the creative and brand building power of OOH for Out There 360 world class clients and partners across North America,” said Sarah Parkes, Group Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Talon. “As an advanced media channel that delivers reach, frequency, creativity, and results, OOH is unrivaled for brands to bring their stories and experiences to life at a meaningful scale.”

According to Statista, luxury goods sales in the United States have rebounded strongly, driven by increased consumer confidence and a growing appetite for high-end fashion and accessories. Latest projections from Bain & Company put the global luxury market at $1.65 trillion.  

Adds Parkes, “our integration with Out There 360 will ensure its leading luxury brands will have dedicated teams across key North American markets to execute OOH campaigns that engage consumers and deliver greater impact and outcomes.”

About Talon

Talon is a pioneering global independent Out of Home (OOH) media agency focused on delivering effective, creative, data-driven integrated OOH communications. Combining independence with a collaborative approach, Talon promotes open and transparent working relationships between many of the world’s leading agencies, clients, and media partners. Headquartered in London with offices in Canada, Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, Manchester, New York, and Singapore, Talon delivers expertise at global, national, regional, and local levels. Additionally, the agency has built a global OOH planning and buying network – Talon International – covering 100 markets across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America. For more information, please visit www.talonooh.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Out There 360

Out There is an advisory firm that offers a range of integrated services for luxury brands, from go-to-market strategy to digital and physical brand communication, corporate social responsibility, and tech solutions. Out There 360 success is rooted in the continuous advisory that is offered to all clients. Headquartered in Milan, with local partners in Asia and North America, Out There 360 has a uniquely informed global perspective, aimed to create and advance a market-leader position for brands operating in the high-end market. For more information, please visit www.outthere360.com and follow up on LinkedIn.

The Stagwell (STGW) agency partnered with Talon to activate a first-of-its-kind connected commerce solution designed for all brick-and-mortar retailers.

Today, global media agency Assembly announced the latest in retail media innovation – a first-of-its-kind planning tool called ShopConnect that marries programmatic buying with digital out-of-home (DOOH) to create more effective and meaningful real-time experiences for consumers. The tool was designed in partnership with Talon, an independent OOH media agency, and Place Exchange, a programmatic SSP, to connect Assembly’s media activation capability to DOOH inventory located inside, outside, and in proximity to retailers across the United States. Assembly is committed to delivering omnichannel, full-funnel connected experiences to help clients’ brands perform, and ShopConnect is an embodiment of that.

ShopConnect redefines how advertisers strategize and execute their DOOH campaigns, targeting audiences at multiple touchpoints as they engage with brands on the path to purchase. ShopConnect ingests users’ behavioral data in real-time, optimizing delivery to ensure the right ads are served at the right time to consumers most likely to engage or convert. Whether consumers are commuting to work, shopping for a special occasion, or simply treating themselves to one of life’s simple pleasures – ShopConnect reaches consumers as they normally interact with the world and brands around them, natively integrated into their day-to-day routines.

“As advertisers seek smarter and more efficient ways to reach their target audiences, ShopConnect is the game-changer they’ve been waiting for and a significant leap forward in brand performance advertising,” said Andrea Montano, Executive Vice President of Insights & Connections at Assembly. “At Assembly, we find the change that fuels growth, and with ShopConnect, we’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and giving brands the power to harness the full potential of a data and tech-powered insights tool that makes retail campaigns more targeted, efficient, and measurable. Every impression should drive an outcome and ShopConnect pushes us further toward that goal.”

ShopConnect provides media buyers with direct access to strategic retail media – enabling them to identify, evaluate, activate, and report on DOOH inventory within specific retailer and venue types and drive lifts in consideration, brick-and-mortar visits, and sales. By automating the buying process and targeting specific audiences, ShopConnect reduces the wastage of ad budgets, resulting in higher ROAS (return on ad spend). “Marketers are increasingly prioritizing omnichannel strategies, and the digitization of OOH has become a powerful element in cross-platform consumer engagement throughout the customer journey,” said Jim Wilson, CEO of Talon U.S. “Our collaboration with Assembly represents a pivotal moment at the crossroads of OOH and retail media. We are equipping brands and agencies with cutting-edge tools and insights to unlock the full potential of OOH in reaching and engaging consumers throughout their purchase journey and driving full-funnel outcomes.” 

As marketers and agency partners pivot their media planning and buying strategies from channel silos to an omnichannel approach, it’s more important than ever to rethink the role of OOH. Talon created the CMO Guide to OOH Advertising for marketers to unlock the full potential of a sophisticated media channel, presenting insights, expert tips, and case studies.

Highlights for Marketers:

• Take advantage of a flexible and dynamic medium with the advent of digital-forward and programmatic buying strategies
  
• Execute more efficient and effective OOH campaigns by precisely identifying and reaching audiences through data-led targeting capabilities
  
• Break the mold on creative boundaries by tapping into tech-led OOH executions (3D, AR, Experiential) that create meaningful connections with consumers
  
• Achieve full-funnel outcomes that measure the impact of OOH campaigns – from brand awareness and consideration to brick-and-mortar footfall and online/offline sales lift
  

Download Guide Here

New York, NY – September 14, 2023 – Talon, the global independent Out of Home (OOH) media company, today announced that it has formed a strategic North American partnership with Mediaplus to develop and execute data-driven, creative, and measurable OOH campaigns for advertisers. The partnership, which extends Talon’s existing global relationship with Mediaplus, launched with a spectacular, high-impact, digital-led OOH campaign for De’Longhi North America, a global leader in the specialty coffee and espresso category known for superior Italian design and breakthrough technology.

