Let me start by stating that I clearly understand that the offline is losing out to the online in major sort of way: all of the research points to half of all advertising dollars spent online matching all of the combined “offline” ad spend by the end of this year. That having been said, there are still billions and billions of “offline” dollars, so, let’s “keep calm and look to omnichannel”. To successfully build hype and boost your offline visibility, of course, you have to be largely present in the digital realm. Though, just for today, let’s allocate and discuss the best offline advertising strategies and tactics for the offline brand visibility boost.
Prepare to be “visible”. There’s way too much advice on how to boost your visibility and not enough on how to prepare for your sudden stardom. We’ve all seen more than a few of those cringe-worthy ads made by qualified advertisers that have taken a wrong turn and went all-in with senseless and hurtful marketing techniques. That is not what I’m referring to here, those are “creativity gone wrong” campaigns, I’m talking about good old tech and soft mistakes. The very unnecessary and easily addressed mistakes, like choosing a non-sun readable screen to advertise in a sun-filled display window or choosing bad DS software with unreadable fonts or ugly outdated color schemes. Did you know that “Spotlight Coaching” is actually a thing? Seriously, brands, big and small, pay heaps of money so that they’ll be ready when the spotlight finally finds them. You should do the exact same thing.
So, before you start boosting your visibility – get all of your ducks in a row and, and since most of those “offline” ducks will be digital-signage adjacent, start by checking you DS screens and media players, and take a good look at your DS soft. Go through your content: check whether your tech supports the content you’ve created, make sure that it can support interactive content, that your media players support 3D playback, etc. Go through your visual content, make sure it’s authentic, your videos and images should be beautiful, dynamic and up-to-date with your product line. And, of course, professional DS soft is a must. For example, we extensively test out our DS templates with focus groups so we’re sure digital signage can instantly grab attention, is memorable and easy to be seen and understood.
Moreover, we have one of the best DS apps on the market today and our signage paired with the unprecedented image quality of the Apple TV 4K will give you all the visibility boost you can hope for. Plus, we have tons of DS engaging content ideas on our blog. You are always welcome at https://blog.kitcast.tv/.
Nothing beats the visibility of a huge digital billboard. DOOH is truly a future of advertisement, judging by the results we’ve been seeing over the last decade, that statement is completely fact-based. Soon enough, we’ll see a 50/50 split between the online and DOOH. But for now – let’s talk visibility benefits. First and foremost, DOOH can grab anyone’s attention during the rush hour in Times Square in the middle of the loudest day during the buzziest week.
A big billboard complemented by beautiful engaging video content is unstoppable. Secondly, interactive DOOH campaigns are captivating as well as thought-provoking – by provoking reaction, or discussion you’ll surely boost the social media sharing gene in your customers and just watch how much your offline visibility will grow. Thirdly: your DOOH campaigns will effectively drive foot traffic right to your doorstep, you just have to add mobile tech and a few beacons into the mix. Forth: in-transit DOOH ads are the perfect way to boost brands visibility – digital ads on taxis, sides of public transport, displays in the Uber or Lyft vehicles, etc. In these particular cases, DOOH needs to be accompanied by the specified geo-fences. Honestly, if you won’t do anything else and just focus on DOOH you’ll boost your offline (and online) visibility in a jiff.
Become a part of the “Pop-up-shop” movement. This one is for those trying to become visible and move merch in retail. Pop-up-shops have been popular for a while, though they aren’t really noticeable to the consumer as they don’t distinguish them from a regular store. This short-term retail option gives brands a chance at premium real estate at a fraction of the cost. It is the best option to test the waters and boost offline visibility.
Therefore, utilizing visual advertising materials to their full potential will help your pop-up shop stand out from the competition and draw customers in. Potential clients can have a memorable and engaging experience thanks to these appealing features, which can increase your offline presence and make a strong first impression.
Let’s use a temporary ice cream pop-up shop as an example. Imagine it is placed in a crowded shopping center, amidst other businesses and distractions. You may use a huge inflatable ice cream as a strong visual advertising item to make your shop really noticeable. This giant inflatable advertisement might be positioned in a prominent location, towering above the surrounding area and immediately drawing attention from passersby.
Shopping in-stores continues to hold value, it’s really irreplaceable purchasing experience for a consumer and a chance for a brand to get to know their customer face-to-face, to test out new products, increase brand awareness, offload inventory, and to go “offline” only for the holidays. If you’re slightly on the fence on this, just take a look at the impressive list of brands already fully on board just in the fashion market: Shopify.in, SuperDry, ZARA, Levis, Adidas, Ross Stores, Richemont, H&M Group.
Be helpful. This is an easy one: people notice things that are beneficial to them. Hence, use digital signage everywhere. There’s a reason digital menus, smart shelves, wayfinding screens, in-the-lobby greeting screens, AR try-on mirrors, and a thousand more DS things are bringing the crowds in – they are highly beneficial to your customers Nowadays, even the good-old food trucks are joining the digital signage game. They have a rather simple recipe for success: a great WF router + DS app and a screen that displays the speedy Internet available near the truck. The visibility is boosted then and there, people will eat their food by the food truck thus attracting others instead of taking their Al Pastor Tacos to the nearest park bench.
Don’t be annoying. In today’s data-driven environment, we have the ability to monitor every customer interaction with our brand and this is exactly what annoys the life out of our customers. There are few things that are hated more than the online ads, people really hate them with a passionate sort of rage. That is why Programmatic DOOH with its unmatched offline precise targeting abilities is your best bet to quickly and successfully boost your offline brand visibility without getting on the bad side with your customer base.
One of the best Programmatic DOOH perks is the ability to offer sophisticated targeting that can be based on your customer’s demographics, their current location or preferences. Moreover, by adding mobile location data into the mix you can access a constant stream of consumer-based information, heaps of location-based data driven by the real-life activity of millions of people. Though, if you’re a small business trying to get noticed in a buzzy city – a single nearby billboard with beacons and mobile tech will boost your visibility and immensely increase the foot traffic without draining your budget.
