Billboards Consumer Insights

Trend - As metaverse platforms gain popularity, various brands are integrating virtual out-of-home (VOOH) ads into their campaigns. Like traditional out-of-home advertising, VOOH formats consist of billboards and signage. However, with VOOH, these ads are on display in completely virtual worlds.

Insight - While the metaverse provides new opportunities for direct-to-you marketing, the kind of ads associated with these strategies can feel invasive and overwhelming for consumers. Because of this, brands are testing out VOOH ads, as these formats mimic the passive style of real-life billboards and signage. In doing so, they are catering to consumers' desire for less intrusive digital advertising while introducing a novel — and appropriately "meta" — tactic for capturing attention.

Trend - As efforts toward greater authenticity and brand loyalty continue to thrive, we're seeing a rise in unbranded, logo-less tactics–often from well-known companies. Not necessarily looking to move away from heritage or legacy, these brands are relying on the iconic imagery, aesthetics or references to their products to connect with consumers. These unbranded examples are serving to create more approachable identities for brands, allowing consumers to better connect with product references and emotional connections.

Insight - Brand recognition among consumers is crucial, however consumers' contemporary purchase habits often place just as much emphasis on product experience as they do branding. Consumers are drawn to experiences because they're often inherently shareable–and most young North Americans prioritize how their daily and brand interactions can be translated onto social media.

Trend - Yerba mate has traditionally been consumed as a tea in South America, but today packaged beverage brands in North America are leaning into the herb as a healthful flavor option. This speaks to the desire North American consumers have to experiment with wellness solutions from around the world.

Insight - As North America expands in diversity, global influences in the region can be observed in everything from art and design to cuisine. The impact of globalization on consumers is a deeper appreciation for products and services that were once unfamiliar to them, and they now expect that brands are well-aligned with their increasingly diverse and nuanced preferences.

Implications - As brands continue to prioritize personalization in their marketing tactics, we’re seeing brands take things a step further with hyper-targeted ads that call out specific consumer habits. Using data-driven information and location-based technology, brands are calling out individuals through social platforms as a way to connect with them on a more personal level. Moving away from "mass appeal", brands are willing to reference individual consumers as a means to create a more authentic, relatable message.

Implications - With the majority of word of mouth and social engagement around a brand's image being spread by a handful of key individuals, marketing strategies are being refocused to speak directly to the consumers who have the loudest voices. By bringing everyone in on the dialogue with specific customers, brands can overcome strained relationships with past customers while strengthening ties with current and future consumers. Branching off from the growing influencer marketing campaigns that mostly feature online superstars, brands are adapting to the fact that even the most common consumer carries social influence.

Implications - As well-established digital platforms look to drive growth in usership, many have begun using offline advertising methods that are now considered "old world." Investing in billboards or elaborate publicity stunts, these strategies highlight the blending of online-offline worlds and the interest of driving consumers to the nearest screen. This shift showcases the value of traditional offline advertising efforts in both shifting the attention of current users back to the digital space and engaging with new, hard to reach consumer groups.

Implications - As brands look for ways to prove to consumers that they share important values, many are opting for eye-catching outdoor ads that also serve an ecological purpose. With billboards that double as everything from air-purifiers to urban gardens, such campaigns suggest a contemporary understanding that business interests can no longer be considered without also considering environmental ones. In addition to highlighting the overarching nature of the health and wellness movement, this progressions speaks to the desire for brands to reflect back consumer anxiety regarding environmental responsibility.

Implications - Personalization is quickly becoming the benchmark of successful marketing efforts in the digital age. As a result, many brands are using social media as an avenue for personalization, creating holiday campaigns that foster familiarity and facilitate communication between consumers and brands. The holiday season is already about communion and goodwill, and campaigns that extend this feeling not only succeed in humanizing the brand, but also invite consumers to become more intimately acquainted with it.

Implications - As brands look for ways to create memorable moments with consumers, many are opting for interactive outdoor advertisements that dispense samples of food and beverage products. Brands are aiming to connect with consumers as they are going about their daily routine, rather than on an as-needed basis. Overall, this demonstrates the mission by brands to assert themselves into the lives of consumers in a way that is both natural yet ubiquitous.

Implications - Understanding that shock tactics have a tendency to breed fear and shame, medical organizations are turning to campaigns that normalize illness. Whether it's through social interaction or celebrity endorsement, the lynchpin of these campaigns is to foster a sense of support and de-stigmatize medical conditions. Organizations that understand the effectiveness of togetherness and transparency over fear will succeed in making more genuine, longer-lasting connections.