The Impact of the Digital Age on OOH Advertising

In the past, setting up traditional OOH advertising campaigns such as printed billboards was labour-intensive and ended up with a lot of time being wasted. But the internet has changed the out-of-home advertising game. Digital advertising screens now mean that advertisers are able to distribute media onto digitally connected media displays pretty instantly. 

We have the UK’s largest street-level audience for advertisers at Drovo, and the shadow fencing technology we have developed enables digital out-of-home ads to display themselves on users’ phones and digital devices within immediate proximity. 

In this informative article, Drovo Media takes a closer glance into the impact of the digital age on OOH advertising at how to keep up with the consumers of today.

How Does OOH Advertising Work?

Out-of-Home advertising is media displayed in public spaces that large amounts of people pass by on a day-to-day basis. OOH is a crucial part of the recipe that advertisers use to generate brand awareness and ensure brand loyalty amongst consumers.

In short, OOH advertising methods, such as billboards and signage try to keep brands at the forefront of our minds. Whether that be impactful ads hoping to grasp commuters’ attention while they’re on their way to work, those out for a jog, or simply anyone out and about with family and friends. To be effective, OOH advertisements must be memorable and creative. 

Out-of-Home campaigns have been around for many years, an iconic historic poster being Lord Kitchener’s ‘Your Country Wants You’ to encourage young British men to sign up for the war effort in WWI.

The digital era has utterly transformed advertising strategies and audiences alike. At Drovo, we aim to leverage the Digital Out of Home advertising technology we have come up with to rocket-boost brand awareness and engagement for your transit advertising campaigns.

What is Traditional OOH Advertising?  

Traditional Out-of-Home advertisements are static printed outdoor campaigns. Common places to see traditional outdoor advertising campaigns would be on buildings in urban areas, on roadsides or near motorways, or on public transport vehicles. Let’s go further into it.

Traditional Out-of-Home campaigns tend to be 

• Printed billboards 
• Posters and signage

The first digital screen for an out-of-home campaign was for the local TV News ‘Channel 5’ in the US in 2001. Nowadays, Digital Out-of-Home LED signage is everywhere. 

Let’s explore how the internet completely altered the OOH advertising landscape further. 

What Does Digital Out-of-Home Advertising Mean? 

Digital Out-of-Home campaigns are moving digitalised media displays, including rotating LED digital screens and videos. It is no exaggeration to say that DOOH has taken over the advertising industry, and the global spend on DOOH advertising being up by 25% in 2022 reflects this trend.

Types of Digital Out-of-Home Advertising

We have spoken about what digital out-of-home advertisements are, and now let’s touch on a few examples for you.

Digital Screens on Vehicles

There are major Digital Out-of-Home opportunities in larger cities, so why not travel with your dynamic urban audience? There are just under 9 million people living in London, so imagine the impact that transit digital screen campaigns have in the capital!

At Drovo, we use the latest technology for our digital screens on mounted private vehicles so that your transit ads raise as much brand awareness and engagement as possible in London and other UK cities. 

Digital Billboards

Digital billboards can be quickly changed at any moment, and one of their main benefits is that they can show a multitude of different ads on the same day, rather than being limited to just one as is the case with printed billboards. 

The internet has led to the public having shorter and shorter attention spans. If you want to make modern passersby look up from their phones at a billboard for a few moments, it better be an attractive bright digital one that captures their attention right away. 

DOOH at Public Transport Hubs

The trend towards Digital Out-of-Home campaigns is also prevalent in bus stop advertising as well as for advertising on the London underground. For many years, you only ever saw printed billboards at bus stops and train stations. In 2024, you now see rotating digital displays in public transport hubs.

One of the advantages of having digital screen ads at public transport stops and stations is that they make your campaigns stand out in the darker winter months. 

Why not increase your impressions and the brand awareness and impact created by your campaigns by opting for transit media, like we provide at Drovo? 

Streetside Digital Posters

Posters on the street are no longer static, you now get digital ones that move and rotate! A well placed LED-lit streetside digital poster is quite difficult for members of the public to miss and they can pay dividends for the effectiveness of your campaigns as a result.

Programmatic Digital Advertising

Programmatic digital advertising is the automated process of buying and selling Digital Out-of-Home ads using the latest software and technology. Fortunately, programmatic advertising, which enables you to place the right ads in front of the right audience with OOH transit media, is our speciality here at Drovo. 

Drovo is Bringing OOH Advertising Up to Date With The Digital Age

At Drovo, we are proud to be pioneers in the Digital Out-of-Home advertising space. Our screens help to create the bridge between digital and Out-of-Home campaigning. 

We are a busy bunch at Drovo, hence we have both OOH and DOOH covered for you since we also offer taxi wrap ads carried out by professionals. You’ll never see taxis that look so sleek and stylish as our wrapped taxis.

Are you more than ready to embrace the Out-of-Home advertising sector having entered the digital age? Get in contact with our experienced team.