Homout-out-of- of-home outlook 2021

Jcdecaux New Zealand Trading and Innovations Director KURT MALCOLM talks programmatic Out- of- Home, tells what the next 12 months looks like for Calibre and shares Jcdecaux’s plans for 2021.

What major shifts occurred in Out- of- Home in 2020?

From a creative point of view, the adoption of contextual Out-of-home really ramped up last year. There are now so many data points that our digital screens can access, such as time of day, weather conditions and direct data feeds – the possibilities and opportunities to connect with audiences continue to expand. For example, Corona is sharing surf reports with city dwellers, and Watercare updates Aucklanders daily on water use.

Our recent selection as the Official Out-of-home partner for Emirates Team New Zealand for the 36th America’s Cup resulted in live race updates being broadcast to Jcdecaux’s digital sites in five cities.

How is data changing the planning process and making Out- of- Home campaigns more effective?

Every advertiser seeks more effective campaigns. Data programs that can improve effectiveness are top priority for Jcdecaux, here and worldwide. Out-of-home has traditionally understood audiences based on the locations of sites, but recent improvements in data sources now enable brands and agencies to understand the full consumer journey using mobile and SDK first-party location services data. It’s opened up a rich picture of where consumers live, work and shop, while delivering brand affinity on certain categories. All data is aggregated and anonymised as standard as part of our commitment to consumer data privacy.

Looking worldwide, the move to programmatic Out- of- Home is the next big shift. What role does data play in making programmatic Out- of- Home a reality?

Data is essential to delivering real-time audiences in an automated manner. Outof-home is still in the early phases of truly unlocking Programmatic Digital Out-of-home (PDOOH) value to agencies and clients, both here and in the UK and US. It’s essential that we use data sources that help brands connect with consumers while enriching urban life.

Data is topical from a privacy point of view and we can learn a lot from experiences in programmatic over the past 15 years. Programmatic is not something we want to rush. We want to get it right, so it’s important that we understand the opportunity for clients and agencies before launching this product to simply claim a programmatic offering. We’ll keep the market updated on our plans during 2021.

What are the main similarities and differences between programmatic online versus programmatic digital Out- of- Home?

The similarities start with the overall vision of programmatic – targeting advertising to specific audiences and being automated in real time. Also, the ecosystems in which

the advertising is planned are similar. However, the differences are significant. Out-of-home is a one-to-many medium that’s consumed in a different way to digital. Frequency and recency are incredibly important in Out-of-home for viewability and effect on future behaviour. And for advertisers, we don’t suffer the same issues around ad avoidance or brand safety that most other programmatic channels face.

What are some of the trends you’ve seen in programmatic around the world, and how will that play into New Zealand?

Key trends we observe are clients demanding more agility and flexibility in the buying process. Brands are using PDOOH plus mobile in more effective ways to drive ROI and ROA. Improved data sources are driving more confidence in PDOOH accountability for business outcomes. Jcdecaux’s supply-side platform, VIOOH, has very quickly connected to all the major DSPS globally, which is encouraging for us in New Zealand.

What research projects do you have planned for 2021?

Our Intelligence program is constantly evolving as we learn from our own, locally commissioned studies and global industry research pieces. Locally, we’ve looked at attention with our 2018 Eye Tracking study, and with our 2020 Brand Sentiment study, we now understand the role of Large Format in creating emotional connections.

In 2021, we’d like to validate that even microsecond interactions with Out-of-home build cognitive availability and preference for brands. We’re keen to show how these interactions can influence future behaviour, in terms of both digital actions and consumption. Globally, Jcdecaux has done some really interesting research regarding digital priming and how Out-of-home’s public screens work alongside more personal screens, the learnings of which we can apply to the New Zealand market.

Can you tell us more about Calibre, and what the next 12 months looks like for the tool?

Calibre is Jcdecaux’s industry-wide and Out of Home Media Association Aotearoaendorsed planning and development tool. We developed Calibre for the local market in 2017, and late last year sold 50 percent of the platform to ooh!media New Zealand. This transaction was instrumental in bringing the Out-of-home industry together in relation to unified measurement. Calibre’s now being widely adopted as the industry-certified planning tool.

The primary goal of Calibre is to make Out-of-home easier to plan and buy for our client and agency partners. The key enhancements we’re looking at this year include live availability, daily reach measurements, incorporating real-time data sources, launching a visibility-adjusted index and launching J CD EC AU X PROGRAMMATIC.

We’re also in negotiations to bring more industry players onto the platform, cementing Calibre’s position as the single source of measurement for New Zealand’s Out-ofHome industry. This is something the industry has been asking for, so seeing this come to fruition in 2021 is very exciting.

‘Data is essential to delivering real-time audiences in an automated manner.’

How will this change impact the industry?

Calibre will have a huge impact on New Zealand’s Out-of-home industry. I’ve worked in Out-of-home for 15 years, and unified measurement has always been an industry request. Unified measurement gives agencies and clients confidence in Out-of-home’s value, and allows valid comparisons between formats and locations. In the future, it’ll also allow users to combine Out-of-home schedules across suppliers to make the Out-of-home planning and buying process easier.

How do you see 2021 shaping up?

We see a bright future for Out-of-home in 2021. The industry bounced back spectacularly in late 2020 and consumers welcomed Out-ofHome as they reappraised the benefits of being outdoors. We’re one of the few countries in the world where life has largely returned to normal, and we’re grateful for that every day. Last year put more of a spotlight on marketing spend and we believe the data evolutions and insights Jcdecaux will offer in 2021 will ensure there’s confidence in Out-of-home’s ability to connect with audiences and engage in a digital world.

Contact your Jcdecaux sales representative for more information. jcdecaux.co.nz