Colum Harmon, marketing director, PML Group with this week’s Out \ Look on Out of Home.
Solar Billboard First Lights Up Irish Life Outdoor
This week we’ll be looking at some OOH market trends for the first three quarters of 2022, but the week also saw the beginning of cycle 21 and the start of the final quarter of the year. There’s an abundance of strong, impactful campaigns on the street this week, mixing classic, digital and special builds to grab attention.
Irish Life is using an innovative method to drive awareness of the brand’s responsible pension offering and the difference pension customers could be making for the planet. The Republic of Ireland’s first solar powered billboard is part of a wider multimedia campaign “designed to make consumers aware that their pension can have one of the biggest positive impacts on the planet”, according to Thomas Brady, Senior Manager, Marketing Customer & Brand Team, Irish Life. He goes on to say that “we all want to do more for the environment. Now you can with your pension. It’s been an exciting project with PML Group and Zenith to create Irelands first solar powered Outdoor special and I hope to see many more in the near future”.
Solar panels on the billboard power 120 LED bulbs plus two low energy LED spotlights. A photocell ensures the lights only when go when appropriate. The 48 Sheet is in Rathgar in Dublin 6.
In 2020, PML Group’s Green Means GO-OH research found that 84% of Dubliners agreed that they want companies to reference the environmental benefits of their product in their advertising. Our Special Effects research in 2021 showed that 73% of 25–44-year-olds are likely to tell others about good special builds that they’ve seen.
(Pat Cassidy, Orlagh Keane, PML Group, Thomas Brady, Irish Life, Chris Collins, JCDecaux, Harry Counihan, Zenith)
World Mental Health Day was this week and the HSE launched an OOH campaign for yourmentalhealth.ie, directing the public to the site designed to support common mental health difficulties such as low mood, anxiety, and poor sleep.
There’s been rave reviews for Martin McDonagh’s new film, The Banshees of Inisherin, featuring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. In the run up to its Irish release, the movie features on T-Sides and Orbscreens, two formats appropriate to potential cinema-goers.
Also, this week An Post launched a new digital stamp that can be purchased via the company’s app. Customers will receive a 12-digit unique alpha-numeric code, which they can then write onto their envelope or postcard where a traditional stamp would go. The new initiative is being advertised on various DOOH formats and bus shelters in cycle 21.
WATCH Year to Date
Diageo remain the largest OOH advertiser in the country so far in 2022, followed by Sky and Musgrave Group. Non-alcohol brands such as Guinness 0.0 account for 22% of Diageo’s display value in 2022, compared to 18% for the same period 2021. It’s a trend that is reflected across the drinks sector on OOH. Most of the top ten advertisers have increased their OOH investment in 2022, with the largest increases coming from Unilever and McDonald’s. On average the top ten advertisers have increased their investment on OOH by 7%.
Average year on year in display value among the top 10 categories is 9%, with Dining (QSRs and Food Delivery) up at +21% and Tourism & Travel at +25%. The only categories among the top ten to decrease investment in 2022 are Confectionery, -8% and Food, at -16%.
The Retail category is by far the largest on OOH in the first three quarters of the year. 15% of all display in 2022 has been for a retail brand, be it physical stores or online retailers. Supermarkets account for 55% of all retail display, with SuperValu, Centra, Dunnes Stores and Tesco all frequently active during the year. Among the non-supermarket retailers that have featured heavily on Outdoor this year are JD Sports, Very and Boohoo.
Roadside formats account for 56% of activity this year, compared to 27% in retail environments and 16% in transport settings, such as transport vehicles and train/bus stations.
A full WATCH report for Q1-Q3 2022 is available from info@pmlgroup.ie. Figures and percentages are based on PML Group’s 100% monitoring of OOH/DOOH panels every cycle.
Outlook Opportunities – December 2022
A busy end of year ahead and lots of opportunities to engage consumers out and about this festive season. Speak to our team about OOH opportunities around key upcoming events.
