Digital outdoor advertising is one of the media channels that, despite the recession and world crises, has not been negatively affected to the same extent as other media channels, in terms of media investment. And we understand why. Outdoor advertising is not only an effective reach channel but also a media channel that allows advertisers to be creative and through creativity you can reach an otherwise hard-to-reach group, namely Generation Z. And that's what this blog post is about, inspired by an article from Vistar Media* published on The Drum, see link below.

The media landscape

Today, people are exposed to more information than they can handle and it is becoming more difficult for companies to attract attention and draw consumers to their product or brand.  

Young people have proven to be particularly difficult to reach as they are more likely to 'multitask'. Multitasking means that they spend their time on several different electronic devices at the same time, i.e. they switch between watching TV, their mobile phone or their laptop. Young people are also often more critical of advertising and have learned to filter and ignore advertising messages in the digital environment. For digital outdoor advertising as a media channel, this means that the ads displayed need to be extra creative and engaging to capture their attention, otherwise they will choose to opt out. Moreover, opting out of ads is easier in an outdoor environment than in a digital environment.

Generation Z

An example of a group with this behavior is GenerationZ. This generation is officially defined as people born between 1997 and 2012 (after the millennials) and is currently between 11-26 years old.

While many millennials can still remember a time before smartphones and widespread internet, Generation Z knows nothing but this digital and constantly connected existence. This generation was born in the digital age and the average Generation Z got their first smartphone before the age of 12.

Generation Z perceives OOH ads as less disruptive because they can choose not to be exposed to it, compared to, for example, an unskippable video ad on YouTube. It is also the case that OOH advertising has a unique position within the media landscape as it is not perceived as invasive to people's lives, their activities or the content they are exploring.

Read more here .

Then you reach Generation Z

Younger generations value personal and relevant communication. Therefore, as an advertiser, you need to be extra creative to get your message across. Understanding the preferences of your target audience and adapting your advertising strategy accordingly is crucial to reaching them. Ads that do not appeal to their interests, or that are perceived as boring and irrelevant, are likely to be ignored. 

Despite these challenges, it is still possible to reach young people effectively with digital outdoor advertising by creating engaging and relevant messages. Young people often prefer advertising that allows for interactivity and participation. Digital outdoor billboards with features such as QR codes, the ability to vote or interact via mobile apps can therefore be a successful choice for engaging young people.

Studies have also shown that the connection between digital outdoor advertising and social media is an important and exciting aspect that enables, for example, the display of real-time information such as hashtags, tweets or Instagram posts on the digital outdoor screen. This creates an interactive and dynamic connection between the outdoor screen and social media and is particularly relevant for the younger generation as they are more likely to share their experiences online.

If you want to reach out to this group, get in touch and we'll tell you more!

*Vistar Media is one of the largest programmatic outdoor platforms and helps advertisers get the most out of outdoor campaigns.