OOH

Nielsen Announces Expansion of National Out-of-Home (OOH) Panel

Nielsen has announced that its National TV out-of-home (OOH) panel will be expanded. It will include all TV households in the United States. This project is a significant step toward accurate viewership measurement. It attempts to document out-of-home viewing behaviors for every TV household in the United States.

Nielsen has been capturing OOH viewings for nearly a decade

Nielsen has been recording viewings in public spaces such as restaurants, hotels, bars, and airports for almost ten years. The company has provided metrics for audiences who are not at home, using its own Portable People Meter (PPM) Wearables technology. This allows clients to monitor viewership consumption irrespective of platform, screen, or location. Except for Alaska and Hawaii, Nielsen’s OOH coverage will increase from 65% to 100% by adding more residents to the PPM Wearables footprint.

Nielsen went on to emphasize that gaining access to this viewership is essential for television genres that people frequently watch together. It includes events like sporting events, which are becoming one of the most popular live television programming genres. According to company data, American sports fans watched games from the top five sports leagues for an astounding 1.7 trillion minutes outside of their homes in 2023.

Read More: Perion Acquires DOOH Platform Hivestack for USD $100 Million

Streaming TV Consumption Habits and OOH  

As people’s consumption of streaming TV increases – to 36% of total television usage by December 2023, according to Nielsen’s The Gauge, the relevance of measuring live sports and other “appointment” viewing on both linear and streaming platforms grows. There is an increasing need to measure this audience as streaming services get more involved in the live sports market. The impact data from the expanded panel is expected to be delivered by Nielsen in Q4 2024. It happens to fall around Super Bowl LIX. This initiative provides advertisers and broadcasters with insightful data across all viewing environments. Moreover, it marks a significant step towards a more comprehensive understanding of TV viewership. Nielsen is the only measurement company in a position to effectively address the growing demand and competition for limited sports programming.

Here’s what they said

Deirdre Thomas, Chief Product Officer, Audience Measurement at Nielsen said,

Nielsen is highly focused on innovating in order to better serve our clients and ensure our measurement accounts for the full landscape of television consumption. We understand how important it is for our clients to be able to have the most complete picture of the audience, especially for special events like the Super Bowl.

Paul Ballew, chief data and analytics officer of the NFL added,

We are appreciative of Nielsen’s efforts to make out-of-home measurement more complete, providing a much clearer picture of the true audience for all television viewing and especially sports viewership. For years we have been consistent in our belief that major sports events, like the upcoming Super Bowl LVIII, are often viewed with family and friends in large gatherings and this expanded out-of-home viewership will be crucial to measuring those events.

Read More: OMG MENA and The Neuron Partner to Transform pDOOH Advertising

Al Arabia Secures AED 522 Million Rights to Operate Outdoor Billboards in Dubai

Arabian Contracting Services Co. of Saudi Arabia has announced that its UAE subsidiary, Al Arabia OOH Digital Company, has been granted rights to operate outdoor billboards in Dubai. The Road and Transport Authority of Dubai has awarded the company a contract. The AED 522.84 million ($142 million) contract covers the installation, upkeep, and management of billboards for advertising in several locations throughout Dubai.

Al Arabia signs a 10-year contract with RTA

Al Arabia has been permitted by Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) to erect, run, and maintain outdoor billboards for 10 years and five months. This also covers the time needed for digital and static billboard preparation. By taking this action, Arabian Contracting Services Co. hopes to reach a wider audience geographically. Moreover, it looks to finish building out its network in Al Arabia, and offer unique digital advertising solutions to a range of clientele. Additionally, the project strengthens the company’s position in the Middle East’s outdoor advertising market.

Read More: Perion Acquires DOOH Platform Hivestack for USD $100 million

Outdoor Billboard Inventory

Outdoor Advertising in Dubai

A preparation period is also included in the contract’s duration. It includes up to 31 days for static billboards and 182 days for digital billboards. Al Arabia OOH Digital Company, an Emirati company, was established to award the contract. The announcement coincides with the company’s announcement earlier this month. It unveiled a new $114 million project to erect, run, and maintain billboard advertisements on building facades in multiple Riyadh City locations. Al Arabia Out of Home Advertising Company owns 60% of the business in a joint venture with Mawaqie for Advertising Company, a Saudi company, which owns 10%, and an Emirati partner, which owns 30%.

