Get Ready for Post-Pandemic OOH Advertising
The OOH industry in Malaysia has been hit harder than ever and sees a dip in revenue since the Covid-19 pandemic. It is only logical for advertisers to put their OOH advertising on hold and divert their spending on other advertising mediums in this period as people are just not out-of-home.
According to Posterscope’s General Manager Paul Low through Marketing Interactive, he shared that most advertisers in Malaysia have allocated their budget for their OOH campaign to a later date, pending to launch post-MCO. Though this statement was shared in 2020, the situation in 2021 remains the same with Malaysians stuck with yet another MCO.
From thriving to decline, OOH in Malaysia may finally flourish again by the end of 2021. A discussion of vaccination passport proposal came to light and the Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah was quoted saying that “We will probably be able to achieve herd immunity by November or December,” - Astro Awani. Although nothing is certain yet, this hints that people will be out and about sooner than we think. Hence, it makes now the best time to gear up for the post-pandemic OOH advertising.
Crowds are coming back
They are coming back. According to The Edge Weekly, mall operators believe that it could take at least half a year for mall visitations and businesses to recover after MCO. However, it may be faster. We have seen a rise in crowds that casually go to shopping malls and markets during the recovery phase of Covid-19 in Malaysia. Even when the pandemic is at its peak in the country, news of people flouting the SOPs to go out still exist. This proves a point – they are more than eager to step out from their homes. It is indeed a fact that we can all agree on as our freedom has been confiscated for way too long. Thus, until the time when we reach herd immunity or at least when more than half of the population is vaccinated, everyone will be hitting the road for trips and hanging around in the shopping malls again.
Best time to optimize OOH campaign
Estimated to have the highest traffic and crowd during post-pandemic, this is the time advertisers wouldn’t want to miss out. By the time when people are no longer required to stay at home, not everyone but most of the people will be out there. It is the perfect time to reach a large audience and build brand exposure. Target places where people miss going the most like shopping malls and expect your brand to reach a large audience.
People are more inclined to look out
After being stuck with digital screens at home for so long, people are more inclined to look out when they can finally go out. Staying at home with eyes glued to digital screens could cause digital advertising fatigue. As digital advertising is the only medium to reach people during the pandemic, showcasing your brand message on this medium may not be as effective anymore because people have been seeing too much advertisement of it through their digital devices. Therefore, switching your focus to OOH during post-pandemic is a smart move as people will be really looking out.
Slowly but surely.
The demands for billboards will be surging after the pandemic. This is because the OOH has been a steadily rising industry that is only hit and held back by the pandemic. When things go back on track, we shall witness how rapid-growing and significant OOH advertising is in the country.
Plan it now and execute it when it’s time:
Let media specialists at Firstboard assist you in setting your OOH campaign back on track.
