Creative OOH: Adding value to Audiences with Drive-to-Mobile

A recent Nielsen study shown OOH as the most effective offline medium for online traffic, generating x4 value than other media. But even with new drive-to-mobile technologies, creativity and adding value to audiences remains the key to effective mobile activation campaigns. So, who’s doing it well?

“Right now, the smartphone is the centre of their world.” Nora Ganim Barnes Professor of marketing and director of the Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

A changed market calls for changed communication

The use of mobile and smartphones is set to continue growth. In some countries like the US, s martphone traffic is predicted to account for over 90%of all mobile traffic in five years. Combined with urbanisation and increasing time spent out of the home, growing smartphone use makes the city environment a lucrative place for brands to harness mobile activation messaging and connect with their audiences when they are in an active mindset.

More mobiles do not guarantee mobile strategy effectiveness

There is little doubt that people’s behaviours and expectations display a correlation with advancement in smartphone facilities. Expectations for instant availability of information, instant communication and instant interaction seem to grow as quickly (if not quicker) as the technology that offers them.
However, there is no causation between growing adoption of smartphones and mobile strategy effectiveness. People’s perceptions of mobile ads do not mirror their engagement with their smartphones, especially among the younger consumers. Over half of 16-34 year olds find online ads annoying. In addition, the use of mobile ad blockers is significant and is growing. The behaviour of these future consumers dictates how brands should interact with audiences in the future, and brands must listen to stay in the game.

“I enjoy looking at posters in the city and I am often impatient to see such and such brand’s new campaign. What are they going to tell us this time?" Shopper in France Urban Shopper study, JCDecaux

OOH enables effective drive-to-mobile but content is key

OOH media holds a positive perception among the urban audience; it is an integral part of the urban landscape.
The combination of smart cities, growing connectivity within the urban space combined with the exceptionally receptive and active nature of its audiences creates a window of opportunity for brands to engage with people in real life and drive them to online via mobile.
However, effective drive-to-mobile campaigns must go beyond gimmicks and provide interesting, useful or helpful content to resonate with an increasingly savvy audience. Here are some of our favourite campaigns, which cleverly integrate their mobile strategies with OOH and add value to the urban audience.

About JCDecaux Creative SolutioNs

Creative Solutions is an international division of JCDecaux that brings innovative Out-of-Home (OOH) concepts to on-street reality. Creative Solutions campaigns grab attention and build a dialogue with target audiences.
Whether special builds or Dynamic Content, dedicated teams around the world use the latest technologies to optimise campaigns across all OOH environments.