Stan Federman, Telmar CEO, Redefines Outdoor
OOH Should Sell Screens not Boards, Panels or Frames
By updating their performance data, Out of Home professionals and their associations worldwide have made great strides in repositioning themselves to be considered mainstream media, but they remain locked in their silo with a nomenclature for what they sell that keeps them separated from the creative process and the media planning/budgeting process.
Performance metrics of audience reach, frequency and impressions versus simple “showing” levels has made it possible for mainstream planners to think about OOH. Unfortunately, when these planners get to the medium they are faced with a vocabulary disconnect; Showings, Boards, Panels and Frames are terms used by no other segment of the media business.
Screens would allow OOH sellers to maintain their OOH distinction but the media planners and the creative directors would be able think about all of their Screen alternatives when creating their plans: TV’s in home screens, OOH Highway and Street Screens, Bars and Public Place TV screens, Magazine and Newspaper Tablet Screens, Movie Screens, Elevator Screens, Mall and Airport Screens, Kiosk Screens, Bus Shelter Screens. Point of Sale Screens, Gasoline Pump Screens ….. Even static OOH structures can be thought of as Screens rather than just the new digital displays.
By selling Screens, advertisers will have more OOH media options presented by their agencies and OOH sellers will see their share of revenue increase.
I’m not so convinced. Advertisers at the end of the day use media to communicate with their market and regardless of terminilogy, the key is to remain relevant and easy to understand. Even if other channels agreed to include ‘screen’ in their description, do we really think it will persuade more advertisers to use OOH? I prefer more differentiation, not less but just my opinion.
Phil,
Recognizing and leveraging alternative media differences can distinguish good media plans and planners from great ones. So you would be right if I were suggesting that the inherent differences between OOH and other media should be masked by terminology, but that’s was not my recommendation nor my point.
There are OOH:
Billboard Screens, Digital Billboard Screens, Street Furniture Screens, Transit Screens and 100 other variations.
Using the word screens along with the OOH unit does not change their different inherent qualities but it does put them in the same creative communication arena with some Other Media such as;
Movie screens,
Elevator screens,
In Home Screens,
Bar Screens,
Mobil Screens and etc.
When OOH folks talk Boards, Panels, Frames and Showings it makes them sound like they are in the construction business. Until recently they thought of themselves to be in the real estate business so the analogy is not far off.
The value of this suggested terminology shift is not to make more money for the OOH industry, although I believe that would be the case, rather it is to free the creatives on all sides of advertising business to develop their creative executions in Screens, Paper, and Sound venues.
If this happened OOH would help its distinguishing features to be considered in more advertising campaigns.
I think getting more options is a better way to project industry as a viable option for media planners.
Thanks for sharing the idea.