“OOH remains a strategically essential medium for our clients to create real-world and human connections with their audiences and drive brand and business outcomes,” said Tamara Alesi, CEO of Mediaplus North America. “Talon is at the forefront of the OOH evolution with innovative proprietary data-driven tools and technologies that drive ROI and best-in-class creative. With this partnership, we are advancing our clients’ access to a highly evolved, digitized, and innovative offering enabling differentiation of their brands.”

Mediaplus North America is part of Mediaplus Group, Europe’s largest independent and partner-managed media agency with 35 offices across 18 countries. Since launching in 2022, Mediaplus North America has seen accelerated growth. Proud of the company they keep, the client roster includes De’Longhi, Siemens, and Hardcrafted LLC to name a few.

Mediaplus will leverage Talon’s industry-leading talent and best-in-class OOH suite of products, powered by proprietary technologies, to enable advertisers to capitalize on a transformed, data-driven medium. Talon will be integrated into Mediaplus’ strategic and evolved planning process in North America to maximize OOH innovation, relevance, and effectiveness for Mediaplus clients.

“Mediaplus is expanding rapidly in North America and innovation is what sets them apart. Our collaboration will be focused on unlocking the creative and brand-building power of OOH and driving full-funnel outcomes for Mediaplus clients and partners,” said Jim Wilson, CEO, Talon (North America). “OOH has morphed into an advanced media platform that delivers reach, frequency, and results and is unmatched as a creative canvas for brands to bring their stories and experiences to life at meaningful scale. The strengthening of Talon’s partnership with Mediaplus — with combined goals to drive effectiveness and improve business results for clients — will undoubtedly deliver better outcomes for advertisers and add genuine value to the top and bottom line.”

About Talon

Talon is a pioneering global independent Out of Home (OOH) media agency focused on delivering effective, creative, data-driven integrated OOH communications. Combining independence with a collaborative approach, Talon promotes open and transparent working relationships between many of the world’s leading agencies, clients, and media partners. Headquartered in London with offices in Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, Manchester, New York, Toronto, and Singapore, Talon delivers expertise at global, national, regional, and local levels. Additionally, the agency has built a global OOH planning and buying network – Talon International – covering 100 markets across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America. For more information, please visit www.talonooh.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Mediaplus

Mediaplus is part of Serviceplan Group, the largest independently owned, agency group in Europe, across 18 countries and with more than 5,500 employees. In North America Mediaplus is a boutique with the backbone of a giant, making the agency the perfect fit for brand partners. Mediaplus’s operating model offers flexibility to brands, without sacrificing access to strategic critical planning, technical and executional tools. They provide the additional freedom to access the group’s full global and integrated capabilities. Mediaplus delivers on the best of both, efficiency with their global clout, effectiveness with a hands-on and personal approach. For more information, please visit www.mediaplus.com and follow up on LinkedIn.

CPG brands have consistently been among the dominant advertisers in OOH and many are at the forefront of tapping into the expanded digital and enhanced creative capabilities to drive full-funnel brand goals. Dan Dawson, Grand Visual’s Chief Creative Officer was a featured speaker at the DPAA’s The CPG DOOH 3.0 event on the “Cheers to DOOH Success: Insights into Adult Beverage and Beyond” panel.

Dan was joined by Jessica Chappell, Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Digital & OOH, Evergreen Trading, and Michael Burgi, Senior Editor, Media Buying and Planning, Digiday, served as the moderator. Together, they delved into the creative and strategic intricacies of DOOH advertising in the adult beverage industry, offering valuable insights into award-winning campaigns.

Key quotes and takeaways

OOH’s Appeal for Alcohol Brands 

“Brand fame is something that OOH offers more than any other channel — as the campaigns on billboards are what everyone remembers. This is what OOH does really well and that’s why this is a perfect marriage between OOH and the adult beverage sector.” – Dan Dawson

“Digital OOH allows our beverage clients to be more nimble and really be in the right place at the right time — and to be precise in building their media plans. It adds to the fame and allows us to be hyper-targeted, particularly if a budget is limited.” – Jessica Chappell

“Digital OOH is the perfect playground for adult beverage brands. As we’ve become more digitized, we can highly target specific adult audiences and drive mass awareness. Most adult beverage brands are seeking to shout their message on either a product benefit, a moment in time or a moment that matters and OOH is perfect for this.” – Dan Dawson

Building Emotional Connections Through Dynamic DOOH Creative

“It’s about the moments that matter and those moments could be anything related to cultural events, the weather or even delays on the subway. It could be anything that we can use as a piece of live data to tap into the emotional relevance to an audience at a given time.” – Dan Dawson

“The OOH medium has evolved tremendously over the last 10 years. Our clients are always seeking guidance on the creative principles — what they should and shouldn’t do and say. And we’re always striving and pushing our clients to be original and think about how to differentiate their brand from competitors. Be original in thinking, be creative, be tactical — and embracing hyper-relevant and timely tactics is key to capturing the moment and maximizing impact.” – Dan Dawson

“Emotion is key. When we can make people feel something, they will do something. And that runs through all of our advertising. We work hard to make people feel something, whether it’s joy, humor, or even cry. Leveraging the power of emotional advertising gets the story out — to inspire meaningful engagement.” – Dan Dawson

