Kinetic UK recently shared five top trends for OOH in 2022. A recording of the event can be found here. Â
We’ll be publishing a more detailed report on our five OOH trends for 2022 in the new year. But in the meantime, here are the highlights:Â
2022: The Year of Life in Person
We were lucky to be joined by leading marketing strategist, Matthew Hook, who spoke about three fundamental psychological needs driving people in 2022: trust, connection and novelty. We are experiencing a re-balance of these as we emerge from the pandemic and now have the opportunity to re-evaluate what life in person looks like and what it means to us.
For brands and businesses looking to serve the public, there are three big factors to look out for in 2022:
- People’s relationships with public spaces: people will look for things they can trust in, reassure them and their decisions with reliable sources of information.
- Connecting live vs virtually: the ability to add layers of digital exploration and amplification over these experiences will emerge like never before.
- The universal treasure hunt:Â the world of 2022 will once more be a playground in which we can find, interact, buy, and share it all in real time. Innovating the in-person experience will be one of the best things a brand can do.
Which leads us into our own top five trends for brands to look out for next year:
Trend one: Access All AreasÂ
Lockdown accelerated the adoption of digital culture by all ages. Augmented Reality and mobile codes quickly became essential technologies for brands. There is now an opportunity for brands to nurture this behavior with rewarding and helpful applications.
The 2022 opportunity
- Blend the physical and digital worlds by layering AR over OOH media, events and installations to innovate the in-person experience.
- Integrate visual codes from platforms like Snap, Instagram, Tik Tok and WhatsApp in OOH creative, ensuring every touchpoint can drive connection and commerce.
Trend two: Real-Time Revolution
Covid has increased the reliance on real-time data, as businesses cope with a more volatile world. At the same time, consumers have become savvier. While they want more relevant information, it needs to be balanced with their awareness of data privacy and finding advertising too intrusive.
The 2022 opportunity
- Real-time targeting of audiences in OOH. PrOOH will grow rapidly next year, as more inventory is made available, more access to more real-time data, and more understanding from brands of how programmatic DOOH can deliver seamless cross-channel digital activation.
- Use OOH’s new data capabilities to measure and track campaign performance – such as exposure, footfall, sales or brand uplift.
- Layer client first-party data to create more bespoke and effective data-led solutions.
Trend three: Location + Context = Supercharged OOH
Location and context have always been strengths of OOH. But the growing consumer expectation for relevant information combined with OOH’s new real-time targeting and delivery capabilities mean contextual OOH messaging is set to explode next year.
The 2022 opportunity
- Capitalise on people’s desire to get out and experience as much as possible in 2022 by using contextual OOH to tap into real-life cultural and social moments.
- Leverage all available datasets, including first-party data, to layer multiple contextual triggers for stronger relevance.
- Don’t discount classic formats, they are proven to be powerful vehicles for contextual messaging.
 
Trend four: Creativity is Content
This year we experienced a surge in interest in creative OOH executions. With the exceptional ones making headlines and catching the attention of millions of consumers online. OOH campaign imagery and video possess a unique ability to stand-out amongst the digital noise – they are real, tangible and genuine.
The 2022 opportunity
- Use OOH’s unrivaled supply of creative options to layer separate techniques to deliver stand out and impact.
- Experiment with small scale, fame-driving creative OOH executions that can generate earned media, while providing a physical anchor to a predominantly digital campaign.
Trend five: Real-World Responsibility
Amid the disruption of the pandemic, the world has seen the growing importance of inclusivity and sustainability. The impact of social awareness on purchases means consumers want to engage with brands that align with their own values and can help them make positive change.
The 2022 opportunity
- Use OOH as a powerful, public platform with inclusive Real-World reach.
- Use the medium to enhance the message by taking advantage of a variety of new eco OOH installations and solutions that support local communities and biodiversity.
- Use new OOH audience data to deliver inclusive OOH campaigns that unlock spending power of many diverse groups.
OOH has become smarter, more flexible and innovative during the pandemic. That transformation will continue next year – particularly in the way brands use the medium creatively, and the way we understand real-world audience behaviors fueled by advancements in technology and data developments.
Feel free to get in touch with any of our speakers if you have questions or want to chat through our trends.
It’s been great to work alongside you this year. We’re looking forward to more of life in person in 2022.
