Ask an Expert- What is DOOH?

We recently sat down with our Service Director, Mary Obringer, to get her take on DOOH advertising. Read on to learn more about this popular marketing option and reach out to the Dail Digital Team today to find out if this is a viable solution for your business!

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What is DOOH?

Digital Out of Home (DOOH) is a form of advertising on digital screens outside the home. These screens could be large like outdoor digital billboards or smaller like checkout screens in your local supermarket or drugstore.
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When did it become popular?

DOOH has really taken off in the last few years although it has been around longer than people might think. Vistar, one of the larger DOOH networks launched in 2012. Our partners began to get involved a year and a half to two years ago when the infrastructure made it feasible. I’d actually say it still isn’t particularly well known outside urban centers. I think it has become very popular in urban areas because there are so many opportunities to place screens at places where groups of people congregate.
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Where can DOOH ads be found?

Like I said, you can find DOOH ads while you’re driving or shopping at a supermarket. Other screens you might find in restaurants and bars, at shopping malls, even at your doctor’s office. Pretty much any location where you are interacting with a screen could potentially be connected to DOOH.
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What metrics do you find most valuable when measuring the success of a DOOH campaign?

DOOH continues to evolve but the measurements are still more traditional because people can’t click on the ads to go to a landing page and fill out a form or click to call. You can track metrics like impressions or reach, or you can get creative. For instance, if your consumer model involves phone calls, you could put a unique phone number on DOOH ads for tracking. Just keep in mind that if a user sees your DOOH ad and decides to later search for you online, you won’t be able to track that action.
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How can programmatic buying improve the performance of DOOH ads?

Programmatic buying allows advertisers to make real-time changes to ads without having to reach out to individual networks. It also combines all the reporting data in one spot so it’s much easier to look at trends and make decisions.
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What are the challenges of integrating DOOH ads into a larger omnichannel marketing strategy?

DOOH ads are still not as trackable as some other forms of advertising in terms of clicks, leads or conversions which can make it difficult to compared to other marketing channels. For smaller advertisers, the cost of DOOH can also be a barrier.

When considering DOOH as part of a larger campaign, think about the goals of the campaign. If your campaign is focused on purchase/conversion goals, then DOOH might not be the best fit. But if your campaign has goals such as brand awareness, reach, etc. DOOH could be a great fit.
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How important is the creative design of a DOOH ad in capturing attention in busy urban environments?

Grabbing attention quickly and conveying a succinct message is key in any environment but particularly when people are on the go. You have to remember that these digital screens are rotating through different ads so your ad will only be displayed for a few seconds. Your audience needs to be able to quickly digest your message.
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What are some key factors to keep in mind when considering DOOH as a viable marketing option?

Remember your goals. If your goals are aligned with getting your message out to a larger audience and saturating your market, this can be a great tool to accomplish that. But if your goals don’t align, it might not be the right tool for you.
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In your opinion, how effective is DOOH advertising in driving consumers to take action compared to online ads?

DOOH ads are great at creating interest and potentially lifting searches around a product or brand. It works well in conjunction with other marketing channels. But if you have a small budget that you can only put in one or two channels, this probably isn’t the best fit.
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Is there anything else businesses should know about this advertising option?

Digital Out of Home can be a great tool for a strategic campaign. Don’t shy away from it because it sounds too complicated. Just make sure it aligns with your overall strategy. If you want learn more about DOOH and see if this may be a viable solution for your business, click here to book your free intro call with our team at Dail Digital.

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