Case Studies for Driving OOH Success

“For our client, Tincup Whiskey (a Proximo brand), they’ve always had this affinity with the great outdoors and we helped them coin the line — the spirit of adventure is the whiskey that you open after you’ve climbed the mountain or been out on that hike or that bike ride.” – Dan Dawson

“Tincup wanted to celebrate the moment of wins. We created a powerful Tincup campaign centered on their Colorado Avalanche sponsorship, coinciding with their Stanley Cup victory – an incredible achievement. We launched an engaging countdown to the home games at downtown Denver’s Ball Arena. As each game unfolded, live stories were broadcasted, and our OOH screens in the vicinity dynamically updated with the latest results. This was an innovative and smart example of a dynamic campaign.” – Dan Dawson

“For a champagne brand or sparkling wine, we focus on aligning with market events. In the summer, we consider messages tailored for the Hamptons or Jersey Shore to achieve contextual alignment and deliver a specific impact. Ensuring contextual alignment not only resonates deeply with consumers but also keeps the brand at the forefront of their minds.” – Jessica Chappell

Strategic Partnership to Fuel Groundbreaking OOH Creative Ideas for Agencies & Brands

Grand Visual and Whisk: A Dynamic Partnership in Advertising

New York – May 17, 2023 –Talon, the pioneering global independent Out of Home (OOH) agency, today announced an innovative partnership between Grand Visual, Talon’s creative OOH agency, and Whisk, the leading online emerging media platform. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the OOH industry, enabling brands to revolutionize their advertising strategies and deliver ground-breaking, innovative, and impactful campaigns.

In today’s dynamic business landscape, brands are seeking advanced solutions to gain a deeper understanding of their audiences and deliver compelling advertising experiences that cut through the noise and supercharge ROI. The partnership between Grand Visual and Whisk addresses those exact needs.

Founded in 2019, Whisk has pioneered a cutting-edge AdTech platform that curates the best next-generation media channels and produces never-done-before ideas, enabling advertisers to diversify budgets and create innovative campaigns that align with their brand briefs. Grand Visual, Talon’s award-winning OOH creative services arm, brings extensive creative expertise to the partnership.

Grand Visual will now leverage its expertise to power Whisk’s OOH and experiential campaigns, pushing the boundaries of the medium and unlocking a new realm of possibilities. By combining their strengths, the partnership will deliver immersive, experiential, and unmissable concepts that guarantee unprecedented impact and results for advertisers. Together, Grand Visual and Whisk are reshaping the landscape of advertising, providing brands with unparalleled campaign experiences.

As audiences increasingly diversify their attention across multiple media platforms, Whisk fills a critical demand from brands to embed media diversification early into the campaign development process, and allocate their ad spend effectively and efficiently into channels, like OOH. Among all advertising mediums, OOH advertising stands out as the most effective in capturing consumer attention. According to a recent survey conducted by the OAAA and Morning Consult, an overwhelming 88% of adults notice OOH ads, with nearly 80% of those viewers inspired to take action.

Amy Still, Founder and CEO of Whisk, added, “The rapid pace of change in the OOH sector presents immense opportunities for brands to be innovative and make a lasting impact in their media plans. Partnering with Talon’s Grand Visual allows Whisk to offer our customers the most advanced solutions in OOH and experiential advertising worldwide.”

Commenting on the partnership, Jay Young, Chief Client Officer of Grand Visual, said: “We are excited to partner with Whisk and to be able to offer brands even more powerful creativity in OOH to help them reach their target audiences. The combination of our creative expertise and Whisk’s innovative technology platform is a game-changer for the industry.”

Barry Cupples, Group CEO of Talon, added: “I am excited to see this partnership between Grand Visual and Whisk. By combining our respective strengths, we’ll be able to provide advertisers with a truly unique and effective approach to OOH advertising. This partnership demonstrates Talon’s commitment to driving innovation in the OOH space and delivering measurable value for our clients.”

The partnership between Grand Visual and Whisk marks a pivotal moment in the OOH advertising industry. With a shared commitment to innovation, personalized messaging, and creating significant campaign impact which resonates with audiences and reaches consumers in a meaningful way in the physical world.

Tourism is returning to pre-pandemic levels and travel is leading the way as a top-spending advertising category so far this year. By leaning into data, technology, and creativity, destination marketers are building effective cross-channel campaigns that reach consumers throughout daily journeys, bringing captivating travel experiences to life that prompt consumer action.

Earlier this month, Talon US CEO, Jim Wilson moderated a panel, Data-Driven Omnichannel Strategies: Turning Data to Stories, at the eTourism Summit in Las Vegas.  

For the destination storytelling discussion, Jim was joined by panelists: Stuart Butler, CMO, Visit Myrtle Beach; Donald Lilley, Director of Technology and Business Intelligence, Visit Baltimore and Anna Strider, Director of Digital Strategy & Online Marketing, Visit Lake Charles.

