Programmatic advertising first started to appear between 2007 and 2010 and has since generated billions of dollars. Originally starting in online advertising, programmatic advertising has since reached the digital out-of-home advertising industry.

Programmatic Advertising In DOOH

Programmatic advertising in DOOH differs from online programmatic advertising as it relies on more generalised external inputs.

Online programmatic advertising takes advantage of previous browsing history to display advertisements for products/services that interest the viewer. On the other hand, DOOH programmatic advertising takes information such as the time of day, weather, and dwell time to deliver dynamic content.

Before discussing specific data points/triggers and their capabilities, we need to understand what they do and are in general. In essence, the term data trigger refers to an external tool such as a camera (or even a website) that can activate or change the behaviour of a digital sign. To break it down in the most simplistic way, the external data is sent to the digital signage, and depending on the data, specific content is played.

External Data Triggers

One of the coolest things about digital out-of-home advertising is that there is a near-endless variety of these data points. These can be first-party sources such as cameras attached to the signage, or they can be third-party sources such as websites.

What this means for DOOH is that content can be almost entirely dynamic and responsive, creating a unique experience for viewers. It also allows advertisers to create and utilise contextually relevant content in a way to boosts sales and marketing efforts.

To fully understand data points it’s best to use some more specific examples and talk about their potential impact. The most common data triggers that DOOH takes advantage of are weather triggers, data & time triggers, and presence detection triggers.

At the moment these are the most common data points as they are affordable and easy to use. As technology continues to advance, it is likely that more triggers will be developed, and current ones improved.

Weather Triggers

One of the easiest data triggers to implement is a weather trigger, it’s easy to set up, and has a wide range of uses. By creating dynamic content that takes into account the weather inputs a brand can really stand out. This enables something as simple as a sponsored weather forecast update, or completely unique creatives based on weather.

For example, say you’re a cafe owner in Melbourne who has digital signage near the entrance to your cafe. Thanks to your weather data trigger you can have contextually relevant advertising material play.

A prime example of this would be to have creatives advertising a hot drink when the weather is below 18C. When above 20C it would then switch to advertising cold drinks or ice cream. Not only does this save you time, but it also attracts attention and ensures that you’re advertising products customers want.

Weather data triggers could even power something as simple as displaying the weather forecast every 5 minutes. Bringing value and relevant information to your local community is one of the strongest forms of advertising.

Utilising a weather trigger can involve both first and third-party tools. You could pull data from a weather/meteorology website, or have your own temperature sensor. No matter which method you choose, you’ll be able to create and use contextually relevant content on your digital signage.

Date & Time Triggers

Similar to weather triggers, date and time data triggers are easy to set up and a very affordable solution. They allow content to be created that takes into consideration the time of day or the exact date. By using an external clock/calendar this specifically created content can be played at the most appropriate time.

Say you want to maximise the effectiveness of your advertising campaign that focuses on stationery and office supplies. You would want to target these ads at specific times such as after school hours. Not only at these times, but also during the year when it’s most relevant, such as the week before school starts.

Some digital signage CMS’ (such as Doohly) can handle this natively, others would require external data triggers. Something like this is a simple and easy way to increase engagement and allows a limitless amount of creativity.

Presence Detection

More technologically advanced, and expensive to set up, presence detection refers to a wide variety of data triggers. Presence detection refers to a range of monitoring, in particular, if someone is in front of the digital signage display. This advanced piece of technology can also detect things such as how many people are there, people's age groups, and even their race.

(Due to the nature of this technology, it should be clarified that it uses assumptions and generalisation. Laws and regulations also ensure that this data is anonymised and therefore individuals cannot be identified.)

Because of the costs and technical knowledge needed, presence detection is usually capitalised on by bigger businesses such as retail stores aka retailer media. One of the perks of using some sort of precedence detection is that it can help reduce energy consumption and increase the lifespan of the screen.

There are many different types of ways to detect presence, the most common way is with motion sensors. If a motion is detected, the screen will stay on, if no motion is detected for a set amount of time, the screen turns off. Another common method that is used for interactive kiosks is if no one has interacted with the screen it will turn off.

Both of these methods can also be used to switch what creatives are displayed. For example, if presence hasn’t been detected, the screen might switch to show advertising content instead of going blank.

There is a range of other data triggers available for use with digital signage, both first and third parties. One of the best parts of being able to implement these triggers is that they can be fully custom built. Almost anything is possible thanks to integrating multiple pieces of technology together.

Every business can take advantage of external data triggers in some capacity, whether it’s to show inventory levels or encourage customers to buy contextually relevant add-ons. Thanks to Doohly there is an affordable and easy-to-use digital signage solution!

If you’re looking to get started with digital signage or move over to an easier to use CMS solution, contact us today.