Nov 2007 Measurable Digital Outdoor
Richard Wheaton from Neo@Ogilvy here in London talks about heading to a world where “all media is served.” It is a great idea and really highlights why we all must get our technical skills up to take advantage of it. My analogy is thinking of managing marketing like a search campaign instead of a classic TV plan.
Digital Outdoor is the first of the big traditional formats to change. Currently it is mostly video, but the signs aren’t dumb players and the scope for technical creativity is great. Here in London, Viacom’s plan is to put 2,000 digital sites as part of “a single digital advertising network.”
Add what has just been reported in Newsweek about using eye tracking technology for outdoor measurement. My comment was referencing outdoor ads that can be served by daypart or react to current sports events. Where Jenna Crombie took it is even better and really Minority Report — outdoor poster sites that measure if you look at them.
Aside from making Outdoor a more measurable medium, it also immediately opens up the possibility of billboards — or really some form of digital 4 sheets to use the jargon — reacting to when someone stops in a ticketing hall and decides to pay attention.
How much fun would that be? That would be amazing.