DOOH on Display at Digital Signage Week

Digital Signage Week has grown in prominence to become a premier annual event held each October in New York. OAAA was there last week to participate in the many sessions and social functions celebrating the growing influence and importance of digital display advertising.

Emma Carrasco discusses the Photo Ark #SaveTogether campaign.

The week started with a Monday morning session hosted by the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF). Among the topics was an uplifting telling of the recent Photo Ark #SaveTogether OOH campaign. Myself and National Geographic Society Chief Marketing Officer Emma Carrasco shared campaign insights and presented final metrics to a packed crowd. The #SaveTogether campaign ran last summer from Endangered Species Day in May through Labor Day. During that time, the OOH industry generously donated more than 72,000 OOH locations, generating 4.3 billion media impressions, tremendous social media engagement, and considerable PR. That evening, industry friend and media investment specialist, Mark Boidman, hosted a gathering at the Peter J. Solomon Company office.

On Tuesday morning, Geopath President, Kym Frank and I participated on a panel discussion during the Digital Signage Federation (DSF) Coffee and Controversy at the Google corporate facility. I discussed five key drivers shaping the US digital OOH industry:

  • The expansion of more screens and networks
  • The need for integration of DOOH and mobile
  • A growing infrastructure that is connected into smart cities development
  • Linking enhanced consumer recognition techniques such as facial recognition and gaze tracking
  • Immersion with better content and storytelling

Kym explained how better measurement will lead to richer insights. In turn, better information about DOOH audiences will encourage more investment in OOH by brands as a core media channel.

Across town, the DailyDOOH Investor’s Conference kicked-off its annual event for C-suite executives. A highly attended discussion about the future of digital OOH was moderated by OAAA President & CEO Nancy Fletcher and featured insight from CEOs Ari Buchalter at Intersection, Kevin Gleason at Adams+Fairway, and Jeremy Male at OUTFRONT Media. The rapid-fire Q&A touched on many important topics, such as growth opportunities and community partnerships.

When Nancy asked Kevin to describe DOOH in three words, he chose: Big, bold, and beautiful.

Jeremy said the industry has the enormous potential to grow dramatically over the next several years as data and technology converge with proximity. Ari remarked how DOOH companies need to demonstrate value beyond simply being a media platform. Intersection is positioned as a tech company that is making communities better by providing amenities and services.

On Wednesday, the annual DPAA (Digital Place-based Advertising Association) Video Everywhere Summit attracted a record crowd with a stellar lineup including presenters from Microsoft, McDonald’s, Farmers Insurance, Leo Burnett, and more. Data was yet again a hot topic. Group M’s Chief Digital Officer Rob Norman commented, “the OOH industry needs to think of how data will allow it to get new advertisers.”

 

Download the PDF

 

Modified: 2 years