Amid rapid changes in the advertising industry, businesses often face a dilemma: should they choose outdoor advertising or digital advertising on the internet to promote their products and services? Both forms have their own characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages. But which is better for your business? How can you select the optimal format considering current market trends? In this article, we’ll thoroughly examine all aspects of outdoor and internet advertising, their key differences, and help you determine when and in what situations to choose one channel over the other.

1. What is outdoor advertising?

Outdoor advertising (OOH, Out-Of-Home advertising) encompasses all advertising media located outside the home — banners, billboards, screens on public transportation, on buildings, and other forms of visual advertising placed in public spaces. This form of advertising is ideal for brands seeking wide reach and high recognition among a large audience.

Main types of outdoor advertising:

– Billboards and hoardings: Large advertising spaces visible to drivers, pedestrians, and passengers. 

– Transit advertising: Ads displayed on buses, trams, subways, and other modes of transportation.  

– Digital screens (DOOH): Dynamic advertising screens capable of changing content based on the time of day, weather conditions, or even pedestrian behavior.  

– LED screens: Modern digital displays using LED technology to showcase bright and clear images. Widely used in outdoor advertising, video walls, interior design, and public events due to their energy efficiency, durability, and ability to function in any lighting conditions.

2. How do internet and outdoor advertising combine?

Digital advertising refers to ads placed online through various platforms and channels. It includes search engine advertising, social media ads, contextual and banner ads, as well as video and mobile formats. With technological advancements, formats like pDOOH (programmatic Digital Out-of-Home) have unlocked new opportunities for integrating internet-based digital solutions into outdoor advertising.

Main types of digital internet advertising:

– Contextual advertising: Shown in response to user queries in search engines.

– Social media advertising: Uses platform algorithms to display content targeted at specific audiences.

– Email marketing: Allows businesses to communicate with clients via email.

– Video advertising: Distributed on video platforms like YouTube or as video banners.

– Digital Signage: Used as part of modern advertising strategies to capture attention in public spaces.

3. What are the advantages of digital advertising?

Broad reach and long-lasting impact

Outdoor advertising ensures visibility among diverse audiences, regardless of their online activity. DOOH software enables content adaptation on digital screens for maximum effectiveness.  

Inescapable visibility

Unlike digital internet ads, outdoor advertising cannot be blocked or hidden. Advertising materials on billboards or digital screens always remain in view.  

Localization

Location plays a crucial role in outdoor advertising. For instance, digital signage near shopping centers or office buildings allows for targeting audiences in specific geographic areas.

Personalization and flexibility

Digital advertising allows for tailoring ad messages to users’ interests and behaviors. With digital signage players, content can automatically adjust based on the time of day, weather, or other conditions.  

Analytics and precision

Digital formats provide in-depth analysis of campaign effectiveness, enabling quick strategy optimization to achieve results. Incorporating pDOOH into outdoor advertising adds interactivity and precise targeting to offline campaigns.  

Both approaches have their advantages, and combining outdoor and digital advertising creates a comprehensive and powerful marketing tool.  

Measurability and analytics

Digital advertising offers extensive opportunities for tracking and analyzing effectiveness. You can instantly find out how many people viewed your ad, clicked a link, made a purchase, and more. DOOH networks further enhance audience reach analysis through interactive advertising screens, providing precise analytics. This makes campaigns flexible and effective.  

Accessibility and scalability

Digital advertising is accessible to any business, regardless of size or budget. Platforms like Google Ads or social media allow campaigns to be launched with minimal costs and scaled as the business grows. Modern solutions, such as Digital Out-Of-Home (DOOH), enable even small businesses to effectively engage audiences through digital media.  

Interactivity

Digital advertising offers users the ability to interact with brands. They can click on banners, visit websites, subscribe to newsletters, or participate in contests and promotions. Formats such as video advertising increase engagement and foster a closer connection between the brand and the customer.  

