On the Road Again! - How Billboards are Making a Come Back in the Marketing Space

The concept of leasing space on billboards began in the 1860's, and the outdoor advertising industry has now risen to over $29 billion dollars in spending. Out-of-home (OOH) advertisements is projected to hit $33 billion by 2021, but how? With today's modern marketing trends that call for moving away from traditional ad methods and towards more engaging, technology fueled campaigns in digital and social, one would assume that the use of OOH channels would begin to diminish. So how are these out of home tactics, primarily consisting of billboards, continuing to grow.

When Jared Bell became the first person to print large-scale posters showcasing the Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey's circus performance in 1835, he used the resources and technology available to him to provide consumers the information they needed to attend the show. The simple yet accessible tools he had to advertise were tape, a large printer, and money from the circus. 

The First Large-Scale Poster, by Jared Bell Circa 1835

Today, we have access to much more than tape and printers. Companies such as Lamar and Clear Channel provide businesses with opportunities to exhibit their products and services on digital billboards that have the capability to change content with the click of a button or a pre-scheduled timer. However, marketers can use digital billboards and modern technology to go beyond the traditional changing billboard to better target relevant content to their audiences and provide more accurate metrics for ROI. 

One of the most unique examples of taking advantage of modern billboard technologies is from Toyota, the Japanese based multinational automotive manufacturer. Toyota has teamed up with Kinetic, a contextual marketing and advertising agency, to create more relevant billboards for drivers. As the third most congested country in Europe, U.K commuters spend on average 32 hours every year sitting in traffic, and Toyota is taking advantage of this statistic to enhance their already live "We Choose Hybrid" vehicle ad campaign. 

Kinetic has set up over 70 digital billboard locations across the country that target motorists based on their unique driving speeds during times of heavy traffic. A customized message will appear to passing vehicles based in their type of journey using Kinetic's D:four Drive technology paired with real-time traffic data from third parties. For example, motorists traveling over 20 MPH will see the digital billboard display "We Choose Petrol + Electric", whereas vehicles traveling 6 MPH - 19 MPH will see "I Want to Brake Free - Stopping and Starting Costs Nothing in Electric Mode". Kinetic's Account Director for this campaign says that "The combination of live data, targeted creative and the brand-building reach of DOOH (digital out-of-home) makes this a powerful example of how brands can use context to really connect with today’s audiences on the move.” Toyota Brand Awareness Manager of Great Britain, Emma Lane, provided comments about the campaign stating, "We’re delighted to be using the innovative live traffic speed data to allow us to deliver really relevant hybrid messages in the context of traffic conditions and encourage people to join over 10 million Toyota hybrid drivers.”

Another example of an effective, technology integrated U.K. billboard advertisement came from Britain's own British Airways (BA) in 2014. BA's smart and relevant DOOH #Lookup campaign featured a young boy or girl pointing to a BA aircraft in the sky, and the billboard would identify the origin of that specific plane flying over the city at that exact moment in time. Not only does this advertisement appeal to the child in all of us, but also provides unique, time-sensitive information to entertain the consumer. 

British Airways #Lookup campaign billboard located in Trafalgar Square, Central London

Why do we care?

Real-time DOOH billboard advertisements provide extremely relevant and personal content using modern technology to target even to a specific individual. Marketers today are feeling the pressures from their clients and executives to use every budgeted dollar most efficiently, and provide accurate ROI Key Performance Indicators. The challenge to any marketer is to advertise in the right place at the right time to the right people. However, we have recently added a new component to this challenge, and that is to also advertise in the right context. DOOH present marketers with new, contextually centered and engaging solutions using old fashioned marketing channels that are proving to make a greater impact on the consumer. Paired with social and other marketing strategies, billboards now have the opportunity rise again in the marketing industry.

Digital Billboards are continuing to appear across Europe and the U.S.

Sources:

https://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/2017/oct/24/kinetic-uses-live-traffic-data-target-drivers-according-their-speed/ 

https://oaaa.org/StayConnected/NewsArticles/IndustryRevenue.aspx

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/20/average-driver-will-spend-32-hours-year-traffic-jams-online/

http://adage.com/article/agency-viewpoint/digital-home-a-invention-advertising-s-origins/308906/

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/catalyst/using-dooh-to-advertise-in-context/article9920117.ece

https://oaaa.org/AboutOOH/OOHBasics/HistoryofOOH.aspx

http://www.lamar.com/Products/Digital

http://clearchanneloutdoor.com/products/digital-billboards/

https://az616578.vo.msecnd.net/files/2017/02/04/636218245636404807-979548691_ringling.jpg