Global OOH launch: a reason to believe in market transformation

Following an out-of-home buying spree in 2018, this week Global finally unveiled its new offering. Here, Kinetic’s Alistair MacCallum shares his reaction to the launch

‘Your Audience Awaits’ was a very compelling articulation of the Global proposition and particularly how they can combine the strengths of OOH and radio to deliver an extraordinary level of reach and impact. Connecting with people in the moments that matter more to inspire and move them around brands.

Global’s pedigree in audio is a reason to believe that they will help transform and grow the OOH market. Their strength lies partly in the unparalleled depth of relationships they have with clients and to be working alongside them to bring new opportunities to market is an exciting prospect.

The announcement around DAX was as expected. DAX accelerated the process of automation in audio by establishing itself as a trading platform for the wider market, not simply Global inventory, and the fact that they will launch in beta alongside some other (smaller) vendors is a positive step for the future of trading in OOH. As we test via our proprietary trading platforms we will quickly be able to assess the depth of capabilities within DAX.

Structurally, the public commitment to protect their classic (paper) inventory will be welcomed as it ensures they can continue to offer meaningful levels of reach nationally. A clear desire to maximise yield from this inventory at Global will likely be met with expectation from the market for some level of investment to upgrade and enhance the existing quality of some of these sites.

Global’s role in the future of OOH growth is going to be pivotal. However, achieving the outcomes that we want (increased levels of spend from clients and agencies that is currently being deployed in other channels) requires greater focus on how Global’s portfolio can help connect audiences across channels, and specifically mobile.

OOH primes and triggers actions at the most valuable moments of commerce, both physical and digital, and we need to continually articulate the role OOH plays alongside areas such social and influencer marketing, particularly in relation to effectively moving the younger audiences that Global have such impressive reach into.

Alistair MacCallum is CEO of WPP’s specialist out-of-home agency, Kinetic