Sounds like OOH: How to catch attention

Multi-sensory campaigns are a unique OOH offering that transform ads into an immersive brand experience. By adding sound accompaniment to a visual, advertisers grab attention and add extra impact to their message delivery and brand building. 

Sensory-marketing: a human experience

Multi-sensory marketing is defined as using at least two of the five senses (sight, smell, touch, sound and taste). Campaigns with sensory-marketing include emotional, cognitive and behavioural dimensions.  Brands who choose to go beyond visual communication and combine different senses into one campaign can effectively connect with consumers on a deeper emotional level. And because reactions to senses’ experiences are subjective, creating a multi-sensory experience for their audiences allows brands to create a unique connection with individual consumers.

Sound and the OOH environment

Out-of-Home (OOH) audiences are particularly characterised by their active mindset. They are receptive to their environment and are open to interacting with relevant content. Understanding the characteristics of different audiences in different environments is paramount when developing multi-sensory campaigns. OOH campaigns which engage different senses make a brand come to life; they are surprising, they grab attention and they bring a new, unique dimension to advertising. 

A sound offering

Most people are governed by what they hear; sound impacts people’s mood, emotion and their state of mind. Sound is the second most impactful and widely used sense in marketing as it creates an element of surprise, it effectively grabs attention thus increases brand recall. Overall, sound can create an atmosphere and trigger your imagination. With advancements in voice technology from on-the-go voice assistants to smart devices in the home, 2020 is the year for being heard. 

Sound activation in OOH

There are countless ways to integrate sound and offer audiences exclusive and engaging content. Using speakers is among the simplest and most common ways of integrating sound in an OOH campaign. Exclusive sound content through a headphone jack, on the other hand, creates a more personal, one-to-one interaction. Digital touch screens can take interactions a step further by offering a combination of audio-visual content, where consumers are required to activate the sound by reacting with the CTA’s on the panel. The addition of motion sensors can also create an element of surprise and such content is effective at grabbing attention and increasing recall. Finally, more advanced tech like OUIBot and Beakle allow brands to integrate their digital and OOH strategies and drive mobile traffic by offering a connection between audiences and the ads via a smartphone.

A versatile solution for versatile brands

Different advertisers should use sound in different environments for different purposes. Tourism brands are great at using sound to immerse audiences in the local culture and to help them picture themselves at the destination. With film campaigns, sound quickly grabs attention, transporting people into the plot of the film, building a personal association with the characters. Motor advertisers often use sound to bring a realistic element to the visual, educate their consumer and better illustrate one of the most compelling elements of their product – the horsepower! But these are just three product categories, let us have a look at how other industries have effectively integrated sound to bring a new dimension to their OOH campaigns. 

About JCDecaux Creative Solutions

Creative Solutions is an international division of JCDecaux that brings innovative Out-of-Home (OOH) concepts to on-street reality. Creative Solutions campaigns grab attention and build a dialogue with target audiences.

Whether special builds or Dynamic Content, dedicated teams around the world use the latest technologies to optimise campaigns across all OOH environments.