Aug
14
Digital OOH Fortunes Revised Up?
Filed Under Advertising, Corporate, Digital Signage, digital ooh, metrics | 1 Comment
VSS has an interesting piece in Media Life magazine that caught me by surprise.
Turns out OOH is the shiznit.
Not only is the OOH market growing, it’s growing faster than any stat I’ve seen, from the reports of $8.2 Billion in 2012 to $10.2 Billion in 2013. Huh? Where’d that extra $2 Billion come from???
Oh – wait…right…research & investment firms are actually starting to get their hands around how bloody big this (hidden) little gem of a market is. Something did seem a little wrong when reports of supply growth were 33% but no correlation to ad spend/demand existed.
And Digital OOH??? Well, it turns out that we were horribly wrong…it won’t be $3.9 Billion in 2012, It will be $4.5 Billion in 2013. Turns out Digital will make up for half of the OOH industry’s revenues by 2013. From the article:
Digital OOH spending will increase at a faster pace, with compound annual growth of 13.2 percent from 2008 to 2013. Total digital OOH spending will hit $4.53 billion in 2013, up from $2.6 billion this year, and accounting for 44.1 percent of all OOH spending.
What else is cool? Buyers are actually praising DOOH for the first time, albeit annonymously :
“Out of home has become such a flexible alternative, especially as the digital elements become more mainstream and/or available,” one buyer tells Media Life. “This flexibility allows the format to make sense for the quick turnaround necessary in these shorter planning periods.”
Look out TV & Internet – these strategy folks at agencies are starting to figure out that they can launch programs as fast with us as they can with you! Which makes us….what’s the word I’m looking for….right…essential… for ongoing communication programs
Something else I got a kick out of that sounded vaguely familiar:
Among the growing technologies will be systems that send coupons to mobile phones and GPS-based tools to steer consumers to advertisers featured in VAN ads.
…Not sure where I heard that before. 
The article is here
Aug
10
Colder Than Most People From Toronto
Filed Under Advertising, Digital Signage, digital ooh, humor | 6 Comments
OMG this is hilarious!
Fresh off facebook is an ad from Coors Light in Calgary. Now THIS is contextual, localized advertising at its best!
Fun!
For those from the US, Toronto is viewed, by the rest of the country, similarly to the way NY can be viewed. A little different, but it’s the best way to explain it unless you’ve lived in Canada. Good thing T.O. loves the rest of the country unequivocally 
Now all they have to do is make this digital and I’m a fan!
(O c’mon – it IS pretty funny )
[UPDATE - August 18: Seems folks really can't take a joke. The Toronto Star wrote a piece on this a full week after I blogged about it (man print media really is getting super slow in picking up stories). Most of the people I've heard from from T.O. howl at this but it's disappointing that folks can't take a little ribbing and laugh at themselves]
Sphere: Related ContentAug
10
Forbes.com CEO Network Shout Out
Filed Under Advertising, Corporate | Leave a Comment
Klaus and the gang over at Forbes.com who handle the CEO Network have been great fun to work with and have been interested in some of what I (and many others) have had to say (1, 2 & Today) over the last little while so I would be disappointed in myself if I didn’t give it back in a hearty thanks …
THANKS! You guys rock. .
Great reads on a number a varied topics in business leadership, which I read. I guess I can now say / paraphrase, like the old commercial:
Not only am I a content provider…I’m also a client”
Happy Monday
Sphere: Related ContentAug
8
Published at 3:15 (Aug 8th):
[UPDATE - Aug 9th: Confirmed - See Publicis for confirmation]
I was just made aware that Razorfish was just purchased by Publicis – Sticker price? $530 mil.
This is big. There have been rumors circulating but apparently the whole deal just went through this morning.
We do work with both groups and they’re awesome to work with!
Congrats Publicis! Great move!
[UPDATE: WSJ has more "details" (old but tells more than I do) here but full story will come out later]
[UPDATE 2: LOL - A decidedly different view of the deal but...to each their own http://www.tribbleagency.com/?p=5584]
Sphere: Related ContentAug
8
Erwin Ephron on Measuring Noticeability For More Ad Success
Filed Under Advertising, Digital Signage, digital ooh, metrics | Leave a Comment
Very cool article, which I heavily agree with.
