The out-of-home (OOH) industry has been on a continual growth cycle over the past few years, with more advertisers utilising the channel to reach their audience in new moments. In 2024, OOH ad revenue surpassed £1 billion, with digital out-of-home (DOOH) being a key contributor.
This growth comes with evolution and with evolution comes the need for marketers to stay on top of emerging trends to effectively leverage the opportunity that OOH presents. At a top level, there are two formats to be aware of: digital and print. Knowing the nuances of each and how to leverage their capabilities will help you make the right choice when it comes to running your next, or first, OOH campaign.
Defining Digital OOH vs Print OOH
Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH)
DOOH refers to any outdoor advertising that uses digital screens. These can be digital billboards in train stations, airports, shopping centres, streets and even indoor locations. The digital element allows for dynamic real-time updates, the use of video content and they can even leverage API to deliver a more contextually relevant message depending on the time of day, weather, location, etc.
Cadbury’s Secret Santa postal service:
One that we likely all encountered on our commutes around the Christmas period, Cadbury leveraged the visual elements of DOOH with an interactive video ad that you could use to send chocolate to a loved one. This is a great example of understanding not only the moment but also the location that DOOH ads are shown in, as these ads were frequently seen in and around transport hubs where someone might be travelling home to visit that loved one.
Print OOH
OOH advertising is more traditional and static outdoor advertising. You’ll likely have seen printed ads on billboards, bus stops, public transportation and other high-traffic areas such as high streets. Print is the original and one of the most commonly used forms of OOH advertising, especially when brand visibility and long-term presence are the goals. While print OOH doesn’t offer the same flexibility as its digital counterpart, it excels in delivering broad reach and consistent visibility due to the ads being static and not on a rotation.
McDonald’s celebrating its customers’ unique habits:
Here is a great example of what you can achieve with a ‘less is more approach’ from McDonalds. A lot of people don’t have time to stop and digest a lot of information when commuting and the moment/environment should always be considered with OOH. As a result, attention can be hard to grab and McDonald’s understood that a simplified creative approach would be best for its brand.
Sometimes, trying to get the “most” out of the ad placement by incorporating too much content can detract from the value of OOH and can negatively impact factors like information retention and brand recognition.
What are the strengths and limitations of Digital vs print OOH?
Digital out-of-home
Strengths:
- Flexibility & adaptation: DOOH is great for marketers who want to be able to update their creative messaging frequently. Its strengths lie in the ability to be reactive, whether it’s adapting to the weather (advertising hot coffee on a cold day, for example) or adjusting messaging based on time of day or location. The ability to switch creative content instantly allows for more tailored, timely campaigns that feel relevant to the audience.
- Measurement: DOOH allows for real-time tracking and data analysis, providing valuable insights into audience engagement and campaign performance. By leveraging technologies like sensors, geolocation and audience measurement tools, you can precisely measure impressions, demographic reach and other interactions. These learnings can lead to more targeted and efficient campaigns. A data-led approach means you can optimise strategies and demonstrate ROI with greater accuracy, something you are restricted by with traditional print OOH.
Limitations:
- Higher setup costs: The technology behind DOOH can be expensive. DOOH requires a higher upfront investment compared to traditional static options. For brands with smaller budgets or those testing out OOH, this could be a blocker.
- Limited availability in some markets: While major cities and high-traffic locations are increasingly adopting DOOH, its reach is still somewhat limited in rural or less populated areas, where traditional print OOH continues to dominate.
Print out-of-home
Strengths:
- Broad reach & brand visibility: Traditional OOH is unparalleled when it comes to sheer exposure. A billboard on a busy high street or a poster in a train station can capture the attention of thousands of people every day and isn’t on a rotation like its digital counterpart. If your goal is mass awareness, print OOH could be a more effective choice.
- Cost-effective for long-term campaigns: While the initial cost may vary depending on the location, print OOH campaigns are often more affordable than DOOH, particularly if you’re looking to run a campaign over an extended period. A static billboard can stay in place for months offering consistent, long-term, visibility.
Limitations:
- Limited flexibility: Once a print OOH ad is up, it’s static. If you need to make changes due to consumer behaviour, market conditions, or a shift in your messaging then it’s not as simple as editing a digital screen. Replacing artwork, redesigning a billboard, or rotating in new creatives can take time and incur additional costs.
- Lack of Data & Measurement: Traditional OOH lacks the same data tracking capabilities as DOOH. While you can measure the effectiveness of your print OOH campaign through estimates of traffic or surveys, it’s much harder to track real-time performance or understand the true impact of the campaign.
Considering the right strategy for your brand
As digital marketers, our recommendation will always be to choose the format that is measurable and can therefore offer you the most learnings to inform future campaign strategy. For this reason, our rationale would be to utilise DOOH in most cases. Print OOH can have a lower entry cost but when compared to DOOH, it lacks creative capabilities and the ability to directly measure ad performance.
If your campaign relies on changing or time-sensitive messaging, whether that’s adjusting creative based on weather conditions, promoting flash sales, or incorporating location-based targeting, DOOH is your best option. Its ability to tailor messaging in real time allows for agility. DOOH is also suited for campaigns that aim to engage the audience directly. As the ads are not static, you can leverage the more visual elements for a more immersive storytelling experience. The use of these visuals allows brands to create more compelling narratives, where the audience is not just a passive viewer but an active participant.
DOOH is essentially a level-up on print OOH, due to its measurement and cross-channel capabilities as well as its overall flexibility and reactivity.
Why measurement and media effectiveness matters
Both DOOH and print OOH have advantages and selecting the right format depends on your campaign’s measurement and effectiveness goals. DOOH excels in real-time data and tracking, allowing for dynamic optimisation based on metrics like impressions, audience demographics, and engagement. It is particularly effective for time-sensitive, data-driven campaigns. Additionally, DOOH can be supported with additional measurement such as brand lift studies and you can even add another layer with display retargeting, for those who were within a specific radius of your DOOH ad. If you have a drive to store objective, then you can track footfall to brick-and-mortar stores.
Meanwhile, print OOH is effective for broad reach and long-term brand visibility. While it may not offer the same level of granular data as DOOH, print OOH can still be evaluated through surveys and brand recall tests to measure its influence over time.
For marketers, understanding how each format drives measurable outcomes is key. The reactivity and real-time optimisation capabilities of DOOH endear it to simplified incrementality testing, which can be more difficult to set up with OOH.
A strategic mix of both formats can maximise campaign impact by combining real-time optimisation with long-term exposure.
