‘Lines between OOH & mobile will continue to blur’

Kym Frank, CEO, Geopath, US shares her outlook on business in 2019

What were the 3 most important factors that influenced OOH business in the US market in the year 2018?
2018 was certainly a great year for the out of home industry. Here in the US market, we experienced growth on a few platforms and the following certainly aided in this year’s success:

. The uptick in digital signage inventory across the country has certainly influenced the OOH ecosystem and not only does it continue to generate incremental dollars for the industry, but also, improves our reputation by positioning OOH as being innovative. The ability for creative to be served dynamically to screens with next to no lag time has increased the speed of delivery. In addition, digital signage owners and advertisers are at an advantage when it comes to changing creative components. Digital signs can be changed quickly to align with specific data triggers including weather patterns, traffic conditions, holidays etc. 

• It’s no secret that mobile and OOH work hand-in-hand to amplify messaging while consumers are on the go.  More and more, OOH operators are selling mobile in conjunction with their OOH advertising, incorporating functionality like geofencing to empower retargeting of exposed devices. 
• Our industry is making a sizable investment in data to meet the needs of today’s buyers who are used to buying data-driven ads online. These investments grant buyers with the ability to target specific audiences at the right time of day, measure a brand’s return on investment, and help optimize future campaign strategies.  All of these capabilities enhance the value of every dollar spent in OOH.

What would be the top 3 factors driving OOH growth in the year 2019?

I think if you were to ask me this question at the end of 2019, I would say the same three things: digital, mobile and data.

• Digital will continue to be a massive driver of our industry and as more investments are made into converting static billboards to digital screens more opportunities will become available for advertisers. Additionally, as digital networks begin to become more integrated within automated platforms, it will make DOOH even easier to buy and more appealing for advertisers.
• The trend of mobile being sold in conjunction with OOH inventory will continue to increase. In fact, I predict that the lines between what is considered mobile and what is considered OOH may continue to blur into a more cohesive strategy of utilizing “on location media.”
• The resolution of data continues to improve year after year, empowering the OOH industry to be measured with greater granularity. Better measurement, better opportunities!