Companies like Spotify are leading the way in combining Out of Home advertising with mobile technology, driving online action and enhancing brand engagement.
Aaron Poole, marketing executive, PML Group with this week’s Out \ Look on Out of Home.
From IRL to URL
The Green Screen at St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, Dublin, serves as a dynamic hub for Out of Home advertising. Its prominent position has made it a preferred site for brands seeking to maximise their visibility. Notably Spotify, with media planned by PML and UM Dublin, has been consistently advertising on this large format since the start of the year. It offers the streaming giant the ideal platform to engage audiences with up-to-the-minute music and podcast offerings, harnessing the power of mobile to consume and act on this content in real-time.
In ‘Touchpoints’, we outlined key trends for OOH in 2023, the first of which was ‘Everything on the go’. This trend encapsulates how brands can engage mobile consumers in OOH environments with instant information curated for relevant search behaviours as they navigate their daily lives. By bridging our public and private worlds, OOH advertising extends reach beyond the streets, driving consumers from In Real Life (IRL) experiences to online actions (URL).
Searches initiated in OOH locations are more diverse and valuable to brands than those made at home, with audiences more primed to receive the message and take action.
OOH provides an opportunity to interrupt the consumer journey using omnichannel planning. Brands can leverage the power of OOH to drive search, inform creative messaging, and stimulate consumer action. RTÉ’s recent OOH campaign for their new podcast series ‘Finding Samantha’ is another recent example effectively leveraging these pillars. Planned by Dentsu X and PML, the podcast was advertised on classic Outdoor 6 sheets and transit internals, with the campaign inviting the consumer to satisfy the question ‘Who is the GPO girl?’ on-the-go and explore the podcast on their mobile devices.
These trends underline the increasing importance of context in how consumers engage with brands. The integration of OOH and mobile strategies allows brands to drive search behaviours, inform creative messaging and enhance consumer experiences in the real world. The ability to deliver relevant, non-intrusive content ‘on the go’ provides a unique touchpoint connection that brands are eager to harness.
In an increasingly competitive banking landscape, understanding consumer behaviour becomes crucial. Customers today are spoilt for choice, and their banking loyalties are ever evolving. What motivates them to switch banks? Is it the lure of lower fees, proximity of branches, or the appeal of advanced digital services?
To shed light on these questions, we investigated the Dublin banking landscape, capturing the trends, motivations, and preferences of banking customers. The findings are part of our ongoing iQ insight programme, which was conducted on our behalf by Ipsos among 300 residents of the capital, aged 16-54.
An Era of Transition
The survey highlighted the 25-34 age group as the most agile in terms of banking preferences. A significant 38% reported having changed their banks in the past 12 months, with 29% indicating a plan to switch in the forthcoming year. Meanwhile, respondents aged 16-24 were closely aligned with this trend; 22% of them had changed banks within the past year. Notably, 44% of female respondents within this younger age bracket expressed intent to switch banks in the upcoming year.
Unravelling the Motives
What’s driving these shifts in loyalty? Young men aged 16-24 are majorly concerned with the closure of their current banking institution, with 77% citing it as their main motivation. Meanwhile, men in the 25-34 age bracket view bank charges as a primary consideration – a whopping 71% see lower fees as a compelling reason to switch.
The motivations among female respondents are most impactful. For women aged 45-54, the physical proximity of bank branches is a significant factor, with 37% indicating it as important in their decision-making. Conversely, the younger women (16-24) have a strong preference for banks that offer top-notch digital services, with 33% of the bracket stating that a more advanced online banking experience could sway them to switch. Women aged 25-34 are enticed by the prospect of better customer service, with 27% stating it as a reason to switch.
The Banking Landscape
The survey results paint a picture of an evolving banking landscape in Dublin. The city’s younger demographic is showing an openness to change, driven by a range of motivations from stability concerns to the quest for better digital experiences. However, the relevance of physical banking services, as evidenced by the preferences of a subset of customers, underlines the importance of maintaining a balance in service offerings.
3D DOOH Touches Hearts on Mother’s Day
Outdoor advertising continues to effectively engage audiences during key occasions such as Mother’s Day. This was recently exemplified by Canadian OOH specialist Branded Cities, whose Digital OOH campaign for the event’s non UKIE date made a big splash across the Toronto skyline this past Sunday.
PML Group’s iQ research from January found that billboards were the most effective form of advertising in prompting purchases related to seasonal events. More recent research also emphasised the impact of large format OOH, highlighting its 24-hour exposure effects, scale, and capacity to build brand trust and fame.
Branded Cities took this wisdom to heart. Their digital billboards, straddling the skyline atop the Toronto Eaton Centre and Nasdaq building, were a veritable feast for the eyes. This heart-warming, innovative 3D displays pulled at Toronto’s heartstrings, proving that billboards are the true romantics of the advertising world and serving as a powerful reminder of the potential of Outdoor advertising – a tool that not only captures the public’s attention but also evokes a communal sense of joy and togetherness.