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

“Our brand is a juxtaposition of our different destinations and what we have to offer. We’re looking at new and creative ways to get in front of our audience and we’re using OOH to get our message in front of a new audience. In making decisions, we focus on where that OOH placement is and who’s seeing it as it’s about reaching the right audience at the right place.” – Anna Strider

“Content is king, visitor experience is queen and visitor data is the crown jewel. We look at data from a lot of different perspectives. We use data to help us tell stories, look at what content is resonating and for audience-building. We hook people through content as a gateway to get people to come to our destination.” – Stuart Butler

“We’re using OOH for experiential, and we try to have playful interactions with people. Last year, we ran an OOH campaign that calculated the distance to our beaches so people driving down from Ohio and New York can see how much further before they arrive. We heard a lot of feedback that people loved that campaign, and it was our most commented piece that we’ve done in OOH — and people in our local community loved it.” – Stuart Butler

“For us, destination storytelling is about three components — authenticity by keeping it real, the engagement with the audience and the data. From a data perspective, we know that 53% of visitors to Baltimore are visiting friends and families. So, it’s important for those same family, friends and relatives to be part of our storytelling. Tourism needs to impact your community and our stories need to be about our neighborhoods and our minority-owned and women-owned businesses.” – Donald Lilley

NEW YORK – April 6, 2023 – Talon, the global independent Out of Home (OOH) media agency, in collaboration with the company’s award-winning digital creative production arm, Grand Visual, today unveiled the launch of a cutting-edge experiential Out of Home (OOH) campaign for Shake Shack to promote the launch of their White Truffle Burger – part of its all-new White Truffle Menu.

Known as “the king of the mushroom kingdom,” white truffles are the rarest and most valuable mushrooms in the world. These edible fungi grow in limited locations and conditions need to be just right – from the trees and soil to the temperature and moisture. Generally, white truffles can only be found at fine dining restaurants, but Shake Shack is bringing the fine dining experience to your local Shack in collaboration with Regalis Foods – no reservations required – via their White Truffle Burger, which features real white truffle sauce.

Shake Shack partnered with Talon and Grand Visual to develop the interactive OOH portion of its multi-medium marketing campaign. The premise of the digital OOH (DOOH) campaign is “Shake Shack’s White Truffle Hunt” throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Phase one of the campaign will kick off on April 3rd and run through April 6th with a call to action to join the hunt for a chance to win $2,000 – the estimated value of one white truffle, along with other prizes like meal upgrades. Dynamic digital billboards near Bryant Park will count down the days, hours, and minutes leading up to the launch of the truffle hunt.

“Our White Truffle menu is our most elevated menu yet, and we’re excited to highlight the new items in a way that captivates and engages New Yorkers in their surroundings,” said Mike McGarry, Vice President of Brand Marketing, Shake Shack. “We look forward to bringing our immersive campaign to life right in our hometown of New York City.”

“Digital out of home is playing a pivotal role in spreading large-scale awareness and engagement with Shake Shack’s limited-run White Truffle menu item. In collaboration with the fast casual brand and our creative agency Grand Visual, we have designed a unique real-world brand experience for New Yorkers that is also creating real business value for Shake Shack,” said Jonathan Conway, Chief Operating Officer, Talon.

Shake Shack’s White Truffle hunt officially starts on April 10^th as part of phase two, concluding on the 16^th. Three hundred strategically located LinkNYC DOOH screens will turn into interactive zones. Each screen has a unique QR code that sends the public – the truffle hunters – a geo-tagged URL. The hunters are then invited to ‘virtually’ dig at that DOOH site using their smartphones to potentially uncover prizes, meal upgrades, or maybe nothing at all.

“Shake Shack is known for putting their guests at the center of everything they do – from their bold menu options to their digital infrastructure. In turn, we created an audience-led experiential campaign that unites smart media planning and creative digital execution to achieve a meaningful connection with their target audience,” said Dan Dawson, Chief Creative Officer, Grand Visual.

Every participating LinkNYC screen features a unique piece of campaign creative and is reactive to changes in weather, such as rain. (Hint: White truffles grow best in moist environments, and after a rain, truffles can appear overnight.) The groundbreaking display technology allows the brand to harness the full power of DOOH, tapping into the sophisticated medium’s ability to use dynamic messaging and weather triggers. It also allows Shake Shack to validate that its truffle hunters have found themselves at a specific hunt site, providing maximum flexibility to award prizes across a high volume of locations across the three New York City boroughs.

OOH continues to be one of the fastest growing mediums. According to the OAAA, the national trade association for the entire OOH media ecosystem, OOH advertising revenue increased 20.7 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year. A key OOH driver is the DOOH segment, which jumped 24.2 percent year-over-year.

London and Toronto – MARCH 20th, 2023 – Talon, the global independent Out of Home (OOH) media agency, today announced that it has acquired Novus Media Canada Corp, a leading specialized media agency, to further bolster its global presence and accelerate growth in the Canadian market.

Talon Expands in Canada: Acquires Novus Media for OOH Dominance

Under the ownership of Novus Media LLC, Novus Canada has leveraged its prowess for geography and understanding of location to build smart campaigns for agency partners and their many OOH advertisers.  In the past four years, the agency has grown into one of the largest and most respected OOH specialist agencies in Canada.

Approaching its tenth anniversary, Talon works with global brands such as PepsiCo, PUMA and BBC as well as leading agencies Omnicom Media Group, Havas and Stagwell, delivering the most effective, innovative and creative media solutions for OOH at global, national and regional levels. Talon secured new investment from Equistone Partners Europe in July 2022, providing the capital to support its global expansion both organically and acquisitively.

Talon’s acquisition of Novus Canada provides true independence and global access to best-in-class buying, planning, creativity and industry-leading technology platforms to enable all agencies and direct advertisers to connect with engaged consumers in their daily journeys in Canada and globally. With OOH poised to achieve 12% growth in Canada in 2023, Talon’s Canadian team will be equipped with Talon’s creative and technology-forward solutions to lead the OOH marketplace in Canada.

