This is a guest blog post by Nick Mawditt, Director of Insight and Marketing at Talon

Personalisation and Context

Right or wrong, there's been a discernible marketing and advertising shift towards personalisation in recent times. Annoying as it can be, brands seem obsessed with trying to second guess our precise consumption habits and serve ad messages to us regardless. Smarter brands are contextualising their ad messaging, reaching a target audience when it matters most and can change behaviour.

What we are seeing in OOH is contextual advertising really making a difference by using location, time of day, social interaction and live data feeds to deliver personalisation. These brands are seeing an additional 30% effect across numerous brand and action metrics, over and above standard shifts.

Media Owner Investment and Changing Behaviour

Out of Home companies are investing millions in ensuring the infrastructure and environment of the medium is the best it can be. Improved aesthetics are making a huge difference to the way people spend their time in city centres, transport hubs and shopping locations. The impact on our behaviour is crucial and technology is playing a fundamental role, as our expectations and behaviours change. We expect to be able to interact and be entertained without a second thought. Digital, real time, mobile and location-based experiences are fuelling OOH advertising, adding relevance, personalisation and quality messaging. The OOH industry certainly hasn't sat on its laurels.

Effectiveness

Measuring the effectiveness of Out of Home has traditionally been a challenge. But OOH's ability to deliver reach and fame is driving search, action, interaction and sales. Our recent study of over 200 ad campaigns, conducted by BrandScience, reveals how advertisers can increase return on investment in OOH, particularly through campaigns that balance classic and digital OOH.

Increasing investment in OOH as part of the communications mix drives ROI; media channels consistently improve ROI when OOH is included in the mix; and digital OOH contributes favourably to ROI, with an optimal proportion of around 45% of budget and 20-25% of total inventory.

This blog is a contribution from The OutLook, the first ever report from Outsmart, Out Of Home's marketing body.