February 2010 Newsletter

Feature Story

OOH in the News: The Year to Come

The close of a year (not to mention a decade) is always closely followed by the million dollar question: what can we expect in the year to come? When it comes to OOH, the industry seems to be in agreement... We can all breathe a sigh of relief:

"What 2010 holds for alternative media" (Media Life Magazine, Jan. 20, 2010)
What will this mean for alternative media? To find out, Media Life talked to Nic Denyer, senior vice president for non-traditional media at Streetblimps, which offers a wide selection alternative media. Denyer talks about the effect of the ad downturn on alternative media, when he sees spending coming back, and the great appeal of alternative media as compared to traditional media.

"AdweekMedia Forecast 2010" (Adweek, Jan. 2, 2010)
If there's one word that characterizes the out-of-home industry in 2010, it's transformation. This year will be when a greater proportion of signs are converted into digital opportunities; a larger quantity of advertisers will see the OOH light; and the entire industry will tap new research that paints a much richer picture of the sector's value.

"Digital OOH to Soar 13% through 2013" (BIA/Kelsey Report, Nov. 4, 2009)
Analysis by BIA/Kelsey indicates that digital out-of-home (DOOH) ads will be the next major trend in local advertising. BIA/Kelsey forecasts DOOH advertising revenues to grow from $2.2 billion in 2009 to $3.7 billion in 2013, representing a compound annual growth rate of 13.5%.

"10 Top Digital Signage Trends" (Digital Signage Expo, Jan. 28, 2010)
Numerous factors will figure into the success of digital signage in 2010, which is showing all the signs of being a banner year and tipping point for the industry.

"2010 forecasts: Confidence makes its return?" (Radio Business Report/Television Business Report, Jan. 5, 2010)
2010 looks to be a rebound year, given the horrific comps for most media in 2009. Confidence is up, and most are conservatively optimistic that dollars and ad categories will make their return – at least sometime in 2010. As well, new technologies in most media aim to grab the attention of agencies and advertisers, with the promise of greater accountability and ROI.

"5 Feisty Guerrilla Marketing Ideas for 'Oh 10'" (MediaPost, Jan. 30, 2010)
1. More DO, Less SAY  2. Meet Up meets Flash Mob  3. Pop-up not Pooped Out  4. Taking Tech over the Top  5. Little Luxuries

For more info, go to the Industry News section of our Resources library.

back to top »

What's New @ DO

Digital Signage Expo 2010

It's that time of year again... time to start checking timelines, putting together budgets, and fighting over who gets to take off for a few days to join and learn from others in the industry from some of the country's most appealing destinations. Yep, that's right--it's tradeshow season!

To kick off the season, DOmedia plans to join many in the industry at the Digital Signage Expo, the world's largest international tradeshow and conference dedicated to digital signage, interactive technology, and out-of-home networks. So don't forget to look for some familiar DOmedia faces in the crowd in Las Vegas, February 23-25th!

For more information about the Digital Signage Expo, click here.

Word On the Street

Getting Results: Transwest Outdoor

"As a small billboard owner/operator, it is easy to be overlooked by larger agencies. By placing our profile on DOmedia, Transwest Outdoor has now enjoyed both new client relationships and increased sales."

          -Dan Allred, Transwest Outdoor

back to top »

Product Spotlight

Truckside Advertising

Truckside advertising campaigns are used to broaden the reach of a national, regional or local campaign. They add variety, frequency and value to a broadcast campaign or can stand alone as very efficient campaigns.

For those trying to "go green," truckside advertising is a great, though often overlooked, alternative to mobile billboards. Truckside ads are posted on working trucks that will be out regardless, while mobile billboards are on trucks that operate solely for advertising purposes.

Benefits of the Medium
Truckside advertising can be used as a broad branding medium or as a target-specific medium (such as retail trading zone areas). If advertisers want to add a bit more to their truckside campaign, event promotional options can make great additions.

Truckside advertising is not confined to any demographic market or geographic location, so the reach is endless. This mobility allows for coverage where other types of OOH may not be available.

