From Julia Cramer, Content Specialist, Adomni 

Synopsis: Back-to-school brands have a pivotal opportunity to reconnect with students and parents nationwide with highly-visible, and captivating DOOH ads.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a legion of short-term disruptions and long-term alterations to the American education system. Schools turned to remote learning in order to minimize spread and prioritize health and safety, requiring students to spend most of their waking hours sitting in front of a screen. The results of endless screen time led to digital fatigue, with 71% tuning out ads on digital devices and nearly half of people decreasing phone, computer, or television usage, according to an OAAA and Harris Poll report. 

Advertisers must find a better solution to reach shoppers as they prepare for the 2022-23 school year. Several industry surveys showed that consumers are excitedly flocking back to physical stores, with nearly 70% of shoppers planning to purchase back-to-school products in brick-and-mortar stores. Brands and retailers can reach back-to-school shoppers, stand out from the competition, and push through the ad clutter with digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising. 

Out-of-home advertising is proven to be one of the most influential advertising mediums to reach back-to-school shoppers, as more people spend time outside and less time on their digital devices. Plus, the oldest media format has and continues to evolve into the leading performance channel, complying with the digitally-connected landscape. Accelerated digital advancements have drastically transformed the OOH medium, making ads more scalable, targetable, and measurable than ever before. Back-to-school advertisers have a pivotal opportunity to reconnect with the over 75 million students and 66 million parents nationwide with strategic, highly-visible, and attention-grabbing DOOH ads.

Most back-to-school shoppers are Gen Z, the demographic with the highest spending power and most influence globally. "Members of Generation Z are clearly becoming more involved with back-to-school purchasing decisions rather than leaving the choices up to mom and dad," explains NRF President and CEO, Matthew Shay. "Over the years, both teens and pre-teens are spending more of their own money on back-to-school items." However, Gen Z is one of the most inaccessible audiences to engage with, as they frequently skip, block, or avoid ads. This highly impactful audience segment leans towards non-invasive and more personalized ads; thus, brands are more likely to get this widely perceptive audience’s attention with DOOH. The data doesn't lie, with OOH proving to be a powerful force amongst young consumers in driving attention, reaching 90% of US residents ages 16 and older and 80% noticing ads weekly. 

The back-to-school season is also a great time to attract shoppers with lucrative sales and discounts. Industry data revealed that nearly 40% of back-to-school shoppers are on the hunt for deals. And, 68% of consumers are looking to OOH ads to make back-to-school purchasing decisions, with 88% of these audiences looking for value and savings ads. OOH advertisers are driving actionable engagement with shoppers in real-time through QR codes. This interactive element creates instant conversions with just a single point and click - leading consumers to retailers' websites, downloading an app, or receiving a promotion. A 2021 survey found that college-aged shoppers (18-29 years old) were the largest demographic to interact with QR codes. 

Students and parents are eager to head into physical retail locations as they prepare for the school year. And despite high inflation, back-to-school shopping remains more robust than ever, with 75% of shoppers planning to spend more than expected on BTS merchandise this summer. Take the opportunity to do back-to-school shopping properly by leveling up your campaigns with DOOH advertising - before the summer ends!