What Is DOOH and Why You Need It

05/15/2025 Katrina Leung Optimize your media budgets

What does DOOH stand for? Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising represents the rapid and undeniable evolution of outdoor advertising. Through digital technology, DOOH transforms traditional billboards and static posters into vibrant, digital displays that deliver targeted and more engaging content. This modern approach includes screens found in high-traffic areas in Hon Kong such as Causeway Bay, Mong Kok, Central, and Tsim Sha Tsui.

What is DOOH Advertising

So, what is DOOH? DOOH advertising is, in simple terms, a digitized version of billboards. It uses digital media (image or video) to showcase ad material in public spaces. DOOH includes a variety of formats, broadly categorized into two types:

Digital Billboards and Outdoor Signs: These are typically large formats in high-visibility areas like highways, major city streets, and prominent urban centres. They offer high impact due to their size and the amount of traffic that passes by them daily. Some of these large-format DOOH even feature audio.

Let's see some DOOH advertising examples:

Place-based Media: This format encompasses digital displays located in specific locations where particular demographics gather, such as inside shopping malls, MTR stations, airports, and other smaller urban panels. These displays provide opportunities for more targeted advertising and can include interactive elements.

More DOOH examples:

Advantages of DOOH Over Traditional OOH

The advantages of DOOH over traditional billboard advertising include the following:

Creative Flexibility: With technology, advertisers can showcase creative and more eye-catching materials such as animations and videos. This is what makes DOOH more versatile and appealing more and more brands.
Increased Visibility: DOOH with bright, illuminated displays capture attention day and night, increase advertisement visibility significantly compared to non-lit billboards.
Greater Engagement: Some OOH screens are able to have interactive features such as touch screens and augmented reality. This allows brands to engage their audience on a whole other level and to increase brand image retention.
Real-Time Updates: Some DOOH platforms allow for advertisements to be updated in real-time, providing the flexibility to respond instantly to changes in marketing strategies or external conditions.
Eco-Friendliness: DOOH eliminates the need for physical materials used in traditional billboards. It reduces the waste and the environmental impact associated with billboard advertising.
Longer Engagement: Digital displays can incorporate interactive elements like games or social media feeds, which increase consumer engagement time with the ad. Take this MTR Mother's Day Campaign for example:

Why Advertisers Should Opt for DOOH

DOOH advertising offers significant advantages:

Flexibility: The room for creativity and the flexibility to change material on the go allow advertisers to respond quickly to market changes or leverage new trends.
Extended Reach: DOOH's integration with digital platforms can extend the reach of campaigns, even to mobile and online platforms.
Increased ROI: The engaging nature of DOOH, combined with enhanced targeting capabilities, often leads to higher returns on investment compared to traditional OOH.

DOOH Trends in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's bustling urban environment makes it a prime market for DOOH advertising. Recent DOOH trends seen in the best DOOH campaigns include:

Increased Integration with Mobile Technology: Many DOOH displays in Hong Kong now interact with mobile devices through QR codes and NFC technology, allowing for immersive, personalized advertising experiences.
Sustainability Initiatives: Energy-friendly screens and solar-powered units are becoming more common, suiting a global need of more sustainable practices.
Programmatic DOOH: This automated buying and selling of ad inventory is gaining traction in Hong Kong, allowing for more efficient and flexible DOOH campaigns.

Real-Life Examples of Successful DOOH Campaigns

Ant Bank at Mong Kok New Town Mall

An excellent display of DOOH effectiveness is showcased by Adintime's client, Ant Bank. Their campaign brilliantly leveraged an L-shaped HD LED screen located at one of the busiest intersections in Mong Kok—also one of Hong Kong's most crowded areas. Amid the constant flow of pedestrians and vehicles, the campaign achieved exceptional visibility. The advertising design featured a simple and effective artwork with bright colours and a prominent offer of a "$6000 cash bonus upon sign-up." The inclusion of a QR code helped facilitate registrations and enabled precise tracking of the campaign's impact, demonstrating the practical advantages of DOOH in engaging and measuring audience interactions.