Starting a business is only half the battle, but achieving the recognition of your company is much more difficult. You can invest funds in targeting, hire promoters, organize private events for influencers, send commercial offers, or hold meetings with potential clients (relevant for B2B). However, real recognition is achieved only by what thousands of people see every day — outdoor advertising, television, and viral content.

 

It is DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home) that opens new opportunities for young brands. Modern outdoor advertising allows not only to declare oneself, but also to precisely adjust the reach using software for video walls and special players for digital signage. Reaching a wide audience gives an instant “kickstart” for creating brand recognition, which is hard to achieve even through powerful online marketing.

 

Even though it is desirable for different advertising channels to work in an integrated way, the easiest way to start is with outdoor advertising: billboard creatives are cheaper and easier to produce than a memorable TV spot, and the effect of Programmatic DOOH is much more predictable and controllable thanks to modern technology. The only question is whether you are using this tool to its full potential.

 

 

How outdoor advertising boosts a brand at market entry

 

Outdoor advertising is not just about “hanging a banner on a billboard and waiting for instant sales.” It is primarily about making the brand appear on the city map, entering the field of vision of the target audience. Even if no one has tried the product yet, people become aware of the brand and understand: aha, the company is real, alive, has a budget for advertising activities, and deserves trust.

 

The use of DOOH technologies, and especially pDOOH, allows you to show ads precisely to the audience you need, at the right time and place. That is exactly what modern software for video walls and digital signage players is used for — platforms for easy content management, rotation, and campaign effectiveness analysis.

 

According to research by Nielsen, outdoor advertising at the brand’s launch helps to increase recognition on average 47% faster than when using only digital channels. Why does this work? Because it’s impossible to “scroll past” or close a street advertising screen like you do with online ads. It is present 24/7, and every day a potential client passes by dozens of times, automatically recording the logo in their subconscious.

 

 

The main goal at the beginning is not to sell, but to become recognizable

 

When a brand is just entering the market, its main task is not instant sales, but the formation of strong awareness among the target audience. It is precisely thanks to DOOH technologies and high-quality software for digital signage that new brands lay the foundation for future success.

Visual symbols and vivid creative for digital signage

 

If a bright symbol or original creative is used in the layout, it creates a real visual “anchor.” For example, the legendary “M” from McDonald’s is so recognizable that even without additional text, everyone understands what brand it is. This is a good lesson for startups: a simple and clear first visual image is memorized much faster, especially if it regularly appears in DOOH campaigns and on digital signage, playing videos via modern digital signage players.

 

 

How to build trust with Digital Out Of Home (DOOH)

 

The human brain is arranged in such a way that we tend to trust familiar images and brands. The more often we see a logo or company name in the familiar urban environment — on digital signage or video screens — the more likely we are to choose that brand when making a purchase decision. For this reason, large companies, even with colossal digital marketing budgets, do not give up Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) and video advertising on city streets.

 

For a young brand, placing ads on digital signage is a chance to stand next to strong market players, increase recognition, and build trust in itself. The “familiar face” effect works on a subconscious level, strengthening the brand’s position for further growth.

 

 

What should the first DOOH ad for a new brand be like

 

When a brand is just entering the market, it is important to remember: a passerby or driver has only a few seconds of contact with the message. That is why the first campaign, using software for DOOH and digital signage, should be:

 

 

1. Absolutely clear

 

One advertising creative is one visual image, one slogan, one clear message. This rule is confirmed by numerous studies: our brain literally “cuts off” overloaded layouts. If too many elements are shown on LED billboards, LED advertising screens, or digital signage, people stop noticing them — the so-called “banner blindness” occurs.

 

This is especially critical on DOOH networks, where the contact time is limited to a few seconds. So the creative should be as concise as possible — a simple image, a vivid visual accent, a minimum of text, and no unnecessary information. This simplicity helps the brand stay in the mind not just as a random message, but as a clearly defined and understandable symbol that is imprinted after the very first glance.

