Programmatic Out-of-Home (OOH) Digital Billboards for AutoPlanet. 

Company: Performance Auto Group

Date: February 2024 – December 2024

Objective

In 2024, AutoPlanet, North America’s largest used car dealership with flagship locations in Brampton and Durham, aimed to bolster its market presence in Southern Ontario. With the rise of digital technologies and the continued importance of physical advertising spaces, AutoPlanet launched a Programmatic Out-of-Home (OOH) Digital Billboard Campaign. This initiative sought to leverage advanced programmatic technologies to deliver dynamic, targeted advertisements on digital billboards across key locations in Southern Ontario. By integrating data-driven strategies with high-visibility advertising mediums, AutoPlanet aimed to increase brand awareness, drive dealership traffic, and boost sales conversions.

Objectives:

• Increase Brand Visibility: Amplify AutoPlanet’s presence across high-traffic areas in Southern Ontario.
• Drive Dealership Visits: Achieve a 30% increase in foot traffic to Brampton and Durham locations over a six-month period.
• Boost Website Traffic: Increase online visits by 25% through integrated call-to-actions on billboards.
• Enhance Sales Conversion: Improve overall sales by 20% as a result of heightened brand exposure.
• Promote Special Offers: Highlight time-sensitive promotions and inventory highlights to entice potential buyers.

Strategy:

 1.  Selection of High-Impact Locations

• Key Areas: Identified high-traffic corridors, intersections, and urban centers in Southern Ontario, including highways and city centers.
• Targeted Cities:
  • Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
  • Hamilton
  • Niagara Region
  • London
  • Kitchener-Waterloo
  • Mississauga
  • Oakville
  • Burlington

2. Programmatic DOOH Platforms

• Partnerships:
  • Collaborated with leading Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) networks such as PATTISON Outdoor, Astral Media, and OUTFRONT Media.
• Technology Integration:
  • Utilized programmatic platforms like Vistar Media and Broadsign Reach to manage ad placements dynamically.

3. Data-Driven Targeting

• Real-Time Data Integration:
• Incorporated real-time data such as traffic patterns, weather conditions, and local events to optimize ad delivery.
• Audience Insights:
• Leveraged demographic and psychographic data to tailor messaging to the audience likely to be present at specific times and locations.

4. Dynamic Creative Optimization

• Adaptive Content:
• Developed creatives that could change based on triggers like time of day, weather, or audience demographics.
• Messaging Variations:
• Highlighted different promotions, inventory highlights, or dealership information based on context.

5. Call-to-Action (CTA)

• Integrated CTAs:
• Encouraged viewers to visit nearby dealerships.
• Used QR codes and short URLs for immediate online engagement.
• Promoted special offers like “Limited Time Deals” or “Exclusive EV Discounts Today!”

Target Audience:

• Demographics
  • Age: 25 – 65 years
  • Gender: All genders
  • Location: Commuters and residents in Southern Ontario

• Psychographics
  • Lifestyle: Value-conscious individuals seeking quality used vehicles, including electric and hybrid options.
  • Interests: Automotive trends, technology, sustainability, convenience.
  • Behavior: Regular commuters, frequent travelers along targeted routes, open to spontaneous purchasing decisions.

Tools & Technology:

• Programmatic DOOH Platforms:
  • Vistar Media: For audience targeting and campaign management.
  • Broadsign Reach: For inventory access and real-time ad serving.
  • Hivestack: For advanced geo-location targeting and audience data.
• Data Sources:
  • Mobile Device Data: Anonymized data for movement patterns.
  • Weather APIs: To adjust creatives based on weather conditions.
  • Traffic Data: Real-time updates to optimize ad scheduling.
• Creative Development Tools:
  • Adobe Creative Cloud: For designing dynamic and high-resolution billboard content.
  • HTML5 and Dynamic Content Feeds: To enable real-time updates to ad content.
• Analytics and Reporting:
  • Vistar Media Analytics: For campaign performance and audience insights.
  • Third-Party Attribution Tools: Like PlaceIQ and GeoPath for measuring foot traffic lift.

Locations Targeted:

• Primary Corridors and Areas
  1. Highways and Expressways:
     • Highway 401: One of the busiest highways, connecting Toronto with other major cities.
     • QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way): Linking Toronto with Niagara Region.
     • Highway 403: Serving Hamilton and surrounding areas.
     • Highway 400: Leading north from Toronto to Barrie and cottage country.
  2. Urban Centers:
     • Downtown Toronto
     • Mississauga City Centre
     • Hamilton City Centre
     • Kitchener-Waterloo Tech Hub
     • London Downtown Core
  3. Key Intersections and Commuter Routes:
     • Gardiner Expressway
     • Don Valley Parkway (DVP)
     • Major arterial roads with heavy commuter traffic

Budget:

• Total Campaign Budget: CAD 700,000

Budget Breakdown:

• Media Spend: CAD 500,000
  • DOOH Network Placements:
    • ATTISON Outdoor: CAD 150,000
    • Astral Media: CAD 250,000
    • OUTFRONT Media: CAD 100,000
• Creative Development: CAD 100,000
  • Dynamic Content Design: CAD 70,000
  • Adaptive Creative Testing: CAD 30,000
• Technology and Data Costs: CAD 70,000
  • Programmatic Platform Fees: CAD 50,000
  • Data Integration (Weather, Traffic): CAD 20,000
• Operational Costs: CAD 30,000
  • Campaign Management
  • Monitoring and Optimization

Execution:

Phase 1: Planning and Setup

• Inventory Securing:
  • Negotiated premium digital billboard placements across selected locations.
  • Ensured a mix of large-format displays and smaller screens in high-density areas.
• Audience Analysis:
  • Mapped audience profiles based on location data and peak traffic times.
  • Identified optimal times for ad delivery to reach target demographics.

