Today, most brands have ditched the one-dimensional brand voice in favor of fostering meaningful relationships with their target audience. A solid brand awareness strategy can help build trust and ensure that your brand is top of mind when people go to purchase a product or service.
Though often overlooked, out-of-home (OOH) advertising plays a pivotal role in creating a lasting impression on your target audience. Because OOH advertising comes with a suite of benefits and insights, it can be an integral part of any brand awareness campaign.
Whether you choose a billboard rental, transit advertising, place-based media or something else, you can tailor your campaign to meet your needs. Here’s why OOH should be a cornerstone of your brand awareness strategy.
What we’ll cover:
- What is a brand awareness campaign?
- What brands can gain from outdoor media advertising
- How to launch an effective brand awareness OOH campaign
What is a Brand Awareness Campaign?
Let’s go back to the basics for a second. As marketers and advertisers, we rely on a lot of different terms and phrases with “brand awareness” being a big one. What exactly is a brand awareness campaign and why is it so fundamental to a business’ success?
Brand awareness generally refers to consumers’ familiarity with a certain business, product, or service. We as people tend to gravitate towards what’s familiar as opposed to what we know nothing about. We associate familiarity with safety.
Over time, we tend to trust certain brands— that is, unless they do something that damages our perception of them or clashes with our values. In that vein, it becomes important for brands to connect with us in a way that aligns with our understanding of them. That’s why being careful about your brand awareness strategy matters. People will make mental notes of how you represent yourself.
What Brands Can Gain from Outdoor Media Advertising
With so many brands making a beeline to social media to tell their stories and promote their products, online channels get cluttered. OOH advertising may be the silver bullet for cutting through the digital noise.
Yes, billboards are still just as effective in 2024 as they were at their advent. If not, more!
Now, this isn’t to say that OOH is a total substitute for social media ads, but it does deserve a spotlight. That’s because outdoor media advertising comes with some major advantages that are conducive to a solid brand awareness strategy.
Unmatched Visibility
Outdoor media’s strength lies in its strategic placement, ensuring maximum visibility for your brand. You’re not at the whim of an algorithm or spam filter. Billboards, strategically positioned in high-traffic areas, and transit advertising targeting commuters on the move, both offer unparalleled visibility, making them effective channels for capturing attention.
24/7 Exposure
Unlike other forms of advertising, outdoor media provides continuous exposure. Billboards, in particular, serve as constant visual touchpoints, offering round-the-clock visibility to your target audience. Your brand awareness strategy is live all hours of the day.
Just make sure if you go with a static bulletin, you choose an option with a light. For digital boards, rest assured that they’ll be illuminated 24/7.
Localized Targeting
Billboards and transit ads enable precise targeting based on geography. This allows brands to tailor their message to specific local demographics, maximizing the impact of their campaigns in different regions. As mentioned, a smart brand awareness strategy is tuned into how people are talking. It pays to respect nuances.
How to Launch an Effective Brand Awareness OOH Campaign
Each advertising channel comes with its own set of tips and tricks to maximize effectiveness and minimize headaches. Here are key tips to consider when planning and executing an effective brand awareness OOH campaign.
1. Define Clear Objectives
Establish specific and measurable objectives for your OOH campaign. Some common objectives for a brand awareness campaign include:
- Increasing brand visibility/recognition
- Driving website traffic
- Promoting a specific product, launch, or special offer
- Enhancing brand perception and positioning
2. Know Your Audience
Conduct thorough audience research to understand the demographics, preferences, and behaviors of your target audience. Tailor your messaging and creative elements to resonate with their interests and needs.
There are tons of buyer persona builders online to help you get in the head of your audience. It can be well worth it to create several of these and center them anytime you make a campaign decision.
3. Strategic Placement Matters
Identify high-traffic areas and relevant locations where your target audience is most likely to engage with your brand. This could entail looking at public transit routes in a particular area or other transportation data that reveal how people move around and spend their time in a space.
Strategic placement ensures that your OOH ads reach the right people at the right time.
4. Craft Compelling Creatives
Invest in visually striking and memorable creatives that effectively communicate your brand message. Keep the messaging concise and ensure that it aligns with your brand identity. Some outdoor media agencies offer creative design services to help with exactly this.
5. Coordinate with Other Marketing Channels
Any good brand awareness strategy is multi-channel. Ensure a cohesive brand message by coordinating your OOH campaign with other marketing channels, including digital and social media advertising. Consistency in messaging strengthens brand recall.
6. Regroup When the Campaign Expires
When your OOH campaign is coming to a close, take the time to connect with your team and talk about some campaign highs and lows. How did you measure up to your objectives? Would you have done anything differently? Is it worth renewing the campaign or shifting objectives before launching again?
Take Your Brand Awareness Strategy Outside
Don’t box yourself into just one or two advertising channels. Instead, take your strategy outdoors!
OOH media can be the key to an effective brand awareness campaign in a number of ways. From cutting through the digital clutter to maintaining high visibility and 24/7 exposure to presenting an opportunity for hyper-targeting, outdoor advertising should be considered an essential component of your brand’s marketing approach.