About DOOH and more - in food product communication.

What are the Latest Trends in Food Industry Product Communication?

Quality, price, promotion - research shows these are the factors that drive our shopping decisions. Product origin, composition, and sourcing methods are becoming increasingly important. Ease and simplicity of shopping are most important in consumers' daily lives. But surveyed individuals declare they can shop further away if product quality depends on it. That's why discount stores now carry good and very good quality products. Until recently, we mainly bought them in supermarkets.

The choice of different items on shelves is enormous. When my mom sent me to the store for flour, the options were regular wheat or semolina. Today I can choose from dozens of types made from various grains, and order even more online. Advertising must therefore help choose well and differentiate the message. In this effort, the possibilities of outdoor advertising, especially digital, are invaluable. In a 10-second spot we can emphasize selected product elements, and present others in subsequent spots. All can be used in one campaign within the purchased airtime. This gives marketers measurable savings and the possibility of clearer messaging. Brands emphasize high product quality at friendly prices, they also communicate promotions and novelties, for example new packaging or the fact that the product is domestically produced. This is also important for a growing group of customers.

Advertising is a promise that a brand makes. A fulfilled promise can make a buyer become a regular customer and bring others. Advertising should therefore not only be attractive. It should also honestly and responsibly approach the fact that it really influences daily choices.

What Competitive Advantage Does Digital Media Communication Give Food Companies?

Digital outdoor has all the advantages of traditional outdoor. Additionally, it's very dynamic and flexible (campaigns can be started and ended at any time) when it comes to changes in messaging and form of communication. I would also point to interaction and the ability to engage audiences, especially in quick sales campaigns, and attractively animated content that stands out and draws attention. Communication on media like our MORE screens (a network of LCD screens in 72 x 126 cm format) means taking content we have on Facebook or Instagram to the street. It can be the same content - just in a different place, on the street. Slightly differently formulated, it will reach new audiences or strengthen brand recognition among those who saw the ad in other media.

Speed and Flexibility

DOOH enables almost immediate response. For example, information about Olga Tokarczuk receiving the Nobel Prize appeared on MORE screens within minutes of the verdict announcement. We can quickly and easily change spots within one campaign and specified airtime. This in turn allows us to show product ranges or their important features within one marketing budget.

We can modify content depending on various and changing data: time, weather, location, distance from point of sale, sales volume...
I'll give one recent example. During the final Sunday of WOŚP, we updated on MORE and MyLED screens in Warsaw the fundraising amount throughout the day. We embedded a link into a pre-prepared spot project, screens connected directly with headquarters. We presented the latest data from WOŚP media on Jet Line screens at the same time.

Modern Communication also Means Combining Multiple Channels, Including Digital Media with Social Media.

I'll tell you about an example of a tourism industry campaign that integrated digital outdoor with mobile advertising on smartphones of big city residents. On DOOH screens we broadcast spots that all pedestrians during the day within screen range - and thus having a chance to see the spot - watched again in extended version on their smartphone or laptop screens. If the spot matched viewers' interests (our task was also to identify such people beforehand), they were directed to a page with an official tourist guide for a specific tourist region being promoted in the campaign. It was a simple and effective campaign. Additionally, we could measure effectiveness: visits to pages related to the promoted region. The same possibilities of combining DOOH with other communication channels are offered by our MORE screens.

What other Communication Methods Can be Effective for the FMCG Industry?

Yes, the development of new technologies changes both the tools themselves and the way of communication, just as e-commerce development affects traditional retail sales.

We see enormous potential in combining digital and analog technologies in outdoor communication. Just like sales networks combine online and offline worlds: brick-and-mortar stores are pickup points for online purchases, showrooms presenting goods and services, and they use new lighting technologies, animation, VR and other projects from the digital world. We believe such synergy should be sought in the possibilities that traditional and digital outdoor advertising offer in communication and marketing.

Please Tell Us about your Experiences Working with the Food Industry.