2. Focus on the main thing

 

Attempts to tell about all the advantages of a product or brand on a single banner, even if it is a modern LED billboard or video screen, most often work against the effectiveness of the campaign. A person physically does not have time to perceive a large amount of information during a few seconds of contact with advertising on a digital sign.

 

That is why it is especially important to lead the potential customer with short, clear calls to action: “Find out more on the website,” “Find our Instagram,” “Scan the QR code.” Each message should have a clearly defined place and target task — and all the details and long descriptions should be left for digital channels, social networks, or the official website. Such a focused approach helps avoid attention overload and increases the effectiveness of advertising placement on modern DOOH networks.

 

 

3. A specific target action

 

When creating text for DOOH creative, it is very important from the very beginning to determine what action a person should take after viewing the ad. Is it to leave a request on the website, use the QR code, buy a product in a store, sign up for a trial session, or simply store an impression of the brand in memory?

 

For this, it is necessary to write out a clear and unambiguous call to action that will logically follow from the creative placed on advertising screens, LED billboards, or digital DOOH networks. In the absence of a specific goal, there is a high risk of “draining” the advertising budget: the audience does not understand what exactly is required, and interaction with the brand simply does not happen. That is why quality software for LED screens and the right strategy are the foundation for achieving high conversion and effectiveness in any outdoor campaign.

 

 

4. Memorable advertising

 

For advertising on LED billboards or advertising screens to be remembered, the creative must contain an unconventional approach: playing with scale, a vivid visual accent, a joke or a bold image that evokes emotion — nostalgia, laughter, surprise, or even slight irritation (this depends on the brand archetype: sometimes a precise provocation or contrasting images are very effective).

 

A quality video on modern DOOH networks grabs attention faster when it is designed with an emotional trigger in mind — these are exactly the formats that “hook” and stay in memory for a long time. The technical implementation of such advertising is enabled by modern software for LED screens, which allows for flexible scene changes, impressive scale or detail, and constant testing of new approaches.

5. Sufficiently large presence

 

For a new brand to start being remembered, a single contact is not enough — regular repetitions are necessary. Research proves: a message becomes fixed in consciousness after 5–7 targeted contacts with advertising space.

 

The most effective way is to place advertising on 10–15 LED billboards or advertising screens in key city locations: places with heavy traffic, where there is a high rate of repeated contacts. The budget should not be “spread” across the whole city; it is important that people see your advertising for several days in a row. Digital DOOH networks, where reach can be dynamically managed, allow for adjusting the frequency of displays, strengthening the brand message’s recognition.

 

 

6. Precise targeting of the audience

 

It is much more effective to be noticed where your target audience literally “lives” than to try to be everywhere at once.

 

The first step is to clearly define the target audience profile: age, income level, lifestyle, typical routes. For example, for an elite fitness club, these are men and women aged 25–45 with above-average incomes.

 

Next, data is collected about routes — where this audience is every day: work, home, shopping centers, gyms, public transport hubs. Here, mobile operator analytics, geomarketing, heat maps of traffic, and even the analytics system of modern DOOH networks are helpful.

 

Choose locations with the highest flow and repeated contacts: intersections of major highways, areas near business and shopping centers, key stops. It is better to select a dozen high-traffic LED billboards or modern advertising screens than to “scatter” the budget.

 

It is equally important to consider people’s behavior in these locations: a driver in a traffic jam perceives only a large visual accent and short text (up to 3-4 words), whereas a pedestrian or passenger at a stop has time to examine advertising on a digital sign or DOOH network more attentively.

 

 

SSP and DSP — the foundation of modern video advertising in DOOH

 

A special role in the world of digital outdoor advertising is played by SSP (Supply Side Platform) and DSP (Demand Side Platform). SSP for DOOH is a technological platform that helps owners of digital signs, screens, and video panels effectively manage their advertising inventory, automatically selling access to it to advertisers in real time. Digital signage players and DOOH software integrate with SSP, ensuring uninterrupted content operation and prompt creative changes.

 

At the same time, DSP enables advertisers and agencies to purchase audience impressions as automatically as possible: to analyze effectiveness, choose the right digital signs, build strategies in real time, and quickly scale up video advertising in DOOH. SSP and DSP integration is the core of today’s programmatic landscape, providing precise, relevant, and effective delivery of messages to the right audience at the exact moment when they are ready to receive information.

