The annual Geopath / OAAA convention kicked off this year with words from Geopath President Kym Frank and ended with a panel featuring fresh insights from top industry CEOs. In between the incredible tech demos, workshops, awards and social events, the DOmedia team found time to share some pretty cool stuff with our friends and partners. OAAA did a recap of the event as a whole. But, here are three super cool things you might have missed from the DOmedia team:

1) DOmedia Signed Kinetic as Our Newest Agency Users

We announced that Kinetic North America is set to begin using DOmedia! From the press release:

“Kinetic will leverage DOmedia’s planning platform to support the agency’s OOH buying and planning efforts. The system is designed to provide planning efficiencies from managing the vendor RFP process to refining media plans and managing the proof of performance process.”

With Kinetic joining the other agencies and brands using DOmedia, we’re proud to say our software now supports buyers representing nearly 20% of all U.S. out-of-home media spend (and nearly 40% of US agency-driven OOH spend).

2) DOmedia Presented Machine-Learning Insights to Help Sellers Help YOU!

Our presentation to the convention, “Machine Learning Looks Inside OOH Sales” leveraged over one million data-points to help sellers understand what data and behaviors were most valuable to OOH buyers. We presented actionable strategies to help sellers identify valuable areas for investment, improve their communication with buyers and better demonstrate the value of their media assets. Plus, it was all built on a foundation of artificial intelligence (an area where we are pursuing several projects this year).  

The presentation was extremely well received, and we look forward to finding more ways to bring buyers and sellers closer together through the power of technology.

3) BillboardsIn Put the Spotlight on Local OOH Buyers

BillboardsIn.com, our platform for local OOH media buyers, made its conference debut with an illuminating exhibit powered by real-time data. Wifi-connected lightbulbs on our giant map blinked whenever someone in each city came to the site looking for billboards. That’s tens of thousands of potential advertisers every month. The display helped sellers visualize the potential for ultra-fast transactions to revolutionize local OOH sales. Also… it just looked really really cool. The lightbulbs on the exhibit are capable of producing 33,000 combined lumens at full brightness. That’s enough to give you a Texas-sized suntan! We turned them all on to get this pic. 

Massive building wraps have become much more prevalent in the OOH industry over the past few years. Building wraps were once reserved only for the king-sized casinos of Las Vegas, but recently they have been finding their way into cities across the globe. Lately though, construction companies are placing an increased importance on developing commercial facilities that are sustainable and energy efficient. Are full-facade advertising wraps and the green world of tomorrow inherently at odds? This blog post will answer that question and inform readers on the factors surrounding it.

LEED Standards

Currently, commercial buildings account for around 41% of the world’s energy consumption. This heavy consumption has driven the industry’s need for a sustainable set of standards and ultimately led to LEED’s preeminent status. LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Standards are established by the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC) and serve as a framework that can be used “to create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings.”

Adhering to LEED standards can be done in a variety of ways, such as increasing daylighting, installing low-VOC carpet, or even just being close to public transportation. Hitting certain sustainability benchmarks earn buildings points. Then, once they acquire enough points they are designated as LEED certified. LEED-certified buildings use, on average, up to 11% less water, decrease maintenance costs by 19%, and emit 34% fewer greenhouse gases. Additionally, LEED Certified buildings can often charge their tenants higher rent, and might even receive government-funded tax breaks.

Building Wraps

Building wraps function as massive canvases for OOH advertising. They are offered in virtually any size, lend themselves to intense customization, and can last from just a few weeks to up to almost 5 years. Building wraps can also be used to hide unappealing architectural features or to conceal any ongoing renovations. Additionally, building wraps can be printed and installed relatively quickly, as it takes less than 15 hours to print a 20,000 square foot advertisement.  Wraps are usually printed on one of two materials:

• Vinyl: Vinyl wraps offer slightly better readability, but does so while blocking views and limiting the amount of daylight that can enter the space.
• Mesh: Mesh wraps provide tenants with full access to their outdoor views, and only slightly limit the amount of daylight entering the indoor space. Mesh wraps suffer from slightly worse readability, but the effect is minimal due to the usually long distance that wrap ads are viewed from.

Wrap-Up

The question asked at the beginning of the post was, “Are full-facade advertising wraps and the green world of tomorrow inherently at odds?” The simple answer to this query is no. Although building wraps do sometimes hinder the amount of daylight can penetrate a space, the effect of this on the environmental footprint of an entire building is relatively minimal. So even though there are some negative outcomes that come from wrapping a building, the list is very short.

In fact, it would seem that the relationship between wraps, and the buildings they are installed on, is actually mutually beneficial. Wraps that are reflective in nature help to reduce cooling costs in hotter months, while darker wraps that absorb sunlight help to reduce heating costs in cooler months. Another element of this mutualistic relationship pertains to public transportation. Buildings located near transportation hubs are considered to be more environmentally conscious, as it requires less work to reach them. In the OOH industry, locations near transportation hubs are seen as more valuable because they offer higher rates of exposure, and ultimately greater reach.