Talon Group CEO Barry Cupples said, “Our global agency scale and innovation focus sets us apart and the addition of Novus Canada marks another important step in our growth strategy. As the leading global independent OOH agency, we’re delivering best-in-class services, data and technologies that enable brands to take advantage of a resurgent Out of Home market.”

Out of Home has evolved into a sophisticated, data-driven and innovative medium – and Talon is at the forefront of the transformation. Through digitization, audience-based targeting, advanced measurement and unmatched creativity, Talon is helping brands and agencies re-imagine the possibilities of what OOH can do to deliver better outcomes for brands and add genuine value to the top and bottom line.

“As we embarked on our expansion strategy into Canada, we recognized that while many of our brands are cross-border, Canada is a unique and exciting market,” said Jim Wilson, Talon US CEO. “Novus Canada has established itself as the leading independent agency with stellar leadership, a specialist team and a track record of success. Joining forces gives us an even greater opportunity to realize our growth ambitions in North America, drive higher advertising market share into OOH, increase innovation in the market and unlock more value for brands in Canada.”

“Becoming part of Talon is not only an exciting opportunity for our Canadian Out of Home team,” said Melony Rios, CEO of Novus Media LLC. “It’s a win-win scenario for clients in Canada, for Talon, and Novus. Novus Media will continue to stay focused on our rapidly growing U.S. multimedia business delivering customized, fully multichannel media programs for marketers.”

Debbie Benadiba, CEO of Talon’s Canadian operation, said, “Not only will we be integrated and aligned with Talon’s strategic growth objectives, but we will also be positioned to leverage our combined best-in-class tools and technology for marketers. It positions us to be Canada’s largest, truly independent OOH agency that has compelling and competitive advantages for our clients and agency partners.”

Debbie is a media veteran, with leadership roles on the media vendor side with Bell Media and Rogers Media for more than 20 years, and leading Novus Canada since 2019. She currently holds board seats with DPAA, a global digital OOH trade association, and COMMB, a leading OOH industry association in North America and chairs WE.DOOH. DPAA’s Women’s Advisory board.

Unlocking OOH Value: Data, Creativity, and Growth

In the latest edition of Geopath OOH Office Hours, Talon America CEO, Jim Wilson joined Geopath President, Dylan Mabin for a conversation on how advertisers can take advantage of data-driven planning and targeting capabilities, emerging creativity, and outcomes-based measurement to unlock more value in OOH.

Key Takeaways:

A core mission is to utilize data-led technology to reduce friction in OOH buying and get more dollars into the medium. While advertisers have historically allocated just 4% to 5% of overall ad budgets to OOH, brands and agencies have shared that they’re planning to invest more in OOH over the next three years according to Talon-BWG research.

“We’re democratizing inventory and the ability to give advertisers access to real-time availability,” said Wilson. “This allows them to know what the best pieces of inventory are out there for them to use. This is a big part of reducing friction.”

Automation in the form of Programmatic OOH is another growth opportunity as advertisers look to leverage the speed and flexibility to change campaign messaging or delivery on the fly. “We’re seeing new clients coming to OOH with the use of programmatic buying,” said Wilson. “And this represents incremental dollars for OOH.”

Brands are pushing the creative boundaries of OOH with new technologies like full-motion digital video, AR/VR, and 3D creative – and this is becoming more mainstream with the growing use of dynamic creative capabilities in OOH. “We’re creating engaging experiences that delight consumers and drive behavior,” said Wilson. “It’s all about experiences and there’s no better medium than OOH for using data-driven creative to bring brands to life.”

Watch the full Geopath OOH Office Hours fireside chat here.

Originally published by The Drum

OOH Resurgence: Impacts and Synergies with Other Advertising Channels

2022 saw the resurgence of out-of-home (OOH) advertising. Jim Wilson, chief executive at Talon America, explains why advertisers should be investing more in 2023.

Advertisers have embraced a transformed, digitized, and unmissable medium that offers scale, boundless creative opportunity, increased interactivity and measurable outcomes. With a potential recession ahead, advertisers will emphasize efficiencies and outcomes to make their ad dollars work harder — and OOH is poised to win a bigger share of media budgets as a proven channel for driving full-funnel brand results.

Our latest BWG Talon OOH Advertising study of brand marketers and agencies revealed that industry optimism for OOH is growing and advertisers are planning on investing more in OOH in 2023: 93% of advertisers are planning to allocate 5% or more of their overall marketing budgets to OOH in 2023, and 97% are planning to allocate 5% or more in 2025. For context, advertisers currently allocate just 4% to 5% of overall ad budgets to OOH even though we spend 70% of our time outside. In other markets, like the UK, OOH budgets are closer to 10% of the marketing spend.

The deprecation of third-party cookies and Apple’s privacy changes have restricted how digital marketers can target consumers online leaving them to turn to other channels — and OOH is a clear beneficiary. The BWG Talon Study found that 31% of incremental OOH budgets in 2023 will come from social media.

In parallel, linear TV advertising costs have continued to rise despite declining viewership and ratings. The average cost per viewer is projected to increase by 15% (from $304 in 2020 to $349 in 2023) while TV viewership simultaneously declines by more than 7%, according to eMarketer. Conversely, OOH bulletins were found to be 4.6 times more efficient on a CPM basis than TV ads in the top ten DMAs, according to Geopath and SQAD data.