Planning your first DOOH advertising campaign: step-by-step guide

 

1. Define the campaign goal

 

First and foremost, a new brand should not immediately focus on sales, but rather on building awareness and interest in itself. Set a clear goal: what do you want to achieve with this DOOH advertising? Increasing brand awareness, sparking interest, or delivering a specific message (website, slogan, special offer)?

 

Reliable DOOH display solutions and a modern centralized video management system allow you to properly launch the campaign taking into account the set tasks, maintain flexibility, and automatically change content in real time.

 

Before starting the campaign, determine the key metrics: what frequency of contacts is needed, what role does the Supply-Side Platform (SSP) play in placing DOOH advertising? What action should your creative teach the audience? This approach allows not only to create “buzz,” but also to make every contact meaningful.

 

 

2. Make a detailed audience profile

 

Who are your first clients? How do they get around: by car, subway, bicycle? In which city districts are they every day, where do they have lunch, spend their free time? The better you understand typical routes and habits, the more accurately you can choose places for DOOH advertising placement.

 

Modern analytics of centralized video management systems help with this, allowing you to select optimal screens in large DOOH networks exactly where your audience is most active. This approach not only saves budget, but also increases campaign effectiveness many times over.

 

Segmentation by social, age, and behavioral criteria helps to “hit the target” even better. Know your people not only by age and gender, but also by lifestyle and habits. Don’t forget — DOOH display solutions are made for personalized reach.

 

 

3. Choose formats according to the task

 

Modern advertising offers many formats — among them:

 

– Digital billboards — ideal for dynamic, animated messages in the center of a metropolis or on highways

 

– Classic billboards — work great on roads with heavy traffic

 

– Media facades — provide the greatest wow effect for image advertising

 

– City formats (city boards, pillars) — closest to pedestrians in the city center, well suited for local campaigns

 

– Advertising on transport and stops — creates mass coverage and complements the media mix

 

The ideal synergy is achieved by using different solutions in strategic points with a high density of the target audience.

4. Focus on quality creative

 

The first campaign is the brand’s business card in the DOOH network.

 

The slogan should be short, the text — easy to read from a distance and not blend with the background. The visual must “catch attention”: emotions, simplicity, a striking color palette, and original ideas ensure strong memorability.

 

It is better to say less and leave some intrigue than to overload the banner with details. This is exactly what a modern centralized video management system allows: adapting creative with just a few clicks, conducting A/B tests, and quickly reacting to audience feedback.

 

 

5. Define reach and budget

 

With a limited budget, it’s better to be placed in fewer locations, but select those where the audience sees the ad several times a day. DOOH display solutions, modern SSP systems, and centralized platforms offer convenient effectiveness calculations — this way you optimize your budget and won’t overspend, focusing precisely on repeated contacts and strong coverage.

 

 

6. Launch with seasonality in mind

 

Take into account the activity cycles of your audience: returning from vacations in August-September, the holiday peak in December, spring updates and purchases. This allows you to “catch the wave” — launch DOOH advertising exactly when people are open to new things and ready to shop or get acquainted with brands. Continuous analytics and flexible content management offered by the video management system in DOOH networks help to properly adapt the campaign. This allows you to instantly respond to changes in demand and stay in the field of view of the most relevant audience.

 

Planning and launching your first DOOH campaign is not only about choosing the right formats and creatives but also a strategic approach to building long-term brand awareness. Thanks to modern technologies, even a young brand has the opportunity to quickly take its place on the market and remain in the minds of the target audience for a long time. The main thing is to act consistently, focus on real data, and create simple and emotional communications that will work for your success every day.

Advision — Content Management System for remote management, media planning of video and audio content broadcasting and Supply-Side Platform for monetization of advertising time. We help Digital Signage owners and DOOH advertising operators earn on advertising placement, automate workflows and build a reliable media infrastructure using our own software solutions.

 

Contact us if you want to increase your profit and implement the most modern technologies to solve problems!