I based some of the foundations of my company, ADCENTRICITY, on some of the basic premises of some of Ephron’s past theories. In addition, Ephron is heavily involved in the ARF, of which we are members.
Mr. Ephron tackles the sticky problem of new research methodologies/modeling which the ARF is trying to tackle as a fairly significant problem for most mediums.
He starts of his thesis with:
To be of practical value, the early ARF models focus on obvious behavior and familiar measurements. Understanding is dumbed-down for easy use. The modeler’s assignment is “tell us how measurements can help better manage advertising dollars.” This results in linear models that follow the decision making process of the industry at the time – exposure, attention, retention, persuasion, interest in buying and finally, purchase.
That narrow road will no longer do. The early models do not stretch our minds or match reality. Their definition of media is narrow. The only media considered are paid media under advertiser control.
The models do not consider consumer states except as fixed attributes (sex, age, income), or known behavior inferred through measurements (buys vitamins, drives to work, drinks beer). And the models avoid discussing the many options in marketing which would show how limited advertising’s role in shaping a consumer’s buying decisions actually is.
Where he appears to get to is the (unthinkable and pooh-poohed) idea that creative is integral to the new measure we SHOULD be looking at – Noticeability.
When there is an eye-contact measurement of commercial audience, if a message attracts your attention (a bright yellow billboard in a green field, a 100 dollar bill on a magazine page, a Gecko on the TV screen), that message will attract more eyes, regardless of what is being advertised or how.
He also goes out of his way to commend the OOH industries (and I’m extending that with DOOH as we’re going the same directions) move to “eyes on” ratings and the need for adding “creative” as a necessary variable to measurement:
Eyes On data from Out of home shows a more noticeable ad can increase the unit’s audience (the number of people seeing it) by 25%.
Historically it’s been the look of the medium that attracts audience to advertising. But when audience is defined as people seeing advertising, it’s the look of the ad that helps determine the size of that audience.
Welcome to the real world.
A read a highly recommend – (If it’s moved, search for: Do Ads Increase Audience). It basically contends that creative MUST be taken into account if we want to more accurately define and have success with all forms of advertising.
Sphere: Related ContentAug
5
Arbitron Leads With Launch Of New Digital OOH Research
Filed Under Advertising, Digital Signage, digital ooh, metrics | Leave a Comment
I was lucky enough to get an advance screening of this and wow was I impressed.
Arbitron today announed the most comprehensive, cross network study of demographics and behaviours in DOOH. This is massive…it squarely puts a face on DOOH that is thorough and tied to mainstream metrics. It elevates the whole space.
Per the report, one of many gems:
Approximately 155 million (67 percent of) U.S. residents aged 18 or older have seen an Out-of-Home (OOH) digital video display, in the past month, at one or more of 17 types of public venues
DOOH reaches 67% of the US population monthly – now that’s huge and eye opening to the Brands and agencies that are out there. Some of the agency partners we work with claim their clients simply aren’t asking for it. This may change their minds.
And further:
- Nearly one in five (18 percent of) Americans aged 18 or older noticed a video screen in a place serving food or beverages in the past month; 21 percent of adults have seen video displays at a movie theater.
- Twenty-two percent of U.S. adults have viewed a video screen at a gas station in the past month; 19 percent have seen video displays at an airport during the same time period and 7 percent have noticed video content while waiting for or riding mass transit.
- One in seven adults (14 percent) has noticed a video display in an office building or elevator in the past month.
- Nineteen percent of American adults have seen a video screen at a doctor’s office or hospital in the past month and 7 percent have viewed video content at a health club.
This was long overdue as a real study of this magnitude had not been accomplished since 2006.
The Full report can be downloaded here
Congrats to Chris, Rob and the gang at Arbitron – great work!
UPDATE: Katy Bachman, one of the more learned journalists on DOOH, has a write up on it here: http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/out-there/digital/e3i8a55a31083e02409b61f754c3c1fcf2e
Sphere: Related ContentAug
4
Y&Rs Day of the Clones
Filed Under Advertising, Digital Signage, digital ooh | Leave a Comment
Thanks to Marketing with Meaning for the link to this (@mktgwithmeaning)
This is such a great read that I highly recommend. It’s a piece by Y&R on differentiation and why it’s the cornerstone of heavy return and high performance companies.