Read More: OMG MENA and The Neuron Partner to Transform pDOOH Advertising

TransUnion Announces Partnership with AdQuick to Boost OOH Advertising

TransUnion announced an alliance between its marketing solutions division, TruAudience, and top out-of-home (OOH) advertising platform AdQuick. By integrating with TruAudience’s consumer insights platform and curated audience taxonomy, the partnership improves AdQuick’s offerings and empowers advertisers to plan, carry out, and purchase OOH as a component of comprehensive omnichannel campaigns.

Benefits of TransUnion’s identity-based consumer insights for OOH planning

• Audience-based planning: AdQuick’s advertisers can plan their out-of-home (OOH) investments in conjunction with all other channels, such as connected TV, display, and video, by utilizing the TruAudience consumer insights modules specifically designed for digital out-of-home planners.
• Audience Information for Organizing and Managing Campaigns: Through AdQuick’s third-party data marketplace, clients can access additional third-party audiences in addition to TruAudience’s taxonomy.

With an end-to-end solution suite that integrates identity resolution and enrichment, consumer and media insights, data onboarding, omnichannel targeting, marketing mix modeling, and marketing attribution for brands, agencies, publishers, and technology providers, TruAudience, TransUnion’s marketing solutions business, transforms marketing and media effectiveness.

Here’s what they said

Jason Kunkel-de Cesero, Vice President, Demand & Analytics Partnerships, AdQuick said,

OOH has mass reach, is brand safe, and is highly viewable. But historically it’s been planned, executed, and measured separately from other channels, which has resulted in brands chronically underinvesting in OOH. Our partnership with TransUnion will showcase the important role that OOH plays in driving outcomes, and help shift more advertiser dollars to OOH tactics.

Julie Clark, SVP, of Media & Entertainment, at TransUnion added,

As the media ecosystem becomes increasingly fragmented, marketers must maximize their targeted audience reach with optimal frequency, and OOH is an underutilized channel in achieving those goals. We’re excited to provide the insights and audiences to help AdQuick clients utilize OOH to its fullest extent as a meaningful part of their omnichannel performance marketing plans.

Read More: Yahoo Partners with VIOOH for prDOOH and Twilio for First-Party Ad Reach

Billups Expands OOH Dominance with OOH Labs Acquisition

The independent science-driven media agency OOH Labs was acquired by Billups, a global provider of managed services and Out-of-Home (OOH) technologies. It is run by OOH specialists and backed by data. Through the merger, both organizations’ clients will have a wider geographic presence throughout North America. Moreover, it seeks to grant access to Billups’ proprietary measurement and attribution tools as well as improved programmatic capabilities. Given their same ideals and customer-focused philosophy, the two businesses are more aligned than just geographically. Billups is now the biggest OOH technology and managed services provider in North America as a result of the acquisition. Additionally, it reaffirms its dedication to Out-Of-Home advertising industry innovation and global expansion.

Progress and Proficiency

OOH Labs was established in 2020. Since then, it has expanded quickly into the Canadian market and developed a unique niche for itself in the regional out-of-home market. The organization, which has headquarters in Toronto and Montreal, is run by a group of seasoned experts with a range of expertise in media ownership, agency operations, and client services. Billups and OOH Labs partnership’s goal is to increase the OOH industry’s expenditure share and provide clients with measurable business results.

Promoting breakthroughs in Out-Of-Home advertising

The acquisition expands the market for Billups’ unique measurement and attribution solutions and establishes the company as the biggest OOH technology and managed services supplier in North America. It also includes 15 nations in Southeast Asia, EMEA, and North America. Billups’ acquisition of OOH Labs comes after it recently acquired Malaysia-based TAC Media, indicating its continued dedication to growing its worldwide footprint and creating innovative OOH solutions.

To sum up, the purchase of Billups’ OOH Labs represents a noteworthy advancement in the OOH sector. Customers will be able to access advanced measurement and attribution solutions, as well as enhanced programmatic products, thanks to the combined companies’ increased reach and capabilities. Together, the businesses will increase their market knowledge, reach, and capacity to provide Out-of-Home advertising solutions that are both automated and measurable.

