The Types Of OOH: What Are They & How Can You Make Them Work For Your Business?
2/23/2023
Written By Eva Wen On 23rd February 2023
Out-of-home advertising (OOH) is a broad term that refers to all forms of advertising that are not written on paper. This includes anything with a viewable surface such as billboards, bus shelters, posters, and electronic displays. Many people think of OOH just in terms of outdoor advertising, but it can also include indoor advertising like digital displays or even product placements. Finally, OOH advertising can take the form of traditional posters and leaflets as well as new technologies like virtual reality or augmented reality. The use of these different types of OOH will depend on your business context and market demand. Here are some examples of what OOH advertising can look like for your business:
Outdoor Advertising
Outdoor advertising is the most widely used form of OOH, accounting for more than two-thirds of all OOH media. Outdoor ads are placed on billboards, bus shelters, posters, and other large formats. They are also used for digital billboards, digital billboards in stores, transit shelters, and other indoor applications. There are two major types of outdoor advertising. First, there is standard outdoor advertising, which also includes billboards, posters, and other large formats. Next, there is outdoor media such as outdoor transit, outdoor billboards, and outdoor magazines. Standard outdoor advertising, also commonly referred to as hard surface outdoor advertising, refers to billboards, posters, and other large formats that are attached to the sides of buildings, bridges, or other structures. It also includes the large format of transportation including subway, train, and bus ads. Outdoor media refers to ads that are placed in environments other than hard surface outdoor ads. These include outdoor transit, outdoor billboards, and outdoor magazines. These types of outdoor ads can be placed in parks, on city streets, at beaches, and many other places.
Digital Advertising
Like outdoor advertising, there are two types of digital advertising: standard digital advertising and outdoor media. Standard digital advertising includes ads that are placed on websites and apps. These ads can take a variety of formats including banner ads, interstitial ads, and pop-ups. Outdoor media includes ads that are placed on websites, apps, and digital signs. This type of advertising is referred to as out-of-home digital advertising, making it distinct from standard digital advertising.
Traditional Advertising
Traditional advertising includes ads that are placed in newspapers, magazines, and other publications. These ads can be printed or digital, but the type of media used is the same. Traditional ads can be located just about anywhere: in stores, on billboards, on the sides of buildings, etc.
Virtual Reality or AR Advertising
Virtual reality is the use of computer technology to create a three-dimensional environment that simulates a real-world experience. Virtual reality technology can include both hardware and software, with the latter being the trickier component to obtain. VR software can be installed on smartphones or computers, and these devices can be connected to head-mounted displays (HMDs) to create the virtual experience. AR or Augmented Reality is a type of virtual reality that combines computer technology with the real world. For example, the introduction of a new product or service might cause AR to bring images or messages to a user’s view that are overlaid on the real world.
In order to effectively use out-of-home (OOH) advertising, you need to know what types of OOH there are and how each one can benefit your business. The most common types of OOH are outdoor advertising, digital advertising, traditional advertising, virtual reality or AR advertising, and augmented reality or MR advertising. Depending on your market demand, you can use any combination of these methods to reach your potential customers. The type of OOH that works best for your business will depend on what is most relevant to your target audience. Outdoor advertising is commonly used because it is the most effective method, but it doesn’t always work for all businesses. You can also use the other types of OOH to diversify your portfolio, helping you reach potential customers in any location.
Eva Wen
Eva Wen is the Digital Marketing Executive at CY Digital Signage.
