OOH Leads the Way for Positive Performance Ratings

 

“It’s an exciting time to be in out-of-home”

By Amber Larkins, OOH Today

The Myers Report recently released its performance ratings survey on the media industry. Among the 132 leading media organizations evaluated, only 57 had positive performance ratings from 40% or more of their agency business partners. Of those, only 20 achieved top 2-box ratings of 50% or more, with Google leading the way at 66% favorability. But Vistar and Outfront were close behind. Both had a 64% Top 2-Box performance.

The best-performing overall media category by the Meyers Report was out-of-home. Other notable OOH mentions from the list included Clear Channel Outdoor, Intersection, Lamar Outdoor, and Talon. Though Talon is new this year to the US, they achieved an impressive 100% positive Best-in-Class/Preferred rating, albeit from a small base of respondents.

Clive Punter, Executive Vice President, CRO of Outfront says he thinks the organization achieved a top rating because of their energy, engagement, and aspiration to be the best.

“Our aim is to be Outfront by name and nature,” Clive said. “[We have a] great team, great tools, and are always thinking about the customer’s growth whether it is a small local business or a large national brand.”

Lucy Markowitz, SVP of US Demand at Vistar attributes the company’s high rating to their approach.

“Our approach centers on balancing being automated while still human,” Markowitz said. “We are focused on the ambitions of our agency partners and how we can engineer solutions that help them succeed.”

Elevating OOH media sales alongside a multinational behemoth like Google is a sign we’re making positive headway for the category as a whole, Markowitz says.

Elevating OOH media sales alongside a multinational behemoth like Google is a sign we’re making positive headway for the category as a whole

Markowitz thinks that the ranking from the Myer’s Report reinforces what we already know about OOH.

1. People love it! It is timeless and trendsetting.
2. It delivers real results, with studies showing that using OOH in a larger media mix produces higher overall media effectiveness and results for brands
3. OOH companies understand that when it comes to working with agencies that successful advertising is about more than the media’ it requires partnership, collaboration, and delivering on your promises.

She thinks that brands will likely look to balance out investment in OOH as a more stable, reliable, and captivating media format.

Both Markowitz and Punter believe that this report shows opportunities for collaboration and growth for the OOH industry.

“This report’s recognition of Vistar is significant because it reaffirms not only our role as a key player for media buyers, but the opportunities for OOH as a category to shine. By listening attentively and growing with our customers and partners, we’ve been able to nurture meaningful relationships across the industry. Together we all have the chance to shape a really compelling future for OOH,” Markowitz said.

Punter thinks the OOH category had among the best performance ratings because OOH tries harder. “The OOH sector has been upping its game in the last few years whilst the digital space is experiencing some fatigue and there are growing questions from the ad community.”

He also says this bodes well for the future of OOH as the industry continues to attract strong talent to the sector with new perspectives and skills and continues to enhance its commitment to growth and evolve quickly. There are new buying channels such as programmatic, creative opportunities, and audience insights that provide opportunities for organizations to learn from each other and collaborate to further elevate the industry.

“One of the very gratifying advances this year is the collaboration of the OOH media companies working together through the OAAA to elevate the medium,” Punter said. We all need to be telling the story of modern OOH to media strategist, brands, and in house teams.”

Though there is high favorability and opportunity for growth in the sector- there was still only favorability among 2/3rds of respondents. When asked about her thoughts and what Vistar might do to improve ratings, Markowitz said the score was pretty high for a difficult business like media.

She also has a plan to further increase favorability.

“First, we still need to enhance visibility and understanding of OOH’s unique benefits- particularly the adaptability and creative potential when combining OOH’s formats with automation and technology. Second, we’ll keep working to create tailored solutions for agency buyers of all types,” Markowitz said. “Ultimately, everything comes down to value exchange- making sure client conversations are not just about Vistar’s growth but how OOH can help brands and agencies meet their goals.

Punter says there’s always room for growth and this score sets a new baseline to build from- one that he plans to build by continuous collaboration with his team at Outfront and across industry partners.

Both Markowitz and Punter had favorable thoughts on Talon’s 100% approval rating and are excited about its growth in the US markets.

“It’s an exciting time to be in out-of-home,” Punter said.