Phase 2: Creative Development

• Dynamic Ad Creatives:
  • Developed templates allowing for real-time content updates.
  • Created multiple versions catering to different triggers (e.g., weather changes, time of day).
• Key Messaging Themes:
  • Inventory Highlights: Showcased popular models and new arrivals.
  • Promotions: Advertised limited-time offers, financing deals, and trade-in specials.
• Visual Elements:
  • High-resolution images of vehicles.
  • Incorporation of AutoPlanet branding and color schemes.
  • Clear and bold text for readability from a distance.

Phase 3: Campaign Launch

• Programmatic Activation:
  • Scheduled ads to run during peak traffic hours for maximum exposure.
  • Utilized dayparting strategies to display relevant ads at appropriate times (e.g., promoting family vehicles during evening commutes).
• Real-Time Adjustments:
  • Enabled weather-based triggers (e.g., promoting SUVs during snow conditions).
  • Adjusted messaging during local events or holidays..`

Phase 4: Monitoring and Optimization

• Performance Tracking:
  • Monitored impressions, estimated reach, and frequency.
  • Used anonymized mobile location data to assess changes in foot traffic near dealerships.
• Dynamic Optimization:
  • Adjusted ad frequency and placements based on performance data.
  • Refined creative content to improve engagement and recall.
• Integration with Other Channels:
  • Coordinated messaging with online campaigns for a unified brand experience.
  • Encouraged users to engage with online content via QR codes and short URLs.

Results:

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Brand Visibility:
  • Impressions Delivered: Over 50 million impressions across all digital billboards.
  • Recall Rate: 60% of surveyed individuals recognized AutoPlanet ads.
• Dealership Visits:
  • Goal: 30% increase
  • Result: 35% increase in foot traffic to Brampton and Durham locations.
  • Attribution:
    • Utilized mobile location data to observe increased visits from areas surrounding billboard locations.
• Website Traffic:
  • Goal: 25% increase
  • Result: 28% increase in website visits during the campaign period.
  • Engagement: 15% of website visitors scanned QR codes or used short URLs from billboards.
• Sales Conversion:
  • Goal: 20% improvement
  • Result: 22% increase in sales across dealerships.
  • Vehicle Categories: Notable uptick in sales of promoted vehicles, especially EVs and family SUVs.
• Promotional Engagement:
  • Special Offers Redeemed: Over 1,500 promotional offers redeemed in dealerships.
  • Event Participation: Increased attendance at dealership events advertised via billboards.

Challenges and Solutions:

Challenge 1: Measuring Effectiveness

• Issue: Difficulty in directly attributing OOH advertising to sales and conversions.

• Solution:
  • Attribution Models: Employed geo-fencing and mobile data analysis to track movement patterns and estimate uplift in dealership visits.
  • Surveys and Feedback: Collected customer feedback at dealerships to understand ad influence.
  • Unique Identifiers: Used unique promo codes and QR codes to track engagement from billboards.

Challenge 2: Creative Fatigue

• Issue: Risk of ads becoming repetitive to frequent commuters.

• Solution:
  • Creative Rotation: Regularly updated ad creatives to keep content fresh.
  • Dynamic Content: Leveraged real-time data to change messaging and visuals.
  • Seasonal Themes: Adjusted content to reflect seasonal trends and holidays.

Challenge 3: Technical Limitations

• Issue: Variability in digital billboard specifications across different providers.

• Solution:
  • Standardization Efforts: Worked closely with media partners to understand technical requirements.
  • Adaptive Design: Created flexible ad formats compatible with various screen sizes and resolutions.
  • Pre-Launch Testing: Conducted tests to ensure ads displayed correctly on all billboards.

Return on Investment (ROI)

• Total Revenue Generated: CAD 2,000,000 in additional sales attributable to the campaign.
• Cost Per Visit (CPV): Reduced by 18% compared to previous OOH campaigns.
• ROI Calculation:
• Total Investment: CAD 700,000
• Net Profit: CAD 2,000,000
• ROI: 290%

Conclusion:

The Programmatic Out-of-Home (OOH) Digital Billboard Campaign in 2024 significantly advanced AutoPlanet’s objectives in Southern Ontario. By leveraging programmatic technologies and dynamic content, AutoPlanet effectively increased brand visibility, drove substantial dealership traffic, and boosted sales conversions. The strategic placement of digital billboards in high-traffic areas, combined with data-driven targeting and adaptive creatives, maximized the campaign’s impact and efficiency.

Recommendations for Future Campaigns:

• Expand Use of Data Triggers:
  • Incorporate more data sources like local sports events, public transportation schedules, and cultural festivals to tailor ads.
• Integrate Mobile Retargeting:
  • Use DOOH exposure data to retarget viewers with mobile ads, reinforcing messaging and encouraging action.
• Enhance Interactivity:
  • Utilize technologies like NFC (Near Field Communication) or Bluetooth beacons to allow passersby to interact directly with ads.
• Increase Personalization:
  • Employ anonymized audience data to deliver more personalized content, enhancing relevance and engagement.
• Cross-Channel Synergy:
  • Coordinate OOH campaigns with social media, email marketing, and in-app advertising for a cohesive brand experience.
• Sustain Environmental Initiatives:
  • Highlight sustainability efforts, such as using energy-efficient billboards and promoting EVs, to align with environmental values.