Read More: Moving Walls Teams Up with Place Exchange for Global DOOH Inventory

The Effect of the Acquisition on New Enterprises

The purchase of OOH Labs by Billups may have a big impact on start-up companies. This calculated move gives Billups access to cutting-edge measurement and attribution tools, improves its programmatic skills, and broadens its reach throughout North America. The acquisition may create fresh growth opportunities for startups, particularly those in the Out-of-Home sector. Billups and OOH Labs’ combined resources and experience could propel the creation of innovative Out-of-Home solutions and give start-up companies the means to execute successful OOH advertising campaigns. In the Out-of-Home sector, new companies might obtain a competitive advantage.

Here’s what they said

Billups co-founder Benjamin Billups said, 

The decision to unite with OOH Labs goes beyond expanding our geographical footprint; it’s about aligning with a team that shares our values and client-focused approach. Kevin’s unwavering dedication to his team and clients’ success is inspiring and truly commendable. This alliance signifies a melding of expertise and ethos, promising enhanced innovation and comprehensive solutions tailored to the distinct needs of our diverse clientele across North America. It is a very natural alignment for us.

Kevin McDonald, chief executive officer and founder of Agency X, the former parent company of OOH Labs added, 

I couldn’t be more excited to join forces with Billups. Through our countless discussions, it is clear that Billups’ culture, entrepreneurial spirit and passion for the OOH space align perfectly with ours. I look forward to our two organizations collaborating to elevate the share of spend in the OOH industry.

David Krupp, global CEO of Billups commented,

We have admired OOH Labs for some time and after getting to know Kevin and his incredible team, we knew we found the right partner to advance Billups’ foothold in North America. Joining our companies will amplify our collective reach, enhance our market intelligence, and drive tangible business outcomes for our clients.

Read More: Hivestack partners with Up Media to Expand Thai DOOH Market Share

Loop Media-Microsoft Advertising Forge New CTV OOH Inventory Category

Microsoft Advertising and Loop Media, a provider of free ad-supported TV content, have teamed together to develop a new advertising inventory for SSP collaboration. Loop Media is a provider of digital video content with over 2 billion video views every month via eateries, shops, workplaces, medical facilities, airports, clubs, and colleges. In a pioneering arrangement in the SSP format, Loop Media and Microsoft Advertising will give marketers and demand-side platforms (DSPs) fresh distribution segments from which they may access and obtain Loop Media’s promotional engagements. Digital Out of Home (DOOH) and CTV (Connected TV) are the company’s key offerings on DSPs and SSPs (supply-side platforms). All prospective buyers of DOOH marketing will have access to Loop Media through the new category CTV Out of Home that was created as a result of this agreement. Buyers wanting to investigate ads on CTV OOH service networks will be among them.

Advertisers Rejoice

Through this strategic partnership with Loop Media, Microsoft Advertising seeks to grow its advertising business. It aims to give its advertisers access to the exposure and reach of Loop Media. This cooperation will also open up fresh options for marketers to efficiently and effectively interact with their target audiences.

Advertisers will have access to cutting-edge tools with the development of this brand-new sort of advertising inventory, the CTV OOH. They will be able to effectively connect with and interact with the demographics they want. The collaboration benefits both businesses and will increase Loop Media’s visibility in the constantly changing market.

Loop Media and Microsoft Advertising have paved a revolutionary ad landscape. The launch of CTV OOH under the aegis of the SSP partnership helps advertisers to precisely accomplish their marketing objectives. It has paved the way for a promising future by increasing market potential and improving client outreach with this agreement. Loop Media and Microsoft Advertising have created a game-changing advertising landscape by working together. The roll-out of CTV OOH under the SSP partnership framework gives marketers more freedom to precisely accomplish their marketing goals. 

Read More: Connected TV Explained: The Essential Glossary Of CTV

And what they said

Bob Gruters, Chief Revenue Officer for Loop Media stated,

With this new category, Loop Media may be seen and purchased by an expanded group of advertisers in the marketplace. My team and I have been working diligently to get Loop Media positioned well across all revenue advertising categories including Microsoft Advertising’s CTV Out of Home category.

