The latest research from The Harris Poll finds that OOH retails ads and experiential marketing influence consumers across the shopping journey, helping them discover and experience products and prompting store visits and purchases.
Nearly nine in 10 (89%) adults ages 18-64 say they would attend a live marketing event or promotional experience. The desire for real life connections is particularly notable among younger consumers. Separate Harris Poll research included in the study finds 71% of Gen Z adults feel they are missing out on the in-person experiences older generations had at their age, while 68% say they want more spontaneous moments in their lives to meet new people or make friends.
OAAA members can access the full study and infographics HERE.
OOH Connects Discovery to the Store
Real world influence carries directly into retail. More than three-quarters (77%) of adults recall recently seeing retail OOH advertising, rising to 81% among Gen Z.
Consumers notice those messages throughout the shopping journey, from days before they shop to inside the store. And the closer they get to purchase, the influence grows: 50% say retailer OOH advertising impacts their purchase decisions days before shopping, increasing to 59% immediately outside the store and 64% once inside.
Retail OOH also sends consumers across physical and digital channels. Eighty-six percent say they would take some form of action after seeing a retail OOH ad that interests them, including visiting the retailer’s website or app (45%), searching for the retailer online (42%) or visiting the store in person (33%).
Timeliness can make that influence even stronger. Eighty-seven percent would redeem a time-limited offer delivered through an OOH ad, and 73% say they would visit a nearby store that same day if an OOH ad told them a specific product was in stock and available for same-day pickup.
Brand Experiences Turn Into Real Action
Live activations aren’t just generating foot traffic. They are producing measurable consumer behavior: 30% of consumers searched for more information later, 30% looked for the product in stores and 30% viewed the product or retailer more positively. More than one-quarter (27%) went on to purchase the product later.
Those behaviors show how experiential marketing can influence the broader retail journey, from encountering or sampling a product to searching for it, finding it in a store and ultimately making a purchase.
Consumers Say OOH Feels More Human
The findings point to a broader shift in how consumers want brands to engage with them. Nearly three-quarters (73%) prefer products or retailers that engage them through in-person experiences or local outdoor events. Sixty-nine percent say OOH ads feel more human than online or mobile ads, while 64% say OOH feels more culturally relevant.
Retail environments are already important settings for live brand engagement: 58% recall seeing experiential marketing at retail pop-ups, while 57% have encountered activations in shopping districts, city plazas or markets. That proximity to commerce gives brands an opportunity to connect product discovery and trial with an immediate path to search, store visitation or purchase.
The Swag Bag Still Works
For brands investing in experiential marketing, consumers are most interested in opportunities to engage directly with products. Free samples or product trials would motivate 51% to attend a live activation, while 45% cite free merchandise or swag.
Product discovery also drives participation and purchasing. Among consumers who have attended live marketing events, 25% went primarily to discover new products and 19% to experience a product in person. 40% ultimately made a purchase, while 30% later looked for the product in stores and 27% purchased it after the event.
Why It Matters
As marketers look for ways to break through increasingly crowded digital environments, the findings point to a growing opportunity in experiences consumers can see, touch, share and act on. OOH can connect those real-world moments with the broader consumer journey, turning discovery into search, social engagement, store visits and purchases.
At a time when consumers are seeking more authentic, in-person connections, OOH gives brands a way to show up where culture, commerce and everyday life are actually happening.
Source: The Harris Poll
“The Power of the Human Medium: OOH Across Experiential + Retail” was sponsored by The Foundation for Out of Home Advertising Research and Education (FOARE), a 501 (c) (3) not for profit, charitable organization.
Published: September 17, 2026