With performance-based media strategies taking center stage in 2023, here are my top five OOH advertising predictions for the year ahead

Performance marketers embrace OOH for attribution

Over 70% of advertisers said that having better measurability and attribution solutions would contribute to greater investment in OOH in our survey — and this bodes well for increased adoption of OOH. While some advertisers are becoming familiar with data-driven OOH capabilities, there is still more education needed on how OOH can reach engaged audiences in their daily journeys with precision and improved measurability. With increased scrutiny on media budgets in the year ahead, advertisers will be drawn to OOH for its ability to directly correlate spending with exposure and outcomes. For instance, access to audience behavior and location data allows OOH advertisers to tie ad exposure back to brand sentiment, purchase intent, location, and website visits. For a national steakhouse OOH campaign, we drove a 318% lift in restaurant visits measured using location data.

Programmatic OOH adoption accelerates

Programmatic is gaining momentum with advertisers as a way to transact for OOH. Insider Intelligence projected that programmatic OOH spending would double this year but it’s still only a small share as only $1 out of every $20 spent on OOH is transacted programmatically. Programmatic OOH gives advertisers the agility, speed, and creative flexibility they are used to in other digital channels, to adjust and optimize campaigns in our dynamic and fast-changing world. With no spending commitments or guarantees, advertisers can shift budgets from other channels or within the channel, across media owners, venue types, or locations, as needed. Additionally, the use of programmatic and DOOH is appealing to advertisers that are increasingly focused on sustainable business practices. As advertisers look to be more nimble next year, we expect programmatic OOH uptake to accelerate — and the BWG Talon survey found that 100% of advertisers are aware that DOOH is available programmatically today.

Expansion of cross-platform OOH video campaigns

Our study found that OOH is increasingly used as part of an advertiser’s cross-platform strategy — and 86% say they somewhat often or very often consider OOH as part of their omnichannel strategy. Digital video is also becoming a big part of the growing digital OOH (DOOH) landscape giving advertisers more opportunities to capture consumer attention with full motion video content across more screen formats — from street furniture and stadiums to restaurants and gyms. With the emergence of cross-channel video campaigns, advertisers can un-silo OOH and connect in-home streaming TV audiences and OOH as an integrated media buy.

Immersive, experiential OOH campaigns go mainstream

During this past year, we’ve witnessed more creative experimentation with digital OOH campaigns that showcased the potential for brands to combine creative, immersive, and experiential elements to the medium — a trend that’s further reinforced with the growing use of dynamic creative capabilities in OOH. For instance, brands are using Augmented Reality (AR) technology to turn digital screens into interactive ads that create meaningful and viral moments, such as Puma’s DOOH campaign for their sneaker launch designed in collaboration with NBA Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball. Already, marketers are seeing that these campaigns can outperform other mediums in driving buzz and consumer engagement. Looking ahead, we can expect to see that brands will move past experimentation to execute tech-led creative OOH campaigns on a larger scale that stand out, drive amplification, and bring their brand messages to life in the real world.

Spotlight on brand safety drives shift to OOH

Twitter’s recent account verification issues have magnified the importance of brand safety and the imperative for ad platforms to protect brand reputation. OOH ads provide a platform for advertisers to a brand-safe story that is both unskippable and undiluted by potential negative content adjacencies – nor will it be overshadowed by a media owner or publisher that an ad runs on. With the spotlight staying on brand safety as an advertiser imperative, this will become an added driver for shifting ad dollars to OOH.

In just a few short years, the OOH industry has transformed itself into an invaluable channel for advertisers to achieve their brand-building and performance marketing. As advertisers shift their ad dollars to get in front of relevant audiences in the most cost-effective way and at scale, OOH is a winning larger-than-life medium — and will continue its resurgence for delivering brand safety, precision targeting, outcomes-based measurement, and unmatched creativity.

2023 Advertising Trends: More Investment in Out-of-Home Expected

Data-Driven Targeting, Unmatched Scale/Reach, and Unskippable Nature Are Among Advertisers’ Top OOH Considerations

More than half (51%) of advertisers expect to invest more in Out of Home (OOH) in 2023, according to a new survey of brand marketers and agencies released by BWG Strategy, a leading provider of market intelligence, data, and other information, and Talon America, a leading independent OOH media specialist and technology services company.

Currently, advertisers are allocating just 4 to 5% of overall ad budgets to OOH. The survey reveals that industry optimism for OOH is growing with 93% of advertisers planning to allocate 5% or more of their overall marketing budgets to OOH in 2023; and 97% are planning to allocate 5% or more in 2025. The study finds that marketers are planning to shift budgets from other channels to OOH – with social media (31%) and linear TV (25%) representing the top channels that advertisers will shift budget from to allocate more investment in OOH.

OOH is increasingly being used as part of an advertiser’s cross-platform strategy – with 86% citing that they somewhat often or very often consider OOH as part of their omnichannel strategy consideration. Additionally, the increase in digital screens and programmatic capabilities offers advertisers greater opportunities to expand the use of OOH. Adoption of digital OOH (DOOH) formats is high with almost half (49%) of advertisers stating that their OOH spend was DOOH in nature today, and 100% stating that they are aware that DOOH is available programmatically today. Programmatic is gaining momentum with advertisers as a way to transact for DOOH buys – with programmatic OOH spending projected to double this year, according to Insider Intelligence.

