Post-Pandemic Trends in Digital Out of Home

Roadside billboards. Eye level street furniture. Wallscapes on the sides of buildings. Inside airports and shopping centers. Out of home advertising is everywhere, and it’s changing all the time.

During the pandemic, advertising slowed down drastically, but it was a good time to take a good hard look at the different ways out of home media are used.

“One of the things that did stay the same that became evident right away is that out of home is essential,” says Joni Schmeichel, Daktronics out of home marketing strategist. “It communicates to the masses. It has large reach. It’s immediate, it’s flexible and it’s a trusted form of communicating with the world.”

Schmeichel says many out of home companies used the time to communicate to their communities, provide uplifting and supportive messaging, and even turn to social media to promote their advertisers’ brands.

“Out of home is a great medium for Instagram – large displays, beautiful content, artwork – perfect for Instagram and showcasing on other social media,” she explains.

Content is still king

With everything from real-time content like weather alerts and RSS feeds to testing messaging and developing more creative content, digital out of home took advantage of the down time during the pandemic.

“The more creative the messaging is, the more people remember it,” Schmeichel says. “We’ve definitely seen more witty ads, more colorful ads. People are using campaigns, which means multiple messages, not just putting up one piece of content and leaving it up for a month. They’re understanding the flexibility of being able to change out their messaging.”

Some local advertisers are engaging in “sign wars” as a way to grab attention and have a little fun supporting their business neighbors.

“The whole industry has come together to make sure everyone’s doing well,” she adds. “We care about each other. It’s not always just selling, it’s collaborating.”

Collaboration and New Avenues for Advertisers

Many media owners are working more closely with cities and municipalities, and even professional sports stadiums, to place their digital signs strategically. Municipalities can benefit by creating a landmark display where they can provide relevant information to citizens, while the media owner gains a premium location for advertisers.

They often develop an ad sharing agreement, so both entities benefit financially as well.

Media owners are finding new and improved ways for their advertisers to purchase inventory, making it simpler to purchase out of home space.

“If you think of how easy it is to buy on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, all of that, making the ad space more accessible to more advertisers and generating more revenue for out of home,” explains Schmeichel. “And then being able to buy across multiple platforms as well, so if you think roadside digital, street level, or multiple cities, things like that, being able to target different demographics or whoever you’re trying to get to buy your product or service.”

Listen to the entire podcast with Joni Schmeichel about out of home advertising trends on the Daktronics Experience. Or watch the webinar series where our experts set you up for success, sign up here.