Erik Zamkoff, Microsoft Advertising associate director of Marketplace Development said,

We are pleased to launch our new CTV-OOH library on the Microsoft Advertising platform which provides a path for clients to buy CTV-OOH supply in the proper context with clear labeling in our new venue category packages. We are thrilled to feature Loop CTV-OOH supply in our new venue category packages.

About Loop Media

Loop Media, INC. is a market leader in digital out-of-home (DOOH), television, and digital signage. Through its Loop TV Service, it assists businesses in optimizing campaigns on various platforms by offering free music videos, news, sports, and entertainment channels. Loop Media has a license to stream music videos to companies in the United States using its patented Loop Player. Millions of users access its digital content at DOOH locations every day across the U.S. They include office buildings, retail enterprises, bars/restaurants, university campuses, TV platforms, airports, and local gas stations.  It is the most comprehensive and important inventory of short-form entertainment. 

Read More: Disney+ Hotstar Amp Brand Outreach With CTV Targeting

Dentsu partners with Moving Walls to bring accountable DOOH advertising to Africa

Moving Walls has teamed up with Dentsu Africa, a global digital marketing and communications company, to create an advanced Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising technology platform for various markets in Africa. This new partnership will provide a full-stack solution for OOH advertising, using innovative technology to help brands reach their target audiences in an effective and accountable way.

Through this partnership, Dentsu Africa is launching a DOOH tech solution that is powered by Moving Walls. The solution includes a supply-side platform that consolidates OOH inventory information and provides advanced inventory and campaign management tools to media owners. Advertisers, on the other hand, will have access to advanced DOOH activation and measurement capabilities through a single platform. The solution is launching in three of the biggest African markets, with pilot campaigns already in place for some of the top brands.

Interesting Read: All You Need To Know About The Rise Of DOOH Advertising

Statista estimates ad spending in the OOH advertising segment in Africa to reach US$198.00m in 2023. The OOH advertising industry in Africa is growing and attracting a relatively higher percentage share of advertising compared to other regions, with studies suggesting it accounts for 13% of advertising revenue in most key African markets. The continent’s large and growing population, fast-growing middle class, and young population make it an attractive market for businesses and brands. OOH spending has continued to grow, with the rise of digital screens in shopping malls, airports, and residential areas.

Alex Tutu, Regional Director at Dentsu Location Services said,

With their global scale and platforms that address the entire ecosystem, Moving Walls is the ideal partner to launch these new DOOH capabilities for our region. It is especially important that this is a tech solution that allows for flexible customizations for the different markets we are launching in.

Srikanth Ramachandran, Founder and Group CEO of Moving Walls added that such a partnership is ideal to quickly scale solutions to a region where OOH remains fragmented.

Our platforms have been battle-tested in regions where even neighboring countries have vastly different OOH ecosystems. By launching this solution with Dentsu, some of the largest advertisers across Africa will be able to transform how they run OOH advertising.

Interesting Read: Lemma and Maxamtech partner to offer real-world DOOH clients Metaverse Billboards

MediaMix And Starzmedia Launched OOH Advertising Across UAE

OOH company Media Mix Advertising and Starz Media join forces to launch OOH advertising across the UAE. Paul Abouchacra, who is in charge of Media Mix Advertising, is an experienced man in the UAE when it comes to out-of-home advertising.

Media Mix’s vision is to become one of the world’s leading outdoor media companies while steadily expanding its market presence. In Dubai, UAE, it seeks to offer brands professional, visible, and targeted exposure in the city’s landscape by strategically placing outdoor advertising mediums.

As a result of the strategic alliance between StarzMedia and Media Mix, both companies gained mutually beneficial results. StarzMedia, Danube’s sister company, provides 528 bus shelters and mupis for the entire city of Dubai. 

