Beyond Branding, Out of Home Advertising Drives Conversion
Updated: Sep 16
Written by: Amanda Ruge, Media Supervisor, PJX Media
Out of Home (OOH) advertising has often been seen as a driving force behind brand awareness for many advertisers. While top-of-the-funnel awareness is a common tactic for OOH, there is more evidence than ever regarding out of home’s effect on lower-funnel conversions.
How are conversions being tracked in OOH advertising? Campaign studies are very simple to run on the majority of OOH media. It all starts with location-enabled device data and an individual's movement after they've been exposed to the OOH campaign. Studies range from footfall analysis, brand awareness, and brand lift, and can also implement MAIDs passbacks to further target key audiences.
One study provided by Kochava stated that out of home delivered a media lift of 20% for in-person outcomes and 14% for digital outcomes.
An excellent example of a positive footfall correlation with OOH would be “Apparel Brand X”: Apparel Brand X specializes in performance wear and activated an OOH campaign around the US Open in New York City. The campaign was designed to inform consumers about a new sponsorship and encourage people to visit a brick-and-mortar store in Soho. The campaign leveraged street-level formats and public transit OOH.
The results? Those exposed to the OOH campaign registered a positive response and increased their likelihood to consider the brand in the future. The foot traffic report showed that those exposed to the OOH campaign had a visitation rate higher than the control group.
There are additional strategies to increase conversion through OOH advertising, one being to intentionally pair a study with a POI-targeted campaign. Many brands utilize a “Point of Interest” strategy, targeting specific competitors, or key locations of their targeted demographics.
For example, an international grocery retailer wanted to grow market share and challenge established discount chains in the US. For its expansion, the brand needed to rapidly build awareness and drive foot traffic. The goal of their OOH campaign was to influence consumer behavior at the most critical moment - on the path to purchase. The OOH campaign came to life across 16 U.S. markets, including Atlanta, New York, Charlotte, and Washington D.C., aligning with the grocery chain’s store locations.
Points of Interest (POI) included the brand’s stores and key competitors like ALDI, Sprouts, Kroger, Costco, and Stop & Shop. The takeaway? Those exposed to the OOH campaign were 178% more likely to visit the brand’s grocery stores compared to the control group.
When it comes to conversion, it’s not just about sales. Out of home is used for political messages, informing the public of upcoming ballot measures and awareness of candidates running for election. Nonprofits use OOH advertising to not only inform the public of their work, but get people to consider making a donation to their nonprofits.
One nonprofit that focuses on women’s health launched an out of home campaign to not only inform the public about their work but also have passersby consider making a donation. Not only did they observe an increase on their website’s homepage, there was a significant lift on the initial donation page as well.
While OOH can be a very effective brand awareness tactic, it is important for advertisers to understand OOH’s place within the entire sales funnel. From awareness to consideration, making the consumer a customer and building brand loyalty. Through strategic public placement, point-of-purchase advertising, and impactful consumer marketing, OOH thrives as a tried-and-true media channel.
