Newsline Feature: Where next for OOH?
Nick Mawditt, global director of insight and marketing at Kinetic, reviews the recent OAA Conference and asks: Where next for Out of Home media in the current climate?
The Outdoor Advertising Association’s recent conference – the 3rd Space – took an honest perspective on the state of the medium and how it has fully embraced technology and the changing consumer to improve and diversify its product. Given this was the first such event held by the Out of Home industry in five years, the different elements of the business have clearly been incredibly busy in the intervening period.
The outcome was a series of insights which demonstrated increased sophistication, accountability and a call to trade on the realistic deliverables of audience value, above mere panels. The way ahead looks exciting.
Following some engaging insights into the dynamics of the 3rd Space, Out of Home agency specialists Kinetic and Posterscope combined across two presentations to highlight strategic and data-led initiatives that clearly illustrate the changing focus of Out of Home. Posterscope’s Glen Wilson referenced online synergies, James Copley from Kinetic talked about how data enhancements and complex consumer targeting add sophistication and insight to the medium’s planning, whilst Kinetic’s Chris O’Donnell delivered a comprehensive, and thankfully humorous, overview of an industry embracing increased flexibility.
The heads of Clear Channel and CBS Outdoor reiterated the advances made through industry investment, with Clear Channel’s CEO Barry Sayer issuing a strong challenge to other media to commit to netting down audience measurement, in light of Postar’s renewed commitment to a more accountable eyes on measure of impact and OTS.
The point was given greater currency by James Whitmore’s round-up of Postar changes ahead of the 2010 launch. The revolutionary GPS tracking study – replacing a claimed study with actual audience movements, and all the nuances such accuracy brings – has uncovered a 20% increase in travel, aptly demonstrating the relevance of the medium in today’s society.
Further credibility came from Brand Science’s Sally Dickerson, who revealed substantial evidence of Outdoor’s effectiveness from over 400 econometric studies. The conference was left in no doubt as to the role of Out of Home in being capable of delivering impact. The medium is becoming more effective over time and with mixed media engagement, and would justify an average 16% of a media budget. The work is definitely worth a look.
JCDecaux’s Jeremy Male faced up to the recession, highlighting what was needed to address current concerns. Posterscope’s Annie Rickard’s call for a switch to trading by audience metrics was a rallying cry of sorts, for the industry to reflect the value of its consumers, as it competes with other media for share.
The degree of collaboration on display across the industry is a step forward in ensuring the medium matches its potential. Room for actual contributions from the floor and some debate would have clarified this more than was feasible on the day.
From the tone of the conference, the industry is already clearly embracing change. The future – although not recession-proof – will be bright in the context of a wider communications industry needing consumer insight, flexibility and accountability. Perhaps we can pick up on the themes in a different forum before another five years passes by.