Learn the lingua franca
Another big hurdle facing new entrants is the language barrier. Up until very recently, nobody had really tried to define digital OOH terminology or audience metrics. Yet the very language that governs this marketplace is inherently different than the languages spoken by print, mobile, online and television.
"Everyone needs to speak the same language so they can help each other," says Bob Martin, CEO of LevelVision LLC, a leading digital signage company. "Clients are ROI focused, and ROI means measurement, and measurement means a lot of money spent on metrics. And if everyone is speaking in different languages, it diminishes the confidence advertisers could have with this new medium."
"The homogeny of the language is a very important aspect to generating higher amounts of advertiser trust and confidence," Martin adds.
The Out-of-Home Video Advertising Bureau (OVAB), which is composed of the biggest players in the digital OOH market, wants to do just that. In August, OVAB released its Audience Metrics Guidelines. Developed as a "living document," these guidelines attempt to homogenize the language used within the digital OOH market -- most importantly, the language surrounding ROI and audience measurement. For its audience metric, OVAB came up with the "average unit audience," which is based on presence, notice and dwell time. Once networks start to adopt this new standard, brands and agencies will have data they can compare across the board, making for a more efficient advertising ecosystem and, therefore, happier, more confident clients.
For the most part, networks are embracing the new guidelines. For example, Captivate is aiming to be consistent with OVAB guidelines by Q2 2009. And, more importantly, independent audience measurement companies like Nielsen are following suit. According to Paul Lindstrom, senior VP of Nielsen Media Research, the company is tuning its new "On Location Media Report" to be compatible as well.
Clearly, some variation of these guidelines is the future of the industry, and interested agencies and brands need to familiarize themselves with the evolving language if they want to understand this new world.
Create value-driven content
Despite having more insight into digital OOH audience metrics, marketers are still challenged to determine the type of content that is appropriate for any given venue. But one thing is clear: Marketers need to respect audience members' environment and add value to their day. Otherwise, keep out.
With digital OOH content, there are generally two ways to go. Sometimes screens deliver relevant content -- news, sports, weather, etc. -- surrounded by ambient advertising. This is the approach that Captivate has embraced. "We have a live editorial team with journalism backgrounds that can determine relevant stories based on geographic location," DiFranza says.
And sometimes, the ads themselves are the content. But the main goal is the same, Martin says. "If you expect them to look at the screen for more than a second, you need to give them something compelling that can add value to their day," he says. "It needs to respect and reflect the amount of time the consumer spends within striking distance of the screen, and that varies from venue to venue. A doctor's office, where people wait for 15 minutes sitting there, is a different audience experience than a train platform or an elevator ride."
But Moorhead is careful to point out that the medium has to be right for the message. "Digital signage is a very hot, kind of sexy type of media, and I think there's an exuberance about it in the industry," he says. "Do you let the sexiness of that stuff outweigh the real business rationale for buying and using it?"
Of course not. Marketers need to achieve their clients' campaign goals. But it's important to remember that these ads are invading a new place in people's lives -- and so the ads better be worth it.
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