Needless to say, 2020 has been interesting for the world and interesting for those of us in OOH. This year has reinforced the need for sales reps, media planners, and vendors to act as consultants for our clients. With the ever growing uncertainty around the economy, Brooklyn Outdoor turned to some of out-of-home advertising’s top leaders to offer OOH industry insights.
We asked TJ Reul, Senior Account Executive at Rapport NY to give insights to one of the most pressing topics in OOH…
AD SPEND IN Q1 2021
BK: Do you think there will be any repercussions for brands who cut 2020 ad spend entirely due to Covid-19?
TR: Absolutely. I believe there are many case studies that demonstrate how companies that maintain ad spend in a changing environment, or even increase it, are those that bounce back most strongly.
Rather than cutting spend, companies should just change how they are spending that budget and ensure the messaging and value propositions for products/services reflect the new context in which we now live due to the pandemic.
There is opportunity in the obstacles 2020 has posed for brands to stand out and connect with their target audiences.
BK: As we move into 2021, why should brands invest in OOH?
TR: I feel that many of the answers remain the same as they’ve always been, just with different nuances in how to best capitalize on them.
People are still moving around, and OOH remains an important channel to target your audience with messages that can’t be skipped or scrolled past. It provides a canvas to make meaningful connections in communities, and is becoming more flexible than ever before with addressable OOH.
BK: Are there certain formats you recommend brands include in their campaigns in 2021?
TR: This is tough because every campaign is unique and different formats satisfy specific objectives. As a broad response, I think it’s an interesting time for brands to start exploring the programmatic OOH space.
This provides brands with the flexibility of digital, which we know if top-of-mind in the current climate, along with turnkey solutions to be more targeted and contextual with the desired audience and messaging.
For more traditional OOH, it’s always been about finding the right marriage between format, location, and messaging – I don’t think COVID-19 really changes that formula, it may just change what the end result looks like.
