However, this is changing and will change even more significantly in the coming years. Improving the quality of outdoor creative will be one of the main trends in the industry. After all, outdoor advertising is a visual medium, perhaps the most visual of all – it lacks editorial content, and the message primarily impacts the viewer through imagery. Its effectiveness lies in its ability to attract the attention of pedestrians, drivers, and passengers.
Therefore, outdoor advertising must be attractive.

Technology and the creative thinking of advertising creators—advertising agencies—as well as the growing demands from Clients can help. The latter are noticing what is effective in outdoor advertising and want equally effective and creative solutions in their campaigns.

AUTOMATION OF THE PURCHASE PROCESS

Currently, most media are bought in an automated way, while buying outdoor advertising is still a "manually controlled" process. Automating the purchase of this medium would simplify buying outdoor and would translate into higher advertising spending.

INCREASE IN ADVERTISING EXPENDITURE

Since 2002, outdoor advertising's share of the advertising pie in the United States has doubled. This reflects not only the investments of outdoor companies but also outdoor advertising's ability to attract budgets previously allocated to other media. Analysts expect a further increase in outdoor advertising's share of total advertising spending in the USA. So far, this has primarily come at the expense of print media, mainly newspapers. However, media planners also note a shift of budgets to outdoor from TV and local media. "People are spending more and more time outdoors, which gives them more opportunities to interact with outdoor advertising. This will deepen further as other media become more fragmented and reaching a specific audience becomes increasingly difficult," says Kelli Sumwalt, VP of Media at Laughlin Constable advertising agency.

BETTER INTEGRATION WITH MOBILE ADVERTISING

Thanks to smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices, we are increasingly online. Therefore, all media are moving towards mobile. In a few years, every campaign on outdoor advertising carriers will include a reference to mobile advertising. Due to privacy protection, billboards will not send messages via Bluetooth, as they have done so far. People will be encouraged to use functions and applications available via smartphone or tablet in a non-invasive way, for example, by scanning a poster and being able to get a discount on a given product this way.

IMPROVED RESEARCH METHODS

Media planners and media buyers have long demanded outdoor advertising research.
Clients want to know what benefits they gain from allocating budgets to this medium.

Although outdoor advertising research in the USA has improved in recent years (TAB Out of Home Ratings), there is still much to be done in the States as well.

However, research has a great future. As seen in the example of the American market, data from outdoor measurements have contributed to greater competitiveness and an increase in advertising spending.

However, the barrier is the cost of access to this research – not all media specialists and advertisers use it due to the necessity of incurring additional – high – costs.

Translating this experience to the Polish market, this is valuable guidance for the Outdoor Research Institute established in Poland last year.