The basic thesis is that you, as a Brand Manager (or agency or publisher) are one of thousands of clones, towing the generic company line, trying to be innovative by doing things that are “best in class”, which really only means you’re doing exactly the same thing your competitor is doing (best in class, by its very meaning, means it’s proven and…as the article puts it…boring – everyone else is already doing it). You must differentiate if you want to be more than you are.
Sphere: Related ContentAug
4
Toyota Hits Big Red Eject Button
Filed Under Advertising | 2 Comments
After hitting the button, bystanders heard someone yelling “That was Easy!”
In all seriousness:
Toyota made (what could be) a huge announcement late last week that will have the trade rags talking for some time and, I’m sure, churn out lots of commentary from many folks.
The announcement basically outlined that, effective January 1, 2010 (5 months from now) they are moving all advertising in-house domestically (Japan) and creating a new “marketing assistance” company that will oversee global marketing.
It’s a little unclear whether this is creative/media or both. These days “mediums” drive some creativity so they can get pretty messy and blended.
It’s also a little unclear how much influence or control the “Global” company will have over the rest of the world and its advertising/media strategies and tactics.
I picked this up from Agency Spy where Kiran asserts that this means Saatchi will lose out big. The original release is here. I guess it remains to be seen what this actually means.
If indeed this is a full pull in house and involves both creative and media duties, this is a very big deal. Some companies, like Samsung, own their own creative agency. However they also use Starcom for all planning/buying….so it’s not quite as dramatic as this could be to Toyota’s agencies.
With Bob Lutz charging forward on new GM strategies with better and different creative and media use and now Toyota doing a bit of a left turn on their ad strategies, this could be big and traumatic for the ad business and many media properties if other auto cos. follow their example and step out from the norm.
Only time will tell I guess.
The most interesting piece in this article that I picked up on was that Toyota is doing this to get “closer to their customers”. By saying that, they are insinuating that the agency layer creates a “distancing” that doesn’t let Toyota listen to their own customers well enough. This is pretty interesting…if only in that Toyota could be really creating a big obstacle and reason for people to buy and stick with their products if only because they could be seen as one of the only car companies that actually LISTENS and converses.
Sphere: Related ContentAug
3
Stepping back from TV: 10 Steps To A Better Content Experience
Filed Under Advertising, Digital Signage, Social Networking, TV, digital ooh | 3 Comments
While this post isn’t meant to slam TV, it is set up to focus on other forms of “entertainment” and how people consume.
I should throw in a disclaimer – I don’t really watch a lot of TV. Usually, it’s something I do to fall asleep…i.e. turn the TV on with a timer and pass out…it seems to put me to sleep faster so I use it
Second disclaimer; I’m obviously in the media business so how I consume media is likely very different from the average Joe.
Last night I was bored after finishing work and felt like some entertainment so decided to do a little experiment and avoid TV all together. In it’s place, I watched YouTube and other online videos. I also wasn’t watching them on my LCD Flat Screen either – I have an iPod Touch and simply crashed in bed and went from site to site and video to video.
Sphere: Related ContentAug
3
The New Normal for Media
Filed Under Advertising, Digital Signage, digital ooh | 1 Comment
Brandweek has a piece on pundits thoughts on how, when and what will recover post-”recession” with regards to the advertising industry. It’s worth a read, if only to understand some of where and why folks believe recovery will start to occur.
Much of the focus is around the idea that if agencies want to be successful and accelerate (or even exist in 7-10 years and not go the way of JWT Chicago by becoming irrelevant) they have to start thinking and acting differently now because “the way we were” ain’t gonna cut it in 3-4 years. As the author states:
Sphere: Related ContentBut what happens, theoretically, when things do come back? Even when unemployment rates fall and consumer confidence returns in earnest, experts say agencies will not be able to simply return to business as usual. Some will be better positioned to grab a greater share of spending than others, say industry watchers, and those with the edge will be the ones that can optimize the use of digital media.
-
Follow Me on Twitter Feeds
-
