Out-of-Home Integration Will Drive Mobile Campaigns

Thanks NextGreatThing for this post on mobile and OOH working together

September 4th, 2008 by Allison

No phone is an island. It needs to connect with other phones, otherwise you’re just talking to yourself. The same can be said of mobile marketing. As a stand-alone medium, the handset is a relatively ineffective communications platform. But in conjunction with other forms–print, broadcast, out-of-home–it can be an incredibly powerful way to reach the consumer.

Just think about how put off people are by the concept of push SMS (i.e. getting pinged with marketing messages). No one wants spam to come to the cell phone, especially not the mobile industry. Phones are personal device (not to mention expensive) so we want full control of them. Not only do we customize them with colors and sounds, but we choose who we speak to, how, and when. Just look at how popular texting is becoming; it’s more popular than voice for young mobile users. There are even services like Slydial that let you dial up voicemail–no conversation required.

So how can brands market to consumers using their phones without pushing to them? Through engaging content and branded utility, basically providing something they want. This can be a mobile alert (your VP pick) or a mobile poll (your favorite performer). But unless there is some outside trigger, how can a brand generate awareness, let alone action?

The key is integration with other platforms that already have the consumer’s interest. TV shows like Top Chef and American Idol have done a great job of using airtime to promote their mobile components. Heart, Conde Nast and Wenner all include shortcodes and QR codes in their magazine’s ads. And services like ShifD (from the New York Times) and Instapaper let readers easily “bookmark” items on both their PCs and phones.

One platform still in its infancy, yet perhaps with the most potential, is out-of-home (OOH). This term, which includes advertising outdoors and in public venues, makes perfect sense for mobile. Billboads can do more than create awareness, they can include an IMMEDIATE call to action. Digital signage can enable a two-way interaction. In fact, any screen can become a touchpoint. Here are some examples in action:

• Where’s Koodo? is an interactive game that allows commuters to interact with out-of-home advertising displays. Touchscreen kiosks in Montreal’s subway stations let waiting commuters play a Where’s Waldo-like game as well as check out Koodo Mobile’s phone and additional rate plan information.
• Applications from Locamoda, a “social platform that connects people and places,” are appearing everywhere from Times Square to your local pub.

- Jumbli is a simple word game you can play on the big screen.
- Wiffiti is their text-to-screen solution
- Fotowall lets you send pictures to screens in bars, restaurants and other venues
- Touchtunes lets you chose what song you want to play on the jukebox.

Once they have people’s attention, then they have valuable real estate.Advertisers can include a call to action on the screen through Locamoda’s shortcode so you can can get, say, the number for a taxi or a free drink. A smart campaign for Beck integrated with social networks to draw crowds to listening parties at local bars.

Such services will be immeasurably important. Digital is a young person’s main source of communication and entertainment. But (prior to some popular belief) they do NOT want to be sitting in front of their computers all day. They’d prefer to use their down time (commuting, waiting in line) to do things like IM, read sports news, or just kill time with a game. These emerging platforms are letting mobile users interact with their environments–and brands–in ways never before possible.

Tags: Marketing & Branding · Wireless World