Game changer DooH: Moving image equivalence study decodes the impact of digital outdoor advertising in the media mix

The relevance of digital out-of-home (DooH) as a moving image medium is increasing. The Moving Image Equivalence Study (BÄS) provides cross-channel comparative values and shows the incremental contribution that DooH makes to campaign impact in combination with TV and online video. It is clear that DooH scores highly throughout the entire customer journey.

 

Daily moving image usage remains constant, but is shifting to more and more digital channels. This makes it more difficult for advertisers to play in scalable premium environments: online video is highly fragmented and high-quality inventory is limited. Digital out-of-home (DooH) represents an expansion of the moving image inventory. But how well does digital outdoor advertising perform in the media mix compared to TV and online video? And what does efficient contact distribution look like in order to increase advertising recall and activation? This is exactly what Facit Research investigated on behalf of Media-plus and the media companies Ströer and WallDecaux in the Moving Image Equivalence Study (BÄS).

The aim was to make the advertising impact of moving image contacts across TV, DooH, instream and outstream video comparable – especially in the interaction of different channels. This enables conclusions to be drawn for media planning and budget allocation. To this end, the research teams conducted 1,200 interviews with realistic usage simulations (passage/waiting situations). Real campaigns from retail, FMCG and consumer electronics were tested. The impact of both monomedia and cross-media campaigns in different contact doses was analysed. In addition, assisted advertising recall was modelled based on the study data for DooH, instream and outstream as well as Best4Tracking data for TV – differentiated according to monomedia and cross-media usage scenarios.

 

The key takeaways from the BÄS in advance:

• Against the backdrop of increasing fragmentation, the future belongs to broader moving image campaigns. The BÄS proves the impact that DooH and online video can have here.
• The study provides concrete impact indices that make the efficiency of individual channel combinations directly comparable using the KPIs ‘aided advertising recall’ and “activation”.
• In the ‘upper funnel’, the combination of TV + DooH is the leader. In the ‘lower funnel’, online video complements DooH most effectively.
• An optimised ‘full funnel’ approach combining TV, DooH and online video can specifically support both brand building in the ‘upper funnel’ and activation in the ‘lower funnel’.

Andrea Malgara, Managing Partner Mediaplus explains: "The moving image equivalence study maps another part of the moving image cosmos and takes cross-media moving image planning to a new level. This gives us a valid database for supplementing TV and online video campaigns in a targeted manner and in the optimal dosage through DooH. Now, in addition to TV, instream and outstream, we can also integrate DooH into the calculation of our impact-standardised effective reach across all media. Our customers receive a tailor-made moving image mix based on concrete and comparable impact indices."

The results in detail:

 

Aided advertising recall – moving image mix beats mono campaign

With just four mono contacts, TV achieves 80% aided advertising recall, followed by instream (73%), outstream (59%) and DooH (52%). However, a cross-media mix works better in any combination. For example, TV, DooH, outstream and instream together achieve 82% advertising recall. A duo of TV and DooH is even stronger: a weighting of one to three (TV/DooH) generates 86% recall, while with equal distribution the figure is 90%. But purely digital combinations are also powerful: three DooH contacts combined with one playout each via outstream or instream achieve 71 to 74% aided advertising recall.

 

Brand awareness: DooH impresses in combination

To measure unaided brand awareness, the research team supplemented three DooH contacts with one additional impulse each on outstream, instream or TV. The best result was achieved by combining DooH and TV: 89% of respondents remembered the brand unaided. The digital mix also achieved very good results: DooH and outstream together achieved 78%, DooH and instream even 80% unaided brand awareness. This is a clear sign of the potential impact of digital moving image outdoor advertising in the upper funnel – even in purely digital strategies.

 

Activation: Digital mix beats TV mix in the ‘lower funnel’

In the ‘lower funnel’, digital combinations perform better than a mix with TV. The activating effect – measured in terms of willingness to engage more closely with the brand – is 58% for DooH + Outstream and 57% for DooH + Instream. The combination of TV and DooH lags slightly behind at 53%. This means that, especially for established brands, high activation performance is possible even without TV contact.
 

Michael Noth, Co-CEO of Ströer Media Solutions: "The study's findings are clear: mono-moving image campaigns are a relic of the noughties. Digital out-of-home combines massive reach with high advertising impact and, at the same time, noticeably boosts all channels used in the moving image mix. Advertisers who anchor DooH as a fundamental building block in their integrated moving image planning thus achieve not only effectiveness and efficiency but also significant competitive advantages."

Andreas Prasse, Managing Director of Marketing, Sales, Digital & Data at WallDecaux: "DooH already accounts for more than 50 per cent of the revenue share in our premium portfolio. However, the medium has been clearly underrepresented in the moving image context to date. The results of the moving image equivalence study now provide valid proof that broadly based moving image campaigns are essential in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. The BÄS shows the incremental impact that DooH delivers in combination with TV and online video. The previous dream team duo of TV and online video should quickly become a trio with DooH."

 

Consequences for planning: DooH closes gaps in moving images

The BÄS provides broadly based, reliable impact indices that can be used to evaluate the contribution of DooH in combination with TV and online video. This enables data-based decisions to be made about media mix and budget allocation – depending on the client's objectives in the ‘upper’ or ‘lower funnel’.

The insights gained in the BÄS on the ideal dosage of DooH, instream and outstream are incorporated into Mediaplus's operational planning. The media performance and impact of the individual channels are calculated into an efficiently controlled overall mix – individually tailored to target groups, budget and communication goals. For established brands, this results in more efficient opportunities for moving image planning.


Download the study here (in German)