Today’s world is steadily shifting towards stricter sustainability guidelines and greener practices. Upon inspection, it’s clear to see that building wraps are as eye-catching as they are environmentally conscious. Through it all, OOH persists and manages to remain the lucrative, relevant ad format that it has always been.

Now that you know a little more about building wraps, and their relationship with environmentally sustainable buildings head on over to DOmedia, host of the largest database of OOH vendors in the US, and find the perfect location to place a wrap promoting your brand or company!

Mother’s Day is right around the corner. This year, on May 13th, moms everywhere will be recognized for all the hard work they do to make our lives better. To show our appreciation we’ve collected 5 awesome ads, inspired by moms, and put them on display here to be enjoyed!

For Moms On-the-Go…

It's #nationalfragranceday, so why not splash out on your mum's favourite perfume this year for #MothersDay #OOH pic.twitter.com/wjPOYCVR2E

— MMedia Group (@MMediaGroupLtd) March 21, 2017

This ad doesn’t just look great. It also uses a mobile format to communicate a nice Mother’s Day message to the masses. Mobile billboards can seriously enhance an ad’s exposure, and allow marketers to advertise in specific geographic areas. This billboard is supremely effective, and a perfect example of how advertisers can reach moms on the move!

The Things You’ll Do For The Ones You Love…

Moms From This N.Y. Agency Offer Hilarious Advice to Their Kids in New Outdoor Campaign via @Adweek https://t.co/7zBdTt6Nsu #OOH #MothersDay

— Kinetic USA (@KineticUSA) May 4, 2016

This billboard does an excellent job communicating a message that moms everywhere can relate to. Being relatable can be a great way to attract attention, and is one of the best ways to forge a bond between a brand and a target demographic. When being relatable though, be sure that the message can’t be misinterpreted, as it could lead to misunderstandings and negatively impact brand equity. Know the target audience, and craft an ad that will truly appeal to them.

On this Day in History…

#ThrowbackThursday: Mother's Day Edition #tbt #MothersDay #billboard #ooh pic.twitter.com/oB9chemN95

— Lamar of Fort Myers (@LamarFtMyers) May 5, 2016

Billboards have been effective for as long as they have existed. The format is inherently versatile, and people tend to naturally gravitate towards their messaging. This sliver of OOH history effectively demonstrates that and shows us that billboards really can be used for a wide variety of purposes. None of which, by the way, are more important than wishing mom well on the one day a year that is just for her.

In Case You Forgot…

Don't fret, @Trochtas has your back with this Mother's Day countdown. #OOH #MothersDay #OKC pic.twitter.com/pPQem0pKIe

— Lamar Oklahoma City (@LamarOKC) May 5, 2017

This countdown to Mother’s day is an awesome example of OOH providing quality information to viewers while simultaneously promoting a brand. Providing useful information is a great tactic as it naturally commands people’s attention, and ultimately helps brands build trust among consumers. This particular board is great as it lets moms everywhere know that they’re on our minds, while also reminding potentially forgetful family members that mom’s big day is fast approaching.

We hope that you and your family have an excellent Mother’s Day! Once mom has been properly recognized though, consider heading over to DOmedia, host of the largest database of OOH vendors in the US, to start planning your next powerful ad campaign!

Resizing Markers on a Map

This new feature allows users to adjust the size and type of Marker on a map they are working with. The options include changing the marker from a Pin to a Dot and also changing the size of the Marker so it appears as Small, Medium, or Large.

Auto-Calculation within the Proposal Grid

Users now have the ability to have data auto-calculated within the Proposal Grid. This means that fields on the grid will be populated in response to what is entered into other fields. For example, by setting a start and end date for the proposal and choosing a specific Cycle Type, the # of Cycles will automatically populate.

Lease Management

This new feature allows users to create and track leases. These leases are between sellers and a person or company that owns land in which the assets are located.

BillboardsIn.com is Ready to GROW! Starting today, you DOmedia’s tool for local buyers will be sending 75% more RFPs. Plus, we’re instituting a new lead scoring system. Read on to find out more! If you have questions, schedule a consultation with our support team.

What you should know:

• BillboardsIn served over 18,000 prospective advertisers last month.
• Of all the advertising requests buyers submit every day, DOmedia has only allowed a small fraction to be sent as RFPs.
• As of today, (Monday, 4/23/18) that has changed. We’ve opened the gates and initiated the next phase in the evolution of BillboardsIn, our platform for local advertisers.

What this means:

• Local advertisers using BillboardsIn will begin sending ~75% more RFPs via DOmedia.
• DOmedia will begin rolling out a new lead scoring system.
  • ~25% of BillboardsIn RFPs will include “GOLD” in the campaign name, meaning the buyer has shown above-average intent to purchase.
  • We’re giving you the power to choose how many sales you make.
  • We’ll be following up with you on GOLD opportunities, but you now have to power to sell to every advertiser who sends an RFP.

QUESTIONS?

Setup a consultation with a member of the support team!