Truckside also provides the option of a national mass reach campaign, known as "Over the Road". This flexibility in campaign execution makes truckside advertising appealing to both large national companies and smaller companies alike.

Many national advertisers caught on to the concept years ago when trying to get their brands in front of consumers in a timely, efficient manner. Truckside easily accomplishes that task because of mobility--an advertiser's message can travel from New York to Los Angeles on one media vehicle. Plus, posting full-color graphics to trailers allows for greater impact.

How It is Purchased
An advertiser can buy General Market GRP showing levels.

An advertiser can purchase dedicated routes to reach specific demographic targets or geographic areas. These smaller routes make it an efficient medium for local and regional companies.

"Over the Road" advertising can be used as a mass medium to reach markets across the U.S. by purchasing a campaign along Interstate routes. It can also be used for Regional coverage.

Markets Available
Market availability is unlimited. About 95% of the U.S. population can be reached using truckside advertising.

How It is Measured & New Technology
Tracking systems (such as GPS) have been available for a number of years. However, new companies have emerged that measure audience circulation, impressions during a certain period, and other types of campaign auditing. Some fleet media companies offer online Internet systems allowing advertisers to pinpoint the location of their mobile fleet ads in real time. Some services can also provide data that can be interfaced with other databases to produce demographics by route, fleet or time of day.

SAMI (Satellite Automated Media Information) web-based technology, for instance, addresses the needs of agencies and advertisers by providing credibility through audience measurement and tracking. It allows advertisers to schedule, track, sell and audit their truckside advertising campaigns. Proof-of-Performance reporting is available next day, including maps and digital photos. One company currently offering SAMI technology is Moving Images Media, with truckside advertising available everywhere in the U.S.

Who Provide the Products
Asphalt Media                                       Encompass Outdoor Media
Business Ads in Motion                        IntranMedia
Cargo Door Ads Inc.                             Magellan Transit Media
CDP Worldwide Media Group              Moving Images Media
Crossroads Billboards                          Tailor'ed Media
Dynamic Media Group

Download the full report as a PDF».

back to top »

Creative Corner

Volkswagen: The Fun Theory

As technology improved over the past century, it helped make our lives easier and everyday tasks more convenient. Unfortunately, it also helped make many of us lazier which, in turn, has been taking its toll on the environment. So when Volkswagen was faced with the question of how to sell environmentally friendly cars to an environmentally unconscious audience, they knew they'd have to change more than their marketing message; they'd have to change the way people think and act.

By joining forces with DDB Stockholm, VW came up with a plan to see if people would act more responsibly if it were more fun to do. "The Fun Theory," appropriately titled, kicked off at the Odenplan subway station in Stockholm. VW noticed that when given the choice between taking an escalator or a flight of stairs, people almost always choose the escalator. VW's question: Can we get more people to choose the stairs by making it fun to do?

So workers got busy converting the stairs of the Stockholm subway station into functioning piano keys. Once people realized they were creating music with every step they took, it was a domino effect, drawing people in with curiousity. The result: 66% more people than normal chose the stairs over the escalator.

"Fun" experiments like this popped up elsewhere in the country. DDB and VW noticed people are relatively good about recycling plastic bottles and cans, but hardly anyone recycles glass. So to see if they could get people to do just that, they transformed the collection box into a bottle bank arcade game! Passersby could hit "start," then collect points by dropping bottles into the various slots as they lit up. In just one evening, nearly 100 people used the arcade box, while only two used the nearby conventional bottle bank.

The third experiment took place in a park where, like most parks around the world, littering has become a problem. So to get people to use the trash bins rather than the ground, cartoon sound effects were installed to make the bin sound like it went on for a great distance, the trash finally hitting the bottom with a boom. Not only did people throw away their own garbage, but also began picking trash up off the ground nearby.

So what does this have to do with cars? Volkswagen wants to change the way people think of and behave toward being environmentally responsible and, as a result, the way they feel about driving environmentally friendly cars. So even though convenience wins over responsibility, fun almost always beats convenience.

To see more videos from "The Fun Theory," click here.

back to top »