Tips for Understanding Ooh Audience Engagement

OOH - not your grandmother's ad medium anymore. Too many brands still treat OOH like a legacy channel. The biggest mistake marketers make with out-of-home? Treating it like a one-off creative play instead of a performance channel that can be planned, measured, and optimized with data. Here’s how to plan OOH with the same data-driven mindset as digital: 1. Define Your Audience—Beyond Demographics Use MAIDs and purchase data to map where your actual customers move. Combine first-party CRM data with behavioral insights for smarter targeting. → Example: A B2B SaaS brand skips generic business districts and targets high-value commuters from key zip codes. 2. Pick the Right Markets & Placements TRP (Target Rating Points) = reach & frequency in a given city. Impression quality > quantity—pedestrian vs. vehicular traffic, dwell time, viewability. Competitive Share of Voice—are you cutting through the noise? → Example: A CPG brand chooses high-frequency transit ads in NYC but large billboards in LA. 3. Measure Performance—It’s Not Just Awareness Geo-lift & MAID exposure: Track real conversions post-exposure. Branded search lift: A strong proxy for OOH impact. Brand lift studies: Pre/post awareness shifts. → Example: A fintech brand saw a 47% lift in branded search and 22% more app installs in their OOH markets. 4. Optimize & Scale Double down on best-performing placements. Test CTA-driven vs. brand-led creatives. Shift spend dynamically across billboards, transit, and place-based formats. → Example: A DTC brand found subway ads outperformed street-level placements and reallocated 40% of their budget. OOH isn’t old-school—it’s a measurable, performance-driven channel when done right. Start with data, measure everything, and optimize.

Recently, I posted a poll asking about your biggest communication challenges (many thanks to all who participated). The top answer? Making content that engages audiences. Without a doubt, capturing the interest of any audience is tough, especially when you’re competing against a deluge of content (AI-generated and otherwise). So, it’s tempting to chase trends ... whatever communication fad seems to magically work right now. But fads fade, because people eventually tire of them. What doesn’t fade? The fundamental things that make us human. Like the desire to learn and grow. To solve problems. To be seen and valued. When we tap into those desires in our communication, we’re more likely to draw audiences in and truly engage them. But how? 🔹 Start by showing genuine curiosity: Before writing or speaking a word, invest time in understanding the audience’s challenges, goals, dreams. Make your curiosity part of the experience itself by opening with a question that invites your audience in (as I did in a recent keynote). 🔹 Speak to the audience on their terms: Swap company-centric language for audience-centric terms. Instead of leading with what you offer, start with what they need. And frame your value around their desired outcomes, not your capabilities. 🔹 Move them to think, but also to feel: We all like to think we make decisions objectively, but most of us feel the answer first in our gut. So, don’t be afraid to use emotionally charged words, images, and delivery. And if you really want to grab people in the feels, tell them a story. What does it mean to engage, anyway? Most of us would define it as the act of attracting and holding someone’s attention or interest. But the Oxford English Dictionary says it also means to “charm," “fascinate," “involve," “entangle,” and finally to "pledge" or “commit” oneself to a task or purpose. To me, the difference between communication that engages and communication that doesn't comes down to that: our commitment. It’s on us to do the work of learning what fascinates our audience, what they deem worthy of their involvement. And pledging to serve their needs above ours. That’s what I think anyway; what do you think? #Communication #ContentStrategy #AudienceEngagement

𝗠𝗰𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗱'𝘀 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 (𝗢𝗢𝗛) 𝗔𝗱𝘀 - 𝗔 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 McDonald's OOH ads are renowned for their clear, memorable, and impactful messages. Here’s why they work so well: 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆: • 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: The billboard with arches formed by two lights and the message "Open at Night" shows minimalism at its best. The arches are instantly recognizable, and the message is straightforward. • 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: This uncluttered approach ensures the message is quickly understood, whether viewers are driving or walking by. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀: • 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: The consistent use of distinctive brand assets (red and yellow colors, the slogan, and the arches) make the brand instantly recognizable. • 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: Familiar brand codes reinforce recognition and familiarity, linking the ad to positive experiences with McDonald's. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀: • 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: Billboards with arches acting as directional signs ("On your left," "On your right," "Just missed us," "Next exit") creatively use the iconic brand code to provide practical information. • 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: This clever use of the 'M' draws attention and enhances the viewer's experience while reinforcing brand presence memorably. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: • 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: The temperature-responsive Coca-Cola billboard ("100° reasons to refresh yourself") changes based on the weather, making the ad contextually relevant. • 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: This dynamic approach captures attention by being timely and personalized. 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: • 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: The "Bag Some Dinner" billboard uses an inviting Big Mac image and a playful message to evoke craving and satisfaction. • 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: By tapping into emotions and hunger, the ad creates a strong desire to visit McDonald's, leveraging food advertising's emotional power. 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲: • 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: The "Stay Open to Fresh Taste" billboard with a partially unwrapped message creates curiosity and engagement by revealing the message interactively. • 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: This interactive element draws viewers in, encouraging closer engagement and increasing the likelihood of the message being remembered. 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: • 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: The ad featuring various breakfast items aligned with a clock face suggests different breakfast options at various morning times. • 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: This ad aligns with the cultural understanding of breakfast times, making it relatable and reinforcing the idea that McDonald's offers a variety of options to suit everyone's schedule. How does your branding compare? Share your thoughts below! ⬇️ ♻️ Repost to help others with their marketing and advertising. And follow Tom Wanek for more!