Reasons Why Businesses May Not See Success For Their OOH Advertising Campaigns
Big brands like Apple or Amazon use OOH ad formats to boost brand awareness within communities and cities across the globe. By creating successful out-of-home campaigns is a lot more challenging than it seems. Despite your best efforts, a poor choice in terms of a product photo, caption, or color could instantly lead to subpar results.
What are the common mistakes marketers should avoid for their OOH ad campaigns? Here is what you need to know.
- Ad Copy is too long
OOH advertisements are often seen when walking down the street or driving along the highway. Due to these fast-paced environments, your ad may be overlooked if it’s too long or complex. Keep it simple with a caption that’s between 3 and 4 words. To get drivers attention you need between two and five seconds for direct engagement. If your ad has no clarity and it’s busy, then your audience will skip the advertisement.
The advertisement below uses a complicated flowchart to share its message, thus leading to too much cluster and confusion.
- Unappealing product photo
An eye-catching product photo is key to attracting driver’s attention. Make sure that you are using quality images. Hire a professional photographer to showcase your products. For instance, this billboard ad has an off-putting picture of a burger which may dissuade your target market.
- Poor placement and line of sight.
Always, assess the location and its surrounding area’ or ‘Make sure to assess the location and its surrounding area”. Check whether the advertisement is blocked by trees or other obstructions nearby. You might be thinking “Of course Mr. Obvious. Who is placing advertisements without checking the location?”. Trust us, in some occasions locations get disturbed either by trees, a building or even traffic signs.
- Not considering the context.
To avoid negative PR, your ad shouldn’t have misleading information or an alternative message interpretation. Despite your best intentions, if you leave room for interpretation, viewers may take offense from it.
While the creators of this NIVEA ad likely did not intend to spark a racial debate, the message left too much room for interpretation. Advertisements like this may lead to misunderstanding and uproar in social media and culture at large, which can quickly spread and damage the brand’s reputation.
How will you succeed with your OOH campaigns?
Launching an OOH ad may intimidate brands trying it out for the first time, but avoiding common mistakes will help you get the most bang for your budget.
We recommend keeping your copy short and simple so your audience clearly understand your message. Include a good product photo to tempt them. Check product placement regularly and consider the context to avoid misunderstanding, in order to achieve the most out of it.
