Unrestricted: How COVID has failed to Suppress OOH Effectiveness
[27 November] This week we are sharing analysis of aggregated research results of more than 400 OOH campaigns that have been active during some form of restriction associated with the pandemic since March 2020. Trended information from our Poster Impact programme reveals how the pandemic has done nothing to suppress the effectiveness of OOH campaigns. Going Local, a brand-new study, shines a light on consumers relationship with their locality and OOH’s role locally. Across all key metrics, including recall, relevance, understanding and call to action, campaigns have performed better in 2020 than in the same period 2019. All campaigns were researched as part of our Poster Impact programme, which includes more than 1,000 campaigns each year.
Earlier in the year we reported findings from research conducted on our behalf by Ipsos MRBI which found that people felt OOH advertising would be one of the most effective channels in grabbing their attention in the coming six months. And so, it has proven to be.
To some, this may seem counterintuitive. So, why have these metrics uniformly improved? Again, we look to research and data for the answers. A new research study called Going Local, commissioned by PML Group and carried out independently by Ipsos MRBI gives fresh insights into consumers’ relationships with their locality and the role OOH advertising is playing in that context.
72% of adults agree that they pay more attention to what is happening in their local area these days, rising to 84% among 45-54 year olds. People are tuned in and attentive to their surroundings now, perhaps more so than any point in recent years. For instance, 71% of females are more likely to notice OOH posters and screens as they go about their local area these days. More than 6 in 10 (64%) believe Outdoor ads are a part of the everyday fabric of a local area.
But perhaps most significantly for brands is the contention among half the respondents that they feel more connected with brands that use Outdoor advertising these days, rising to 59% of 35-44 year olds.
As location marketing experts, we have needed to be more agile than ever this year in how we plan OOH campaigns. We have monitored mobility data closely, reacted to changing government restrictions in terms of retail and hospitality and adjusted our planning accordingly. We have factored changing audience behaviour into our clients plans to make OOH as effective as ever. The ongoing Poster Impact findings prove buses are as effective an advertising channel as they wind their way through our towns and villages as they are in our city centres. Classic billboards, Digital Screens and 6 Sheets are shown to grab attention as much in rural locations as town centres. As we enter 2021 and much anticipated vaccines lead to further changes in audience movement and behaviour these and future learnings, and their implications, will continue to make OOH a vital channel for brands.