“Consumers have returned to the great outdoors in full force and marketers are embracing the full potential of the digitized and unmissable OOH medium that offers a limitless creative canvas and an unmatched ability to reach one-to-many at meaningful scale,” said Jim Wilson, CEO of Talon America. “Our BWG study validates that OOH is an effective and valuable channel – transformed by data and technology to deliver more targeted and measurable campaigns and built for omnichannel success to allow advertisers to start a customer journey from in-home to out of home.”

Driving brand awareness is seen as a key advantage of OOH with advertisers saying that they’re primarily using OOH for top-of-funnel marketing efforts: 76% of respondents indicate that they use OOH for mass awareness and 73% indicate that they use OOH for brand building.

However, data-driven capabilities in OOH are fueling advertiser adoption to achieve full-funnel brand goals. The study finds that the three most important attributes for advertisers when considering OOH are data-driven audience targeting opportunities (49%), unmatched scale/reach (49%), and the unskippable nature of OOH (43%). Additionally, over 70% cite having better measurability and attribution solutions would contribute to greater investment in OOH.

“Our study shows that advertisers are shifting their dollars to follow their audiences that have largely resumed their pre-pandemic outdoor lifestyles,” said  Brad Lyons, Partner & Head of Primary Research of BWG Strategy. “We can expect advertisers to take advantage of newer audience-based targeting and attribution capabilities in OOH for both brand building and performance marketing to engage consumers with the right message at the right time and in the right place.”

Methodology: 

Talon commissioned BWG to conuct an advertiser study on OOH usage, spending, and priorities in the planning, buying, and measurement of OOH advertising. BWG executed an online survey via Qualtrics among 40 brand marketers and agencies involved in the decision-making for OOH advertising. The survey participants were qualified as senior decision-makers at scaled advertising agencies that were allocating ad dollars into out of home. The study was conducted in September 2022.

The complete BWG Talon OOH Advertising study can be accessed below.

Krystal Restaurants and Talon America: A New OOH Partnership

Unveils New Creative OOH Campaign for Premium Side Chik Sandwich

New York, NY – October 31, 2022 – Talon America, a leading independent Out of Home (OOH) media specialist and technology services company, today announced that it has been appointed as U.S. OOH media agency partner by Krystal Restaurants, the original quick-service restaurant chain in the South. Krystal is expanding its brand of craveable indulgences for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night, and Talon was selected as a partner with proven data-driven targeting and measurement capabilities to develop and execute OOH campaigns for its new premium sandwich offering and support overall brand and growth goals.

Krystal Restaurants operates nearly 300 restaurants across 9 states and Talon will deploy an OOH format mix of static and digital billboards, spanning digital bulletins, posters, transit shelters, gas station video networks (GSTV), and among others. Leveraging its technology platforms, Talon will execute precision targeting and measurable campaigns to drive foot traffic and sales performance aligned to restaurant locations. Krystal and Talon just unveiled a new OOH creative campaign to promote the new premium Side Chik chicken sandwich.

OOH continues to be the most effective medium for reaching one-to-many at scale – and 43 percent of U.S. adult consumers are noticing OOH ads more than before the pandemic, jumping to 59 percent with Millennials, 62 percent in cities with populations of one million plus, and 63 percent with Gen Z, according to the OAAA.

“Krystal has built a reputation of offering hot, fast, and friendly service paired with highly craveable menu items and OOH offers an unmatched creative canvas with new audience-based targeting and outcomes-based measurement capabilities for reaching local audiences with impactful storytelling,” said Jim Wilson, CEO of Talon America. “We look forward to our collaboration with Krystal to helping them achieve their full-funnel brand goals – from awareness to the purchase stage – with bold, unmissable OOH campaigns that reach high value on-the-go audiences.”

“As we continue to expand our restaurant locations and menu offerings, we’re refocusing our investments in OOH as an integral part of our omnichannel strategy for driving awareness, engagement, and conversion,” said Casey Terrell, Chief Marketing Officer of Krystal Restaurants. “We’re impressed with Talon’s OOH expertise, data, and technology capabilities that can deliver precision targeting and measurable performance outcomes in creative OOH campaigns to support our growth.”

About Talon

Talon Outdoor is the leading global independent Out of Home (OOH) media specialist and technology services company focused on delivering smarter, creative, data-driven integrated OOH communications. Combining independence with a collaborative approach, Talon promotes open and transparent working relationships between many of the world’s leading agencies, clients, and media partners. Headquartered in London with additional offices in Manchester and its affiliate Talon America LLC headquartered in New York City, Talon delivers expertise at the global, national, regional, and local levels. Additionally, Plexus, Talon’s global OOH planning and buying network, connects over 20 Talon and partner offices around the world, enabling expert campaign planning in over 100 markets worldwide. Learn more at www.talonoutdoor.com. Connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Krystal Restaurants LLC

Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, Krystal Restaurants LLC is the original quick-service restaurant chain in the South. Krystal hamburgers have been served fresh and hot off the grill on the iconic square bun since 1932. The company proudly sticks to the classics, but over the years, they’ve never been afraid to innovate.

Krystal has grown to be in 9 states with nearly 300 restaurants and continues to deliver a one-of-a-kind taste experience through their unique menu items that are offered at a great price. The company’s Atlanta-based Restaurant Support Center serves a team of more than 3,500 employees. In 2019, the company was selected as USA Today’s 2019 Top-10 Best Regional Fast Food List.

