Three Minds On Digital Marketing @ Organic

image credit: stonebird

I just came across an interesting digital out-of-home (DOOH) media and mobile story. Through a partnership with Impact Mobile, Adcentricity, an aggregator for over 80 DOOH networks, has just added a mobile component to its offerings.

Just when the Outdoor Advertising Research Group is claiming digital signs aren't distracting, the convergence of DOOH media and mobile now seems to be a developing trend.

Rob Gorrie, CEO of Adcentricity, agrees. According to the article, Gorrie thinks it may even contribute to ROI because it allows customers to "interact with brand messages in a relevant way." Still, there's an active push to ban digital billboards in Los Angeles because some Los Angeleans consider them too distracting.

Personally, there is only one digital billboard I have ever seen that I considered distracting. It's along the highway on the way to Tahoe and is so bright that it gives me "sunspots" on my eyes and, when passing it, I find it hard to see the highway. The funny thing is that it's so distracting that I can't even remember what was advertised - Was it a casino? Alcohol?

Well, there's an important point. No matter what a digital sign is advertising, if it's too bright alongside a dark road and can endanger drivers, it is probably better placed elsewhere or toned down! If an ad is not engaging consumers in a way that leaves them with a positive impression of your brand, then maybe it's better to not waste your marketing investment in that location.

On the other hand, I've seen a cool billboard in West Hollywood where the screen flips every few seconds. The plethora of traffic crossing West Hollywood all hours of every day surely must enable that billboard owner to easily sell multiple ads and guarantee that each driver will see at least 5 or 6 of them -- or possibly 10 or 12 -- during cruising hours! That billboard hosted all sorts of consumer packaged goods ads (like shaving cream and shampoo).

Keep an eye on digital billboards as a tool that allows brands to engage consumers where it's convenient for them, like while sitting in traffic. Using these signs, marketers can tap into their offline work using many of their online tactics, using call-to-action techniques like SMS, polls, votes, contests, promos, and sweepstakes. Typical online content delivery, retail and redemption and mobile application techniques can also be extended by marketers into the digital billboard realm.

Have you seen any digital billboards or other digital ads that you'd like to see adapted for such mobile integration?

Stephanie Jorgl