Out-of-home advertising ROI: A practical guide to market dominance

Display networks in action: Multi-format campaign success

Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising ecosystem has evolved significantly, extending far beyond the traditional concept of simple billboard advertising. On one side, we find traditional OOH advertising, which continues to demonstrate its relevance and effectiveness. It manifests through a variety of strategically positioned static media: iconic billboards that punctuate our urban landscapes, posters that enliven our public transportation, street furniture that seamlessly integrates into our daily lives, not to mention advertising displays present in shopping centers and points of sale.

In parallel, DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home) manifests through dynamic screens and interactive installations that transform the advertising experience. This technological evolution not only allows for live campaign optimization but also enables message adaptation based on multiple contextual parameters, whether it’s the time of day, weather conditions, or even local events.

The integration of these two dimensions – traditional and digital – creates a rich and complex advertising ecosystem, where each format finds its place and utility according to communication objectives. 

The dominance of massive urban formats

Monumental canvases and XXL billboards represent the best type of outdoor advertising, often used to work the urban landscape into a highly visible advertising stage. These installations will see any available front-facing space transformed into top-performing media. A panoramic poster can reach impressive dimensions, as demonstrated by the new 270m² canvas we envisioned at Gare de l’Est. These XXL formats offer unparalleled visibility in high pedestrian and vehicular traffic areas, getting better results than traditional formats.

Street furniture also constitutes the historical foundation of outdoor advertising. OOH advertising can be deployed on various touchpoints – from bus shelters that see daily commuters, to Morris columns, municipal information panels, or backlit displays, particularly impactful in the evening. To illustrate this impact, our Tom Ford campaign in Paris used 460 backlit faces to reach a qualified audience of over 1.2 million people across the capital.

Our offering integrates these premium displays particularly visible in strategic areas such as train stations, subway cars, airports, and major shopping centers, as demonstrated by the campaign deployed for Don Papa.

A smart location targeting: Data-driven placement strategy

In OOH advertising, it’s crucial to adapt campaigns to contexts and seasons. For example, we prioritize targeted communications on the French Riviera in summer or in high-traffic airports to reach specific audiences based on their affinity and location. Advertising message personalization is optimized through our ability to geolocate communications, notably by adding address overlays on posters, adapted to national or multi-city campaigns.

How to adapt advertising messages to each format’s constraints?

Advertising storytelling requires a differentiated approach across channels while maintaining global coherence. On social media, content can be multiplied and varied, while traditional advertising displays demand immediately striking hooks to capture passersby’s attention.

Content strategy must consider each medium’s specificities: instant impact of XXL canvases dominating the urban horizon versus enriched and targeted experiences in airports where travelers have more time to absorb the message.

Our OOH agency orchestrates this multi-support narrative by favoring a customized approach that maximizes each format’s impact. Our expertise in premium brand enhancement is particularly evident in our ability to create coherent advertising experiences, whether through a 270m² monumental canvas in the heart of Paris or a targeted campaign in privileged airport spaces.

Transport network: A captive and qualified audience

Multiplying touchpoints and complementary supports optimizes advertising campaign impact by significantly increasing memorization rates. Transport spaces, in particular, represent strategic touchpoints where individuals are particularly receptive to advertising messages. Traditional panels, complete train wrapping, or event installations in stations naturally attract target audience attention.

This natural audience captivity is explained by:

• Platform waiting times

• Repeated daily journeys

• Extended exposure duration

• High flow concentration

Our transport sector expertise is demonstrated through concrete achievements, such as the Quebec Tourism Office campaign we deployed across 110 Paris metro stations, combining 12m² static displays and 98″ digital screens.

The strategic advantage of OOH: A unique value in the advertising landscape

Out-of-Home advertising distinguishes itself through unique strategic advantages that make it a particularly powerful medium in the advertising industry: a compelling argument for marketers and advertisers seeking to maximize their brand awareness and advertising efforts.

