2019 was a very positive year for our industry. OOH recorded strong growth year on year. It is one of the only classic media channels that is in a growth phase.
OOH is one of the oldest mediums, couple this with the latest technological advances and it becomes a channel that is unrivaled in terms of what it can offer in innovation and creativity.
During 2019, a lot of political and economical instabilities were at play, resulting in a drop in consumer sentiment and confidence. It was vital for brands to continue to advertise, maintaining presence and credibility. OOH is a perfect platform to do that, it is trusted by our society–the figures show that brands are aware of that!
Although our industry is changing, the brand building benefits of OOH are not to be forgotten. OOH is the second highest driver of brand awareness after TV. The biggest online players are realising this with Apple, Google and Facebook all taking a spot in the top 10 spenders in key markets across the globe.
Last year witnessed key media owner investment in the classic OOH formats. The amount of wave machines decreased. Overall, inventory has decreased but the quality has increased – and this was a vital move for the industry.
The digital share of OOH spends grew to almost 30%. 2019 was key in our digital journey as it was the year we gained a roadside DOOH presence with the launch of digipanels, digishelters and a digital golden square.
Numerous brands are making the digital medium increase its performance using data to optimise content decisions. Several Kinetic clients including Specsavers, Coors Light, Unilever and Coca Cola used triggers such as weather and location data to activate audiences at key moments – hereby increasing their brand engagement.
The medium is entering another prime stage, gauging the interest of many other channels. This was particularly evident last year when Global Radio bought Exterion Media. Netflix also bought numerous billboards along LA’s Sunset Strip, one of the most modern home entertainment technologies turning to a classic media format.
The introduction of the Public Health Bill occurred in November. The change in how alcohol brands can use OOH was significantly altered. In depth planning sessions with our alcohol clients resulted in new strategies that can be used in a restricted market. We are confident moving into this new space and encourage all our clients to talk and plan with us.
In certain markets, spend on OOH has surpassed press. Our medium is in a transformation period, and we should all benefit from its capabilities and strengths.
Ref: https://kineticww.com/ie/2020/02/03/ooh-in-ireland-2019-the-year-in-review-simon-durham-ceo-kinetic-ireland/