Interesting Read: Lemma Partners With Continuum, Expand DOOH Presence In The Middle East

Working together

Image Credit: Campaign Middle East

As a result of the acquisition, Media Mix and Starz Media now own 25 unipoles in Dubai. Four of them were acquired on 1st May. They can be found opposite Dubai Festival City, with two unipoles on Al Rebat Street and two on Nadd Al Hamar Street. A recent acquisition involved 21 unipoles installed along 30 kilometers of Sheikh Zayed Road between Jebel Ali and Dubai Parks. Moreover, a full takeover of Abu Dhabi theme parks was achieved through the booking of 21 unipoles along the total stretch of 60 kilometers on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Interesting Read: Dubai To Host Global Metaverse Event, Unveils Its Ambitious Strategy

Power Of Out-Of-Home Advertising In The Middle East And Road Ahead

OOH- Out-Of-Home Advertising is a media format that walks with you from the time you step out of the house.

Don’t you believe me?

Let’s take a quick walk from your apartment. There is a screen in your elevator or outside your apartment. In a few yards, you’ll see a lamppost or a mupi greeting you. Speeding along at 90km/hr, you will come across attractive signage. And they are everywhere on your visit to supermarkets or malls. OOH is by your side, anywhere and everywhere in UAE all through the day in formats to engage and impress you.

In the UAE, the world’s oldest form of promotion ‘ out-of-home ’ advertising has been evolving over the years. OOH advertising Middle-East still commands a lion’s share of the attention of the media mix. It stands on the tipping point between traditional and technological advancements. The proliferation of new technologies and changing consumer patterns have resulted in a paradigm shift. Before understanding the OOH advertising Middle-East market, let us comprehend the basic concept of Out-Of-Home advertising.

What is Out-Of-Home (OOH) Advertising?

In simple words it OOH Advertising means any visual advertising media that reaches consumers when they are outside of their homes. Outdoor advertising spaces would be lampposts, bridge banners, billboards, wrapping, and more. There is a rise of out-of-home in middle-east. It is not unusual to see huge hoardings in Dubai, bridge banners in Abu Dhabi along with the circuits of Mupis in Sharjah & the Northern Emirates. For those unfamiliar with market prices, there are many options at various price points – even among similar sites from different providers.

Picture Credit: Talon

Interesting Read: JGroup and Blis To Partner For Exclusive Location-Based Advertising In MENA

Out Of Home (OOH) Advertising Middle East And Africa

Outdoor Advertising is the only traditional medium that has steadily grown for the past 10 years. According to PQ Media’s forecast,2020 was the most difficult year for the entire OOH media industry. The onset of a strong recovery, however, is evident this year, with global OOH revenues projected to increase 6.6% to $55.03 billion, followed by accelerating growth in 2022.

Why is this medium so appealing and sustainable? It tackles everything that’s considered a challenge in digital media.

An independent study by Nielson suggests OOH drives online activation. The same study further reveals that nearly five in 10 US adults are engaged on search engines alone when they encounter an outdoor ad. The engagement numbers are even higher on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

Out of Home Advertising Association of America

Statista reveals in 2020, spending on OOH advertising in the Middle-East and Africa (MENA) region amounted to 233 million U.S. dollars. Outdoor advertising is relevant and important considering we live in a mobile economy today. It has the potential and power to create a great impact on the consumers. Consumers are more likely to click on a mobile ad after seeing the ad on OOH. Some more data to help you understand the role of OOH in a brand’s growth, market presence,  and loyal customers.

• an average 71% share who said digital billboards stand out better than online ads
• an average 85% share of consumers who think out of home advertising is helpful
• an average 40% boost in effectiveness for digital search when paired with OOH
• an average of $3.79 sales ROI for retail companies per $1 spent on OOH advertising

Interesting Read: Trade Desk Partners With Choueiri Group For Better Programmatic Access In MENA

Industry Experts Speaks On the Biggest Challenges Faced By OOH Advertising Middle East

OOH’s reach and frequency make it a good medium for creating brand awareness and providing a call to action (CTA) with consumers. The hyper-local nature of OOH ads provides people with those “aha” moments. Consumers can recall the first time they saw a ‘special build’ on Sheikh Zayed Road? Or a unique hoarding at Al Kahil? Or a brand new automobile with headlights mounted on the unipole? Or Wrapping a bus on Abu Dhabi’s first transit media?

Unlike any other medium, OOH offers round-the-clock exposure and complete control of the advertising space. However, the OOH advertising Middle East industry faces multiple challenges which dampen future growth.

