Digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising is rapidly gaining traction in shopping malls and retail environments, offering advertisers a unique opportunity to engage with consumers in a highly interactive and targeted manner. Recent research and successful campaigns underscore the effectiveness of this medium, particularly in environments like shopping malls where dwell times are high, and consumers are already in a purchasing mindset.
Research Highlights the Effectiveness of DOOH in Malls
A joint study by Posterscope and Metro newspaper revealed that digital OOH screens in shopping malls have a higher interaction rate (49%) compared to other environments. This suggests that consumers are more willing to engage with digital content in malls, where they are often spending extended periods of time. The study supports the growing trend of incorporating digital advertising into retail spaces, where it can enhance the shopping experience and capture the attention of a more urban and tech-savvy audience.
Additionally, a report from Kinetic, titled “The Future of Out-of-Home,” found that digital screens significantly enhance the mall environment. According to the report, 57% of consumers believe that digital screens brighten up malls, and 50% think they make malls more interesting and attractive. Moreover, 70% of those surveyed agreed that digital posters are particularly beneficial in high-dwell time locations, such as shopping centers, making DOOH a powerful tool for advertisers.
http://www.slideshare.net/Posterscope/smartphones-social-screens-study-posterscope-metro
Successful Campaigns Demonstrate the Impact of DOOH
One of the most notable collaborations in this space involved Limited Space and Monster Media. These two companies partnered to create an immersive advertising campaign for a major animated film. Limited Space’s Ad HD network, which spans 12 flagship malls and reaches up to nine million shoppers during a typical two-week campaign, provided the platform for this innovative project. The campaign utilized large-format screens equipped with touch and gesture-reactive technologies, allowing consumers to interact with the ad content in engaging ways.
The success of this campaign was evident in the metrics: over 43,783 interactions were recorded during the two-week period, and the campaign contributed to higher than average foot traffic in the malls. Furthermore, previous data from the Ad HD network indicated that such campaigns could increase the likelihood of consumers taking action by as much as 74%, with interactive ads being 4-5 times more likely to be recalled than non-interactive ones.
Matt Gordon, Managing Director of Limited Space, highlighted the unique advantages of mall environments for DOOH campaigns. He noted that malls, as leisure destinations with high dwell times, are ideal for engaging consumers who are already in a receptive frame of mind. This setting creates a perfect storm for successful digital engagement, not only in major cities like London but across the UK.
Growing Acceptance and Expansion of DOOH Networks
The increasing success of DOOH campaigns in malls is leading to the expansion of digital ad networks across the UK. More advertisers are recognizing the potential of this medium to reach a highly coveted demographic in a dynamic and interactive way. As the technology continues to evolve, with advancements in touch, gesture, and body-reactive technologies, the opportunities for creating memorable and effective advertising campaigns in mall environments are only set to grow.
