We are witnessing an unprecedented paradigm shift in marketing and communications. The adoption of technologies, even by previously reluctant companies, has greatly accelerated the evolution of the advertising industry.
Along with well-known technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, augmented reality has recently taken flight. On social networks, we have seen activations that make us doubt its reality, with 3D screens and outdoor advertising elements that seem to come out of the imagination. But are these activations known as Fake Out of Home (FOOH) and 3D beneficial or detrimental to the outdoor advertising industry?
Outdoor advertising has been looking to improve and increase its share of the advertising footprint for years, through the incorporation of programmatic, increased inventory and versatility, among other strategies. How do these two new concepts affect the search for more relevance in the distribution of media budgets?
From my perspective, the answer depends on the mind behind these activations. To understand this better, let’s explore clear examples.
If the strategist understands that the use of FOOH or 3D is not essential to the outdoor campaign and is only a one-off activation, the outdoor budget will follow suit, benefiting the industry by demonstrating its power, versatility and effectiveness in buying OOH/DOOH devices.
On the other hand, those who spend a large part of the budget on the design, activation and distribution of this content on social networks can affect the industry. In this case, the budget that was originally for a variety of outdoor elements is reduced to a single element, with the remainder going to parties outside the OOH company.
From an optimistic perspective, these activations can enhance the medium. One OOH industry expert mentioned that by seeing the impact and viralization of an outdoor advertising element, advertisers may be more inclined to move towards this medium. Moreover, this challenges us to be more creative and take advantage of current technological developments.
Ultimately, education about the OOH and DOOH industry is key. Promoting speaking engagements and advising clients in planning their outdoor strategy is essential. We cannot afford to confuse FOOH with real OOH and underestimate the impact that outdoor street advertising generates.What’s next? Continued promotion of best practices and active participation in industry developments are critical.
