Podcast Summary: Ep. 297 - Out-of-Home Advertising with Greg Wise of OneScreen.ai

Introduction

In Episode 297 of "Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson," hosted by GURU Media Hub and presented by Marigold, Jay delves into the expansive and often underexplored realm of Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising. Joining him is Greg Wise, Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer at OneScreen.ai, a leading player in the OOH advertising space. This episode offers listeners a comprehensive understanding of OOH advertising, its applications across various business sizes, and innovative strategies to leverage this medium effectively.

Guest Background

Greg Wise brings a wealth of experience to the discussion, having been an early team member at HubSpot where he helped build the E-Commerce division. Transitioning from SaaS to commercial real estate, Greg's passion for marketing and real estate converged to birth OneScreen.ai in late 2019. Despite launching during the challenging period of lockdowns in early 2020, Greg and his co-founders persevered, recognizing the untapped potential in modernizing OOH advertising. Reflecting on their journey, Greg states:

"If we can make this work, we might have a shot here. So here we are five years later." [02:59]

Understanding Out-of-Home Advertising

Before diving into strategies, Greg clarifies the scope of OOH advertising, emphasizing that it's far more diverse than the commonly perceived billboards. He outlines various formats that constitute OOH advertising:

• Traditional Formats: Billboards, bus shelters, airport ads, vehicle wraps (including moving and stationary), and stadium ads.
• Innovative Formats: Sandcastles on beaches, drones, projections, experiential marketing (e.g., dropping a wrecking ball on a Mercedes in NYC).

Greg highlights the vastness and versatility of OOH advertising, noting:

"It is unbelievably vast, but also was one of an opportunity for us to sort of defragment it and build this all-in-one solution to house all of those formats." [04:58]

OOH in B2B Marketing

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the applicability of OOH advertising in B2B contexts, particularly through Account-Based Marketing (ABM). Jay articulates his understanding, which Greg affirms and expands upon:

"With B2B, think through those target accounts, you have a sales team and maybe you have a list of accounts you want to break into or you want to expand within. Out of home can be used as air cover for your salesforce." [07:45]

Greg explains how OneScreen.ai utilizes technology to geofence target company headquarters, analyzing employee commute patterns via anonymous cell phone signals to identify optimal locations for OOH placements. This data-driven approach ensures that OOH campaigns reach the intended audience effectively, bridging the gap between digital and traditional marketing efforts.

OOH for Businesses of All Sizes

Contrary to the belief that OOH advertising is reserved for large corporations, Greg emphasizes its accessibility to businesses of all sizes. He underscores the importance of targeted marketing over blanket campaigns in major cities, advocating for tier 2 or tertiary markets where marketing budgets can achieve greater impact. Greg provides actionable insights for smaller businesses:

"There is so much opportunity in tier 2 or tertiary markets where that smaller dollar amount can actually stretch much further." [08:15]

He cites the example of LED trucks as a cost-effective OOH solution:

"An LED truck... is a mobile digital billboard on wheels, three sides to it, full motion. It plays sound... fairly low cost." [08:15]

Greg also advises collaborating with specialists to maximize the effectiveness of such campaigns, highlighting the added value of social media amplification through content creation.

Creative Use Cases and Examples

The conversation transitions to real-world applications, with Jay sharing his own experience of leveraging OOH advertising for his virtual Guru Conference post-Inbound event. Greg elaborates on various campaign strategies executed by OneScreen.ai, such as:

• Wrapped Vehicles: Fleet cars (e.g., Uber and Lyft) adorned with branding, providing free rides to conference attendees.
• Airport and Transit Ads: Targeting individuals upon arrival and during their commute to event locations.
• Walking Billboards: Employing branded personnel outside event entrances to engage attendees directly.

Greg recounts a particularly creative campaign involving walking billboards outfitted with proton packs at Inbound, which garnered significant attention and buzz:

"They put on these like proton packs with our branding on it... everyone was talking about it." [12:00]

Optimal vs. Ineffective OOH Media

When queried about the most effective uses of OOH advertising dollars, Greg advises against high-traffic tourist areas like Times Square for measurable business impact, despite their high visibility and ego-boosting appeal. Instead, he advocates for targeted placements that align closely with the campaign's objectives. Greg remarks:

"Times Square can be great... but a lot of that audience, you have a lot of tourists and it's super distracting... if you're really looking to drive measurable business impact, think more targeted." [14:26]

He highlights the affordability and flexibility of securing short-term ad spots in such high-profile locations, noting that costs can be as low as $1,000 for a 10-second spot:

"There's data now that you can use to be more targeted. And when you're more targeted, you don't have to spend as much as you think." [15:27]

The Role of Creativity in OOH Marketing

Greg passionately discusses the resurgence of creativity in marketing, contrasting it with the data-centric focus that has dominated the past decade. He emphasizes that OOH advertising offers a tangible canvas for creative expression, which is crucial for capturing audience attention. Greg asserts:

"The pendulum is going back, it's changing, it's shifting. The creativity is over half the battle." [18:36]

He envisions a future where OOH campaigns are not only data-driven but also highly creative, leading to more engaging and memorable advertising experiences.

Conclusion and Contact Information

As the episode wraps up, Greg shares his contact information, encouraging listeners to connect via LinkedIn or email for further discussions on OOH advertising strategies. Jay concludes by reiterating the value of the insights shared and encourages listeners to apply these innovative OOH techniques to enhance their marketing efforts.

Key Takeaways

1. Diverse OOH Formats: OOH advertising encompasses a wide range of formats beyond traditional billboards, including mobile digital displays, experiential marketing, and innovative placements like sandcastles and drones.

2. B2B Applications: OOH advertising is highly effective in B2B contexts, particularly for account-based marketing, by targeting specific company locations and understanding employee commuting patterns.

3. Accessibility for All Business Sizes: OOH advertising is not limited to large corporations. Small and medium-sized businesses can leverage cost-effective solutions like LED trucks and localized campaigns in tier 2 markets for substantial impact.

4. Creative Potential: The resurgence of creativity in OOH marketing is essential for capturing audience attention and differentiating brands in a crowded marketplace.

5. Targeted Spending: Strategic placement and data-driven targeting can optimize OOH advertising budgets, avoiding ineffective high-traffic tourist areas in favor of more precise and impactful locations.

Notable Quotes

• Greg Wise on modernizing OOH advertising:

  "We are infusing all that great technology... it's tangible, it's physical, it's different, and it's old school." [18:36]

• Greg Wise on Times Square advertising costs:

  "If you really want to drive measurable business impact... the mistake people make is thinking about... you have to do a tier one city." [15:27]

• Greg Wise on creativity in marketing:

  "The creativity is over half the battle... We're starting to see the resurgence of creativity and I think you're going to see a lot of really fun campaigns in the next year or two." [19:16]

Final Thoughts

This episode serves as an enlightening guide for marketers seeking to expand their advertising repertoire beyond digital channels. Greg Wise's expertise illuminates the strategic advantages of OOH advertising, offering actionable insights and innovative approaches to harness its full potential. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or a small business owner, the discussion provides valuable perspectives on integrating OOH advertising into a comprehensive marketing strategy.