4. What are the advantages of using LED screens in outdoor advertising?

LED screens have become one of the most popular mediums for digital outdoor advertising due to their brightness, clarity, and ability to display video. They are used for advertising campaigns of various scales, from small city signs to large video walls.  

A key element of effective LED screen usage is video wall software, which allows flexible content adjustments to meet brand needs. Tools like digital signage players simplify ad management by automating broadcasts. This enables real-time changes to images or videos based on external factors or marketing goals.  

By integrating with LED screen software, LED advertising becomes adaptive and personalized, significantly boosting its effectiveness and ROI.  

5. What are the key differences between outdoor and digital advertising?

Outdoor advertising reaches a broad audience, builds brand recognition, and has a long-term impact. It is less measurable and personalized but works well in public spaces, such as through advertising screens.

Digital advertising, on the other hand, provides precise targeting, interactivity, and instant audience feedback. With detailed analytics, personalization options, and flexible budgets, it is ideal for dynamic campaigns and engaging online customers.

Both formats have their strengths and can effectively complement each other, especially within DOOH networks.

6. When should you choose outdoor advertising?

Outdoor advertising is an optimal choice in the following cases:

– Increasing brand awareness: If your goal is to build mass recognition, advertising screens in public spaces help reach a wide audience.

– Geographic targeting: When focusing on a specific location is essential, such as for local stores, restaurants, or fitness centers.

– Promotions and events: Outdoor advertising is excellent for seasonal sales or events, creating a strong visual impact through DOOH networks.

Integrating outdoor advertising with digital solutions like Digital Out-Of-Home (DOOH) maximizes the effectiveness of both channels in achieving marketing goals.

7. When should you choose digital internet advertising?

Digital advertising is the perfect solution in the following scenarios:

– Precise targeting needed: When reaching specific groups of people based on their interests, age, location, or behavior is critical, digital advertising provides effective tools for this.

– Immediate audience response: Campaigns aimed at clicks, registrations, or purchases receive instant feedback thanks to the interactivity of digital channels.

– Minimal start-up costs: Small or medium-sized businesses can launch a campaign with a low budget and scale it as they grow.

– Content flexibility: With DOOH display solutions, digital screen content can be updated in real-time, making it especially convenient for promotions or dynamic information updates.

Digital advertising enables quick adaptation to market changes, making it indispensable for businesses that value speed and precision.

8. What are the trends in outdoor and digital advertising in 2024?

Outdoor advertising:

– Digitalization (DOOH): The use of digital screens for dynamic content display is becoming the standard in outdoor advertising. This enables ads to adapt to environmental conditions, time of day, or real-time events.

– Interactive Solutions: Touch screens, integration with mobile devices, and QR codes open up new possibilities for audience engagement.

– Centralized video management systems: These systems help efficiently control and update content across numerous DOOH screens in various locations.  

Digital advertising:

– Artificial intelligence and automation: Modern advertising platforms use AI algorithms to enhance targeting, personalization, and analytics. This allows for highly precise and efficient campaigns.

– Video advertising: Video formats remain among the most effective. They are particularly popular on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and social networks, where short and dynamic content captures maximum attention.

– DOOH advertising: Integrating external digital displays with online campaigns creates new interaction formats with clients, ensuring both mass reach and personalized adaptation.  

Advances in technology are making advertising more interactive and tailored to audience needs, blurring the lines between outdoor and digital advertising.  

Choosing between outdoor and digital advertising depends on the specific goals of your business. Each format has its advantages: one is suitable for mass reach, while the other excels at precise targeting and quick response. Modern technologies offer vast opportunities for creating effective advertising campaigns that can be adapted to changing conditions and audience needs. The right combination of traditional and digital approaches will help you achieve desired results and boost the efficiency of your advertising efforts.  

Advision — Content Management System for remote management and media planning of video and audio content broadcast. We help offline businesses and advertising companies automate workflows and implement reliable Digital Signage infrastructure using our own software and hardware solutions.

Contact us and we will help you implement the most modern technologies to solve your problems!