1. There is no regulatory body for the OOH industry to resolve issues faced by the vendors which leads to unhealthy competition at times.
2. Spiraling high rents by landlords in spite of softer demand and tight advertising budgets. Also, there is a mismatch in the demand-supply of locations.
3. OOH is incapable of providing campaign-specific and every-moment ROI. It lacks advanced measurement tools compelling advertisers to shift to digital due to limited budget.
4. Advertisers lose out on brand recall and awareness due to the transfer to digital as they look for value for money and not only impressions.
5. Digitization is slow to catch in the OOH industry. MENA is trailing behind in technology and programmatic advancement compared to the international market.

“The main challenge the industry is facing is that it is still full of analogue options, which means any small mistake in or changes to the creative requires additional costs borne by the advertiser. A lack of digitalisation also means there aren’t a lot of things that advertisers can measure natively. At best, they receive a guesstimation of impressions. The other challenge is the fact that today’s consumer wants to see ads tailored to their interests.” -SAEED ALSHAMSI , Managing Partner, Lifeonscreen (OOH Guide 2019-20)

“There is a wrong perception that outdoor is competing with digital, and clients and agencies are focusing on programmatic planning via social media and online, and using OOH as a secondary medium to complement online.” – REHAN MERCHANT, Group CEO, Emirates Neon Group (OOH Guide 2019-20)

The Road Ahead

Amidst a fragmented media landscape, OOH is a relevant medium that has a wider reach and makes people stop-notice-think-buy. But what’s next for the OOH industry? Digital, Digital, and Digital.

OOH complements other media channels but DOOH is the ultimate. The OOH advertising Middle East industry is moving at a slow pace towards digitization but it will experience a revolution.  In recent times, DOOH has taken off and cannot be easily avoided, skipped, or blocked, unlike online TV adverts. A large 3D illusion LED billboard to smart screens across the city with interactive elements like sensors, touch-sensitive links that play audio or video when touched, or facial recognition to customize content.  It is necessary to develop standardized processes, measurement tools, and retargeting strategies to programmatically handle DOOH. Due to these robust technologies, OOH suppliers will better invest in resources and integrate these solutions as a part of their portfolios.

People are well on their way to embracing technology in media, and artificial intelligence with digital formats of real-time trading will have a positive impact on gaining traction. And what’s more, the transition from static to digital sites will continue

Interesting Read: All You Need To Know About The Rise Of DOOH Advertising!

Pikasso And Broadsign Launch Maiden Programmatic DOOH Campaign In Ivory Coast!

Broadsign, and Pikasso, a programmatic Out-of-Home firm based in the Levant, North Africa, and West Africa, have launched a programmatic DOOH campaign in Ivory Coast; making them pioneers of the same. This maiden campaign was displayed by a French DSP, the Displayce. 

Francesca Vincenti, Head of Programmatic at Pikasso commented – 

We are thrilled to have displayed the very first programmatic pDOOH campaign in West Africa, in the Main Malls of Abidjan, the economical Capital of Ivory Coast, and are pleased with our collaboration with major programmatic players such as Broadsign and Displayce. 

Relevant Read: Qatar-Based Elan Media Launches Programmatic Buying For DOOH Assets

Vinceti also talked about how the collaborators’ confidence in Pikasso to execute this campaign, as well as their interest in the Ivory Coast market, shows that the area is receptive to all innovations; including the capacity to trade programmatically, as a clear step toward the future of advertising buying. 

Furthermore, Vinceti expressed how enthralled Pikasso is for introducing programmatic buying to the market, and hopes that the advertisers avail this advantage to its optimum level. 

Stuart McMahon, Director Business Development EMEA at Broadsign went on to record to say – 

Programmatic DOOH adoption is growing worldwide, paving the way for more impactful campaigns that can reach consumers at multiple touchpoints throughout the day and speak to their experiences in the moment. This campaign is a testament to the power of programmatic DOOH in an omnichannel strategy and marks an exciting milestone for the Ivory Coast market

Kawarizmi, a French digital agency specializing in programmatic buying, bought the campaign as part of an omnichannel strategy. This strategy includes a strong retargeting presence on mobile and social media to maximize the connection between DOOH and mobile. 

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