We have various media that work differently, because we know that brands have different needs. We implement both nationwide image campaigns in cities and primarily on routes between them. Our Motorway billboard network 12x4m consists of over 400 advertising surfaces nationwide, uniform in format, lighting and location parameters. It's the only such organized network of traditional outdoor media in Poland. Motorway participates in image campaigns prepared by beers, mineral waters, ice cream - especially in summer when consumption of these particular products increases.
Mobile media are very popular - MobiJet cars and JetBike bicycles. Their huge advantage is that they can implement a campaign anywhere where standard media are unavailable, even for one day or weekend. They're often engaged in campaigns where a brand sponsors cultural and sports events, concerts, festivals, matches or historical reenactments. In such cases, it's usually about strengthening and intensifying communication shortly before the event. Cars and bicycles are designed precisely for this: they appear for a specific time, in a specific place - and disappear after completion.

New DOOH Media in the City

Since we expanded Jet Line services with digital media, we can implement such short-term campaigns in cities. In October 2019, we launched a new DOOH media network in Warsaw - digital MORE displays. They're located in shop windows, service points, restaurants and are addressed to pedestrians who see them, for example, when entering a store or waiting for a green light in the city... It's worth using their potential for introduction, engagement, reminder: hey, I'm in this store!

What should be Remembered when Preparing Graphic Design for an Outdoor Campaign?

Oh, this is a very extensive and important topic, thank you for asking. Outdoor is a medium based on image. You can't over-talk the graphics, you need to intrigue - so the viewer thinks: "Oh, that's cool, I'll check it out" - and actually checks it on the website, in store, on social media.

There's no single, universal rule except that advertising must be readable. A poster should inform in a simple, understandable way. The fewer words - the easier it is for recipients to remember the message. Simple, minimalist layout in decisive, expressive, contrasting colors or conversely: fitted to the media's surroundings is always a good idea.

The design must be adapted to the format and exhibition location. A poster designed for a billboard should be visible from a great distance and readable for viewers in motion. A poster displayed at a bus stop can contain more content because there's time to read it there.

The Task of Advertising

Advertising should trigger a specific reaction. It should therefore be easily memorable. It will be if it arouses curiosity, engages, evokes emotions. It's worth using symbolism, associations, wordplay.

Sometimes you hear the accusation that outdoor doesn't work. Outdoor works - the poster might have been bad, poorly readable, chaotic, without respecting composition rules. We always pay attention to projects that come to us. And we intervene if we have grounds to believe the client won't be satisfied. Projects look different on computer screens. For example, a too-light slogan placed on a white cloud background will still be readable. On a billboard it won't be.

The same applies to spots for MORE screens, but here we have a huge advantage of DOOH. Spots can be diverse and yet decidedly easier to replace.

Food Companies Want to Advertise and Communicate in Accordance with Applicable Legislation. How not to get Lost in the Maze of Regulations?

Yes, transparent and fair communication is not only honest information about ingredients or product price, but also a purely executive aspect. I think choosing the right partner, in our case an outdoor company, is key. It really doesn't matter where and in what context or environment a brand and its message appears. It's worth observing suppliers, getting to know them, talking with media owners - every outdoor company has experts who know their media best. I'll be honest: choosing a media house or agency and completely relying on them isn't always good or sufficient. It's worth spending time to understand what's available, what formats, who they're addressed to.

Campaign Security

For us, the most important issue is client campaign security. We offer traditional billboards, mobile cars and bicycles, and digital screens that guarantee this security. We're responsible for the entire campaign from start to finish. We recommend the best surfaces for achieving specific goals, printing, installation, service, driver training for MobiJet cars and JetBike bicycles. We broadcast spots for digital OOH (DOOH) and ensure ongoing screen quality control.

These are extensive fragments of a conversation that Beata Chojecka-Kuczek, our deputy sales manager, had with Portal Spożywczy in January 2020 (http://www.portalspozywczy.pl/technologie/artykuly/marki-spozywcze-skuteczne-sposoby-komunikacji,180449.html). Some subheadings are ours.