By: Rajesh Kumar, CEO – GCC & SEA, FNP

Being one of the best marketing tools out there for targeting large numbers of people at once, Out of Home (OOH) has become the go to method of advertising for many brands whose customers engagement style is constantly evolving, and behaviour becoming less predictable and more demanding. 

What OOH gave brands was a more impactful approach to advertising. It was able to reach people while on the go in the public areas, in transit, or during waiting times for services in commercial locations. This is why, OOH is now reined as one of the most effective tools for businesses that are operating in dense and highly competitive markets

Because OOH combines physical presence, prime locations, and immediacy, it can go where most other media can’t. It can drive awareness and engagement, and ultimately can lead to more successful transactions. What’s even more appealing is that OOH is not affected by ad blockers, and it cannot be turned off like broadcast or mobile ads can, giving clients a greater chance at capturing a vast audience. 

Sales and balance sheets…

Studies have revealed that OOH can significantly lower the cost of advertising because it has the ability to deliver to the same audience as other mediums do at a much lower cost.  A recent global econometrics study found that OOH delivers a very high return on investment – for every $1 spent on OOH advertising, $2.80 is generated in sales. The only medium that comes close to offering the same value would be radio.

For media planners, OOH is a cost-efficient option and can significantly improve the reach of other media campaigns. It not only redirects consumers from the big screen to the small one but can also increase the brand’s reach by around 18 to 20% for TV and up to 300% for mobile advertising. 

Since people rarely miss large outdoor adverts and creative messaging, big corporations were quick to capitalise on the prominent positioning this tool has to offer, becoming pioneers in being the highest drivers of OOH spend. The food and beverage, technology and online retail industries are amongst those who have most embraced OOH. Examples include McDonald’s, Apple, and Amazon.  

OOH trends to look out for …

OOH, including Digital OOH (DOOH) is constantly evolving, and can now offer audience planning and buying, creativity, flexibility, measurement and retargeting, giving it a competitive edge over other tools. In addition to that, outdoor advertising ads now incorporate Bluetooth signals so that they can broadcast information directly to those who are interacting with them. 

By harnessing data and information, advertisers can adjust and tailor their ad according to the needs and wants of their customers. This improves the targeting of campaigns, helps businesses deliver more contextually relevant adverts, and significantly increases the chances of outdoor ads being noticed by the target audience.

In the UAE, OOH is equally prevalent and evolving. One company investing heavily in OOH is Ferns N Petals (FNP.ae), the UAE’s leading gifting company, which has been among the leading brands in this realm.

FNP.ae has video billboards Driving on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road. The ads feature 12,000 times a day on the longest and busiest road in the country. Ads flash through an average of 750 times each every day – standing out with rich video content and clever messaging. The company has also ventured a great deal in LED billboard in a quest to upgrade its visibility.

In a nutshell…

OOH advertising is here to stay, and it will continue to gain momentum for years to come. On a global scale, the OOH market is forecast to grow by $11016.26 m during 2022-2027, according to the Global Out of Home Advertising Market 2023-2027 report.