• Unparalleled visibility represents the first pillar of this strategic force. In a context where digital fatigue intensifies among customers, saturated by other media and digital advertising solicitations, OOH maintains its effectiveness through its unavoidable presence in high-traffic areas. This exposure to outdoor media, although brief – typically between 2 and 3 seconds – demands eye-catching creative excellence and message clarity that catalyze advertising impact. This temporal constraint, far from being a handicap, pushes advertisers to design impactful and memorable types of advertisements that instantly connect with passersby in the real world.
• Cost-effectiveness constitutes the second major benefit of OOH advertising. Recent studies in the United States and other advertising markets demonstrate exceptional return on investment, significantly surpassing other advertising channels. This remarkable profitability, combined with extensive coverage from billboards to transit and place-based media, positions OOH ads as a particularly attractive solution for brands of all sizes. This accessibility democratizes access to outdoor advertising, allowing both large corporations and SMEs to benefit from premium inventory and visibility.

This convergence of strategic advantages makes OOH a privileged choice in omnichannel marketing strategies. It offers companies a solution that combines massive impact with targeted relevance while guaranteeing optimal return on investment.

What are the key principles of successful OOH creative design?

Creative execution in OOH demands a unique approach. The most effective OOH creative follows specific principles:

• Immediate impact: Messages must be quickly understood, typically within 2-3 seconds.
• Visual dominance: Strong visual elements that command attention in busy environments.
• Simplicity: Clear, concise messaging without unnecessary complexity.
• Brand integration: Consistent brand elements that build recognition.
• Contextual relevance: Creative that relates to its environment and audience mindset.

The creative strategy should also consider how different formats and environments affect message reception. Digital displays offer additional creative possibilities, including motion, interactivity, and real-time content updates.

OOH agency: a creative dimension as a differentiating factor

Visual excellence: between innovation and impact

OOH advertising creation requires perfect mastery of visual codes. Our teams develop content that captures attention and effectively communicates brand messages like yours. Using high-quality graphics combined with innovative creative concepts is particularly what allows standing out in the urban environment.

Strategic urban integration

 We believe OOH campaign success relies on several key factors:

• Choosing strategic locations ensuring maximum visibility to your target audiences. OOH planning tools now utilize mobile data, demographic information, and consumer behavior patterns to understand where target audiences spend time and how they move throughout their day. This intelligence helps identify optimal placement opportunities and inform creative decisions.
• In-depth analysis of high-traffic areas and popular meeting points. But let’s be careful: High-traffic areas alone don’t guarantee success; the quality of impressions matters more than quantity. You must also focus on viewer dwell time and engagement potential, competitive presence in the area or even environmental factors affecting visibility.
• Urban furniture optimization for harmonious integration

Advertising panels, whether traditional or digital, must naturally integrate into the urban landscape while maintaining their impact strength. This balanced approach achieves optimal memorization rates among passersby.

The power of the display network

Our media planning expertise extends from national to local scale. The marketing strategy relies on dense territorial coverage, particularly in France, allowing:

• Campaign reach maximization
• Direct presence with consumers
• Advertising ROI optimization

OOH and DOOH synergy: The evolution of outdoor advertising

Support hybridization serving performance

Traditional display offers a complete range of devices now coexisting with their digital equivalents. Classic panels and point-of-sale displays are complemented by dynamic LED screens. Temporary event displays (flyposting) are enhanced by video mapping projections. Inflatable installations associate with interactive terminals.

This convergence between traditional and digital display marks a significant evolution in the urban advertising landscape. Traditional devices provide continuous and reassuring presence, while DOOH brings a dynamic and contextual dimension to campaigns. This strategic alliance enables orchestrating particularly sophisticated advertising communications, where each support plays a complementary role in the consumer journey.

Increased operational flexibility

The OOH-DOOH combination offers unprecedented agility in display campaign deployment. While traditional supports anchor brand presence in the urban landscape, digital screens allow quick message adjustments based on observed performance. This operational flexibility optimizes overall advertising device effectiveness and offers advertisers multiplied creative and strategic possibilities.

Data-driven decisions: measurement and analytics

Digital technology integration also transforms display campaign performance measurement. Digital screens generate valuable audience data, enabling refined targeting and real-time content programming optimization. This data-driven approach revolutionizes media planning by allowing fine message adaptation according to time of day, weather, or local events.