How can B2B brands benefit from out-of-home (OOH) advertising?

At first glance, OOH may seem best for B2C brands that want to attract a high number of consumers. However, it can also be advantageous to B2B brands hoping to reach decision-makers or professionals from a specific industry.

With the right strategy, B2B brands can leverage OOH to connect with their target audience and boost sales or leads.

How can you launch a successful OOH campaign for a B2B brand? In this article, we’ll review 3 fundamental insights every effort needs to embrace.

1. Understand Key Market Areas or Pathways
The first step is to identify key market areas and pathways that your target audience uses on a regular basis.

It can be tough to target professionals from a specific industry or occupation. To overcome this hurdle, establish your presence in urban cores and office areas where they are found in highest densities during their work day. Additionally, place physical media on major commuter routes inbound to these hotspots for increased visibility.

Let’s say you’re a brand that’s about to launch a new project management software for major financial corporations. You should aim to generate awareness in high-traffic commuter routes where chief financial officers, controllers, and accountants frequent.

The best part? Thanks to today’s technologies, tracking the success of your campaign is possible through location observations, as well as 1st and 3rd party data research and resources with sophisticated custom targeting.

2. Industry Conferences and Events
The COVID-19 outbreak has led to the cancellation of industry conferences and events. However, pandemic fatigue may spur high event attendance rates in the foreseeable future.

Our study reported that 54% of respondents are interested in attending events such as concerts and sporting events. Meanwhile, 65% of respondents want to go outdoors as often as possible for safe activities. B2B industry workers are no different, and are eager to reconnect with their colleagues and customers in person this year!

These figures prove that industry conferences and events may experience a gradual comeback, and present a lucrative opportunity to reach the B2B audience as vaccinations continue to rise. And, of course, you’re guaranteed to find a high volume of your niche target audience at B2B-related events.

To ensure optimal visibility during these conferences, out-of-home advertising should follow attendees along their event journey. The experience can begin through airport media to boost brand awareness upon arrival. Then, maintain the momentum through relevant media touchpoints along the journey on roads and freeways, in hotels, on taxis, and at street level surrounding the event area.

3. Reach B2B Decision-Makers
For the best results, your B2B ads should reach the decision-makers of your target industry.

A good tip is to pinpoint the locations where decision-makers live, work, and play. This includes high-density residence areas or neighborhoods with household income, occupation, behaviors or attitudes based on your brand’s target audience.

OOH ads in business environments such as office buildings, VIP clubs or lounges, and coffee shops can also be a worthwhile investment. Don't overlook the value of leisure environments that cater to C-level executives like golf courses and high-end retail hotspots.

So which markets make the most sense to reach a B2B audience where they live, work, and play?

In a recent study by CBRE, Inc., the top-ranked tech talent markets in the U.S. include San Francisco (Bay Area), Washington, D.C., Seattle, New York, and Austin. Because tech is the leading category for B2B brands, companies continue to set up shop, attract talent, and grow their share in those markets. Many B2B professionals already live and work in these top tier markets as education and job opportunities in the tech sector are on the rise.

As we move forward in the post-pandemic climate, we anticipate growth in emerging B2B markets such as Denver, Dallas, Salt Lake City, and Raleigh-Durham. These markets are rapidly expanding the B2B space despite pandemic regulations, and are home to new company headquarters.

Create a Successful B2B Campaign
Identifying your target audience and visualizing their journey boosts chances they will inevitably encounter your out-of-home advertisements. Measuring your campaign’s impact is made easy with OOH data attribution. With Billups’ in-house data science team, you can measure the number of audiences that were exposed to your OOH advertisements, as well as the action they took upon viewing the ad. These can consist of website visitation or conversion, mobile app download, sales lift, and brand awareness.

From targeting locations frequented by your audience to reaching decision makers where they live, work and play, these insights are key to maximizing your B2B marketing strategy. Whether you’re looking to launch a new marketing campaign or improve an existing one, put these insights to work for your business.

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