For more information, visit krystal.com or follow on Facebook and Instagram.

Out of Home (OOH) advertising has evolved into a targetable and attributable high impact medium for brands to reach, engage, and influence consumer behavior in an effective way. But what exactly is driving OOH’s renaissance and what will fuel the creative future of the advertising channel?

Driving OOH Creativity: Tech, Strategies & Emerging Opportunities

Talon’s Group CEO Barry Cupples sat down with Advertising Week Global President Ruth Mortimer for a fireside chat at Advertising Week New York 2022 about the growing excitement for OOH as an integral part of the multi-media, multi-channel ad strategy. Barry delved into what’s behind OOH’s Renaissance, including how audience-first planning, intelligent technology platforms, creative innovation, and flexibility are all contributing to driving meaningful and measurable business outcomes.

Among Barry Cupples’ key takeaways:

• “OOH only accounts for 3% of total U.S. ad spend. The reality is that it’s miles off from where it should be – and that’s why I joined OOH.”
• “OOH is having a Renaissance. It’s joining the big girl’s table. We’re now omni-channel capable. There have been major technological advancements. We’ve always had massive creativity and reach in OOH. You can tap into richer audience and behavioral insights. We underwent a digital transformation and have the tools to drive measurable outcomes. Essentially, we’ve jumped leaps and bounds in OOH. And it seems like the only people who don’t know it are the clients!”
• “Emerging technologies like AI, AR, VR, and 3D are massively impacting OOH. Consumers in the U.S., UK and China have begun to see bold creative jumping out of the screen – this will become the norm as the use of emerging tech continues to grow. For me, AR and VR campaigns and their ability to drive social experiences is the biggest opportunity that OOH has in the next five years.”

For a discussion on the undeniable power of OOH creativity in breaking through the clutter and capturing consumer attention, Talon America’s Senior Vice President of Client Strategy Enza Chiodi was joined by Jay Young, Grand Visual Chief Client Officer; Brad Simms, GALE CEO & President; and Al Dejewski, MilkPEP Vice President of Marketing. The panel of OOH, creative, and brand experts shared how craft, canvas, connectivity, and content can help marketers tap into the endless creative possibilities of OOH, allowing any brand to execute out-of-the-box campaigns that are not only location drivers, but can drive cross-channel storytelling, social amplification, consumer engagement, and measurable outcomes. And with digital OOH innovations and immersive technologies like AR, brands are entering the next dimension with visually bold and creative storytelling campaigns that deliver compelling, larger than life moments.

Among the panelist key takeaways:

OOH creativity has evolved in the last few years.

•  “Post-pandemic, planners, marketers, and creatives, who were confined to the perimeters of a digital display ad, had a desire to do something bigger, better, and burst out of the boundaries of the billboard. There was also a desire to reconnect with audiences emotionally. As a result, we’ve seen some incredible OOH campaigns.” – Jay Young
• “Media is the new experiential and OOH is where people are. So, we’re seeing OOH drive a different strategy lens, which drives a different creative lens, which drives a different way you think about media. On the agency side, what we’ve seen in OOH has been transformative – especially in the last 18 months.” – Brad Simms

Tech advancements are driving creativity – and taking OOH campaigns to the next level.

• “When you talk about the funnel, technology is one of the OOH elements that allows you to get into consideration. One of the unique campaigns we’re working on with Milk involves leveraging user-generated posts from Reddit about the product, which we’re pushing to OOH to show the uses of milk. That moves OOH away from static content that is up for 30 days into something that is closer to a trending conversation – and by converging these mediums, OOH goes beyond the awareness phase and into consideration.” – Brad Simms
• “When you buy OOH, you’re buying screens. Digital, connected screens that allow you to take the right, contextual message to the right audience at the right location to drive the right connection with that audience. It’s akin to real-time programmatic – and we’re leveraging the medium in a relevant way to help us tell our story.” – Al Dejewski
• “There’s lots of new tech out there. More and more cameras are being built into digital screens, which makes mass augmented reality experiences possible. The minute you do it en masse, you start to create more emotional connections. And the more you incorporate that kind of tech into digital screens, the more interesting the campaign can become. What we need is more media owners to hedge their bets by building the technology into their digital OOH screens.” – Jay Young

Driving client inspiration and ideas starts with moving OOH upstream.

• “OOH inspiration is all around. But our job is to connect the dots. We have to bring brand, media agency, creative agency, media owners, and innovative suppliers together and strategize on how we can create something special to tell the brand story. That’s when the really interesting work gets made.” – Jay Young
• “OOH can’t start with a media buying conversation. It has to start with the storytelling. The strategists and the creatives are thinking about the consumer and the journey – and they are baking in the decision to leverage digital OOH, 3D, etc. Frankly, we need to move the contemplation of how to fit in OOH way North.” – Brad Simms

The next big thing in OOH is…

• “In the future, I expect the continued digital expansion of the OOH landscape to better democratize the various creative uses of the medium. Also, there will be an uptick in the natural integration of OOH into the fabric of a city – where a building becomes the screen.” – Jay Young
• “OOH is at this hockey stick growth point where we’re about to see epic innovation with technology, location, and integration with digital and mobile.” – Brad Simms
• “The runway is huge for OOH. Measurement will continue to be key because as we tell that brand story, I need to make sure that I deliver returns on the OOH investment – not only from a dollar perspective, but also from a consumer perspective. We have to change attitudes and sell more products – regardless of your category.” – Al Dejewski