New DPAA Research Shows Advertisers’ Interest in DOOH

Published: December 27, 2021

The DPAA and Xaxis, in partnership with Advertiser Perceptions, recently published their 2021 study, providing a glimpse into advertisers’ perceptions of digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising. The report surveyed a mix of marketing (34%) and agency (66%) experts in the United States who make omnichannel digital media buying decisions, looking at the last 18 months and what will accelerate the growth of DOOH in the future.  

Overall, brands and agencies are showing enthusiasm for outdoor advertising, particularly digital. We will look at the most significant growth opportunities for the outdoor advertising industry and the challenges advertisers face regarding DOOH media. 

Opportunities: 

OOH has been on a significant programmatic-fuelled trajectory these past 18 months - growing in measurement capabilities, flexibility, and relevance. Despite its challenges, advertisers see ample opportunity that will accelerate DOOH growth in the future: 

Investment in Education 

There is a strong correlation between education and recommendation in DOOH: 

  • 81% recommend DOOH in the next year; that number goes up to 91% for those with significant or moderate recent education and to 97% among sophisticated users of the channel.

Programmatic is the main accelerant 

Programmatic technology has grown at an astounding rate, enabling brands and agencies to spend more on DOOH. The top reasons for activating a new DOOH campaign include: 

  • 61% creative flexibility enabled by programmatic capabilities 
  • 57% schedule flexibility
  • 52% newly available inventory 
  • 46% mass reach during COVID

DOOH is expanding its role 

More advertisers are becoming aware of the importance of DOOH’s programmatic capabilities and how it fits within the digital advertising channels: 

  • 81% plan to recommend DOOH in media plans in the next 12 months 
  • 66% activated a new DOOH campaign in the last 18-months 
  • 77% reported increased awareness/ knowledge of DOOH
  • Nearly two-thirds see DOOH as an important screen in integrated omni-video campaigns. 
  • 56% agreed that the future widespread availability of 5G would enhance DOOH screens and have a profound effect on DOOH ad growth.

Challenges:  

Like any unique media platform, programmatic DOOH comes with unfamiliarity and room to learn. With the potential to deliver real value, there are still a few concerns made by advertisers. 

Knowledge gap on data-driven measurement

Education and fluency are vital to conveying the numerous capabilities of programmatic; however, there is a lack of understanding of programmatic and data-driven capabilities: 

  • Nearly half of the advertisers were unaware that DOOH sellers could give them data on the number of people in their target audience who passed DOOH screens
  • Around two-thirds didn’t realize they could link exposure to DOOH screens to other media channels such as mobile, online, or TV
  • Only 22% rated themselves as “very sophisticated” in DOOH 
  • Around one-third weren't aware of the direct link between DOOH exposure IDs and first-party data 

ROI measurement and attribution  

Top concerns with brands and agencies include: 

  • 57% lack of ROI data 
  • 36% Inability to evaluate the effectiveness of the medium in multi-touch attribution (MTA) analysis
  • 36% consumer engagement 
  • 32% need more understanding of research/ data

More availability of DOOH inventory in more DSPs

  • Two thirds would be more likely to recommend DOOH if it were available in their preferred DSP 

Overall, the report shows optimism for the DOOH industry despite pandemic setbacks and challenges this past year, with 42% of respondents planning to increase investment in the next 18 months. And advertisers' DOOH programmatic spend is anticipated to rise to 36%; increasingly seeing the value proposition of DOOH through its data-driven strategies, business growth capabilities, increased inventory, and dynamic creativity. So what are you waiting for? If you're ready to plan and launch your DOOH campaign, our team of experts is prepared to help at no charge to you! Contact us at concierge@adomni.com.

Written By: Julia Cramer

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