It’s been a busy week for us here at DO. Nick, Kim and I headed south to the 2008 Traffic Audit Bureau Eyes On Out-of-Home Media Conference and Marketing EXPO (try saying that 3x fast!). Meanwhile, Dave headed west to the ad:tech conference in San Francisco. Coming out of both conferences is a renewed enthusiasm for the alternative and out-of-home media segments. There’s so much innovation going on right now. And the creative applications of the opportunities presented by the medium are truly inspiring.
After spending several days in seminars and meeting industry professionals in the various segments (buying, selling, supporting, measuring, etc.) there seem to be a few key themes hitting the OOH media channel right now.
First is absolutely the technological revolution that is taking place’€¦and I’m not just talking about the rapid growth of digital networks and billboards (although that is huge right now as well). I’m really talking about the impact new technology is having on the way EVERYTHING is done’€¦measurement, projections, proof of performance, digital printing’€¦the list could go on and on. The Eyes On project itself will completely change the way certain properties within the OOH industry are presented, evaluated and perceived by the planning and buying community. At last, there will be a common language and metrics both between each of the affected inventory types and across various media channels (we’re talking CPMs, GRPs, reach vs. target demographics, engagement numbers, etc.). Having the information in hand when a seller contacts an advertiser or agency will completely change the path of the conversation. I’m looking forward to seeing how the industry embraces the new numbers and how it impacts the slice of the media pie served up to OOH.
The second big theme I’m seeing is one of my favorite rants, coming from a brand marketing background: the need for media buyers and strategists and creatives and account managers and clients to sit down and put the customer at the forefront of all planning activities. It’s one of those things that seems obvious, but tends to be a rare occurrence. However, as Tamera Geddes and Jon Carlaw from Wieden+Kennedy presented in their careerbuilder.com Start Building campaign case study, taking the time to really understand the consumer ‘€“ where they go, what they do, their mindsets at each point, etc. ‘€“ BEFORE developing the media plan and the creative direction can have huge payoffs, both in terms of brand relevance and ROI. As a result, all of the campaign elements (online, tv, out-of-home) were integrated, building on the unique strengths of each medium and matching the creative to the execution and consumer mindset at the time they would interact with each medium.
The last theme is simply the optimism surrounding the growth opportunities within the industry. As technology negatively impacts other channels (newspapers, radio, tv), this is the time for out-of-home and alternative channels to flourish. It’s a part of our physical world (and even our virtual ones, for that matter). It’s engaging, even entertaining when done right. And it can’t be zapped, flipped, deleted or blocked. The outlook is definitely rosey’€¦no special glasses required.
