How experiential marketing is making OOH more appealing

Posted on 30th Mar 2023

 

Experiential marketing has always been one of the favorite strategies of marketers to engage with their customers. With the advent of digital age, the methods of experiential marketing have changed drastically and so have the tools. Out-of-home (OOH) advertising industry seems to leverage this opportunity very well. The new-age outdoor advertisements never fail to amaze the audience and experiences attached to them are leaving a huge impact on the people.

Evolution of experiential marketing in OOH

 

Over the past few years, the use of OOH media has increased significantly. Various brands are looking for innovative ways to engage their audience and make a lasting impression.

 

Satya Satapathy, Founder, Creation Infoways, says, “One of the major changes in experiential advertising in OOH has been the integration of technology. In the past years, experiential advertising relied on physical installations like billboards or large-scale displays. But, with the rise of digital technology, we have seen an increased use of interactive displays and augmented reality experiences in OOH advertising. This has allowed brands to create immersive experiences for their audience and make their message more engaging. Another significant change in experiential advertising in OOH has been the focus on personalization. Brands are now leveraging data and technology to deliver personalized experiences that resonate with their audience. This approach allows brands to create experiences that are tailored to the individual, increasing the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns”.

Importance

 

One of the main reasons why experiential marketing has become so important in the OOH industry is that it allows brands to connect with their audience in a more personal way. By creating experiences that are tailored to the individual. Brands can establish a stronger emotional connection with their audience, which ultimately leads to greater brand loyalty.

Vishnu Telang, CEO, Khushi Advertising said, “Experiential marketing, with the use of digital & technologies, has the capability to transform any mode of communication making it more engaging and interactive across consumer touch points. Thus, its importance becomes much more vital in the OOH scenario today”.

“Experiential marketing provides a way for brands to stand out in a crowded marketplace. With so many brands trying to get customers’ attention, it can be difficult to get noticed. However, by creating experiences that are unique and engaging, brands can cut through the noise and capture the attention of their audience, Satya added.

 

Key points for OOH

Sharing the key points that brands should keep in mind while using experiential marketing for OOH, Satapathy said, “At first, OOH leaders should make sure that their experiential marketing campaigns are relevant to their brand and target audience. The experience should be aligned with the brand message and values, and it should resonate with the target audience. It is important to create an experience that is memorable and shareable, but at the same time be meaningful and relevant to the brand. Secondly, OOH leaders should consider the location of the experiential marketing campaign. The location should be carefully chosen to ensure that the experience is accessible to the target audience and that it is in a high-traffic area. The location should also be chosen based on the context of the campaign and the message that the brand is trying to convey.”

“Thirdly, OOH leaders should consider the metrics that will be used to measure the success of the experiential marketing campaign. Metrics such as foot traffic, social media engagement, and sales impact should be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign. To make a campaign successful, OOH leaders should keep in mind the relevance of the campaign, the location of the campaign, the use of technology, and the metrics used to measure success. By keeping this in mind, they can create successful campaigns that engage their target audience, increase brand awareness, and drive sales,” he added.

According to Jayesh Yagnik, CEO, MOMS Outoor Media, “We are in the out-of-home advertising industry, so it’s only natural to think out of the box if you want to break the clutter. Use technology to your advantage. Today, we’re seeing multiple digital screens coming up. With such infrastructural developments we have newer avenues to discover.”

“First and foremost come up with a unique idea, which can be implemented with the right use of technology to make an impact. In addition to this focus on sustainability while executing,” Vishnu expressed.

 

Benefits

Experiential marketing provides a unique opportunity for brands to create memorable experiences for their target audience, and OOH provides the perfect platform for it.

Satapathy opined, “Experiential marketing helps to create a buzz around the brand and increase its visibility in the market. By creating a memorable experience, brands can leave a lasting impression on their target audience, leading to increased brand awareness. Another benefit is stronger ROI. Experiential marketing can deliver a stronger return on investment (ROI) than traditional marketing methods. This is because it creates a more meaningful and memorable experience for the audience, leading to increased brand loyalty and higher sale”.

“For starters, experiential marketing helps us fulfill one of our primary objectives as an OOH media and that is building brand awareness. You are being seen and remembered when you create an experience for your customer. They may even actualize the thought and try your brand. That’s when you know you’ve made a mark in your customer’s mind, Jayesh explained.

Telang added, “The biggest benefit is that the OOH media has enhanced its importance & relevance among marketers and features very prominently in most media plans.For Example, in our recent campaign of Oneplus 10T (5G), Movie Kantara, Hiranandani Real Estate, Wonder Masala and Flying Machine, the use of experiential marketing in their OOH communication has been prominent, be it 4DX technology in multiplex or motion technology clubbed with LED lights on billboards”.

 

OOH in the era of AI

AI can completely transform the world of marketing; experiential marketing in OOH is no exception to this. According to Satapathy, these are the few changes that OOH industry can bring about with help of AI.

Personalized experiences: AI can help to create personalized experiences for individual consumers. By analyzing data such as consumer behavior, preferences, and interests, AI can create experiences that are tailored to the individual, leading to higher engagement and increased brand loyalty.

Real-time optimization: AI can enable real-time optimization of experiential marketing campaigns. By analyzing data such as foot traffic, social media engagement, and sales impact, AI can optimize campaigns on the fly, leading to stronger ROI.

More immersive experiences: AI can help to create more immersive experiences for the audience. For example, AI can be used to create interactive displays that respond to consumer behavior or to create augmented reality experiences that overlay digital content on the physical world.

Greater scalability: AI can help to scale experiential marketing campaigns more efficiently. For example, AI-powered chatbots can interact with consumers and provide them with information about the brand or the experience, freeing up staff to focus on creating more personalized experiences.

Improved measurement: AI can help to improve the measurement of experiential marketing campaigns. By analyzing data such as foot traffic, social media engagement, and sales impact, AI can provide more accurate and meaningful metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of campaigns.

Experts believe that we can expect to witness significant changes in experiential marketing in OOH with the advent of AI. From personalized experiences to real-time optimization, AI can enable marketers to create more engaging and effective campaigns that drive stronger ROI.