On the panel "Digital Place-Based Marketplace Demand and Direction," moderator Bob Martin (on right) led a discussion on what’s working in DPb networks. Participating were (left to right) David Matera, CEO & co-founder, OOH Pitch; Daniel Wilkins; president, n2; Jack Sullivan, SVP out-of-home activation director, Starcom USA; Rick Robinson, managing director, west coast, MacDonald Media; and Rocky Gunderson, principal, SierraRock.
Prior to the opening of the show floor at the Digital Signage Expo– before we all get dazzled by the new technology tools– it’s great to tap into the latest research on how the larger world is using digital signage and DOOH. We all love new-gen flat panels,, content management software, and routers. Everyone attending DSE, or NAB, or InfoComm loves the technology. How are we doing in the real world, with end-users who will eventually dictate the growth of all our companies?
Digital Signage Expo enlisted the DPAA (Digital Place-Based Advertising Association) to produce Digital Place-Based Advertising Summit to explore Digital Place-Based media, all day Tuesday. The DPAA brought together some key players in the industry today to figure out what works, and what doesn’t, and to put some numbers around industry growth in the segment of the larger digital signage/DOOG market at the confluence of advertising, public display, and third-party provided network content.
Sue Danaher, President and CEO of the DPAA, opened the proceedings at the Summit with an intro to the state of the industry. Defining DPb (digital place-based) media as digital screen-based messaging that is: digital, video, addressable, internet enabled or interactive, a media that follows consumers anywhere, Danaher reported that the DPb media spend was up 6% in 2012 in the U.S., with consolidation– necessary to the maturing of the industry– under way. With both growth and consolidation in the travel, health clubs, point of care, mall, and bar markets heating up, funds for DPb media spending are being shifted from other media spends.
The most important data that Danaher presented pointed to the fact that while much of the attention of our industry is focused on new tech trends such as SoLoMo (Social, Local, and Mobile integration) and Interactive, one of the key trends to follow this year is that money for DPb is now coming from Digital (online) rather than from OOH. This is a good trend. Why? In recent years, going back five or so years, the OOH (Out of Home) shops (agencies) took the lead in moving money from OOH spends to DPb spends. That was fine, but to grow the industry, we needed to not just cannibalize from OOH but to get money from the digital spend (the internet and to a lesser extent mobile ad spend). But now we’re seeing more SMP’s (strategic media planners) moving to the idea that digital/online, and then TV, should be the main source of the funds to shift to DPb, with OOH as the last source. This is good news for OOH, and good news for DPB networks, as it means that we’re finally seeing a shift of major funds from older digital buys and not relying on smaller funds just being tweaked within the OOH/DOOH part of the pie.
Sue Danaher, President and CEO of the DPAA (Digital Place-Based Advertising Association), reported that one of the key trends to follow this year is that money for DPb is now coming from Digital (online) rather than from OOH– a good trend.
Danaher also pointed out that in this industry, research and audience measurement issues are still very important. Three years ago, there were just a handful of companies offering audience measurement for DOOH or DPb networks. Now, there are many offerings.
For “currency” type of metrics (reach and frequency, etc) we have Nielsen on Location, Arbitron, GfK Custom, and others. For syndicated sources, we have GfK MRI, Experian Simmons, Scarborough, Mendelsohn Affluent Study, Comscore, KD Power, and IMS Clear Decisions R&F.
And for custom efficacy research, there is GfK, Edison, and many others.
Danaher said that DPAA is now working with JD Powers (a favorite of the auto industry) on a pilot for DPb networks.
Other sessions at the DPAA Digital Place-Based Advertising Summit included:
• "State of the Global Digital Place-based Network Industry: Moving from Shakeout & Consolidation to a Mature Growth Business," presented by Patrick Quinn, President, PQ Media.
• "Digital Place-Based Marketplace Demand and Direction," with David Matera, CEO & co-founder, OOH Pitch; Jack Sullivan, SVP out-of-home activation director, Starcom USA; Daniel Wilkins; president, n2; Rick Robinson, managing director, west coast, MacDonald Media; and Rocky Gunderson, principal, SierraRock.
• "Who Buys Digital Place-based and Emerging Networks," with Patti Foley, director marketing communications & merchandising, Jack in the Box, and Jill Nickerson, vice president/director out-of-home, Horizon Media.
• "SoLoMo Meets Digital Place-based: New Tools for Consumer Engagement," with Jeremy Lockhorn (moderator), vice president, emerging media, Razorfish; Chris Beauchamp, CEO, Monster Media; Ian Dallimore, digital out-of-home strategist, Lamar Advertising; and Garrett Dodge, co-founder & CEO, Roqbot.
Also at the event Tuesday, Arbitron presented some of their latest audience measurement tools, including how to adopt measurement tools to a media (DOOH) that typically has no audio component.
