OOH Media Is Not Your Parent’s Split Level Ranch

By Nick Coston

Back in fall of 2001, when I moved from magazine ad sales to OOH sales, I sold 14 x 48 bulletins on I 95 north of Baltimore, for $3,500 per month.  No mobile tech add-ons, no eyes-on weekly impressions, no Radar, no real-time vehicle detection data, no geo-fencing and certainly no digital. Just a big board with Daily Effective Circulation (DEC) numbers, provided mostly from state/county road data updated yearly. Boring, but effective. Good copy on a well-lit board with good sightlines was all that needed.

Cut to 2017, the rates on the same highway are $9,000 per 4 weeks, not monthly, and probably some higher traffic numbers. TAB is now GEOPATH, more detailed weekly impressions data replaced daily road numbers causing CPM’s to rise, mobile tech is readily available from most OOH companies, in numerous formats, or third party vendors.  And the company I consult for, AdMobilize, real time vehicle detection data is now available thru usage of cameras posted on the lower part of the units. Digital boards rotate copy every 8-10 seconds, can be updated instantly, day-part copy and with the right copy can be seen a mile away. Usually 24 hours a day. Same board, same location, way more benefits.

Tech is awesome and has changed out of home for the better.  But which tech to use? As a buyer, how do I know it works?  How do I know mobile tech bought thru my OOH vendor is better than not buying a board at all and just buying mobile?   How do I know exactly how many cars are really passing my digital spot if I’m only on it once a minute?  What really is that weekly impression number per spot?

We’ve used  “ballpark figures” for OOH numbers for decades, yet our boards always seemed to work.  It wasn’t perfect, but how can you beat a $2-$4 CPM.   That was 2001. With the addition of better data, these ballpark figures are becoming defined, and help agencies and planners make better decisions on which boards to buy and what copy to use. Imagine combining real-time vehicle data with weekly impression numbers and mobile data as to who’s driving where and most likely to buy what product. That single bulletin on I 95 just became a gold mine.

Out of home has learned how to monetize prime locations. We haven’t built too many new interstate billboards.   In fact we’ve lost a few due to trees, road expansions and zoning. By converting a freeway boards to digital, adding mobile tech to spread your message, using mobile tech to gain more accurate impressions, adding camera tech right onto the boards to gain real-time data such as average car speed, dwell-time, seeing what the board sees, OOH companies have suddenly made that $3,500 bulletin far more valuable.

A well-known VP Media Director for a major OOH agency, told a bunch of us on a conference call a year ago that he was convinced that in the near future all billboards would have cameras. I think he’s right.  By using digital signage, mobile tech, more accurate data collection thru 3rd party companies, the OOH companies have transformed that split-level 1960’s ranch home with window unit AC into a stunning, efficient estate, worth 3 times more than it was in 2001, while all the time using the same space.

And it’s only going to get better, stay tuned, stay connected. We are on the way to figuring this out.

Nick Coston is the OOH Consultant for AdMobilize & an Independent Media Buyer and Planner for OOH.

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