OUTFRONT: Top Five Trends to Watch in 2022

This is an inflection point for advertisers trying to make an impact. Brands that resonate with authenticity, create real-life experiences and prioritize audiences will come out on top. Omni-channel campaigns designed to be socially integrated, contextually relevant and interactive will foster the most meaningful connections as the priority pendulum swings from performance to preference.

The OUTFRONT 2022 Advertising Trends Report was created to empower marketers and brands with relevant ideas to help engage with today's active consumers on the move.

These are the five macro-trends sure to guide media decisions in 2022:

1. Trust Issues
2. Less URL, More IRL
3. Connecting the Dots
4. Reaching Audiences on Their Terms
5. Full-Funnel Focus

Trust Issues

The core psychology of the consumer is evolving in a way that culminates into a need for brands to communicate with authenticity. Consumer shifts include declining trust, diminished brand loyalty and a distinct pivot towards brand purpose.

Americans have lost faith in institutions of all kinds, from government to media and everywhere in between, making it more challenging than ever for brand messages to resonate. At the same time, fading brand loyalty is a new challenge that calls for new solutions. As supply chain issues affect what is available and rising inflation affects what is affordable, consumers are increasingly open to new brands and products. Over a third of consumers (39%) switched to a new brand last year[1].

With skepticism high and loyalty thin, brands need to invest in building trust. After all, consumers don't just want to buy something; they want to believe in something. Today, less than half of a brand's perception (47%) is driven by direct benefits to the consumer. The importance of personal gain has been replaced by an emphasis on a brand's societal impact (32%) and labor practices (21%)[2]. And consumers are willing to abandon brands that do not meet their expectations.

This openness to switch represents a crucial moment of opportunity for brands that can effectively communicate their purpose to audiences. Fifty-eight percent of Americans consider out of home the most trustworthy ad medium[3], making it an ideal platform to do just that.

Less URL, More IRL

A pervasive wave of weariness has swept through audiences when it comes to screen time, with 63% of us feeling the effects of digital burnout[4]. People have had enough of pixels. Cord-cutting, ad blocking and ad skipping continue to rise, and nearly 40% of consumers report they plan to intentionally decrease screen-time in favor of more time outside of the home this year[5].

Real-life experiences are the antidote for screen fatigue, and OOH delivers them at scale. Consumers crave a return to the people, places and things they love. In fact, 72% of Americans have planned trips for leisure in the first half of 2022[6], and Live Nation has already sold over 65 million live show tickets for the year[7]. There is a renewed joy associated with being outside the home and a heightened awareness to one's surroundings, including more receptivity to OOH messaging.

Connecting the Dots

Omni-channel consumer experiences have woven countless new pathways for purchase into the retail journey. New shoppable touchpoints are emerging across media; today's customer journey looks quite different than even just a few years ago.

Social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram have integrated product searches and purchases directly into the user experience. The widespread adoption of QR codes and their integration into out-of-home campaigns represent a potential shortcut to conversion, thus combining OOH top-of-the-funnel awareness with bottom-of-the-funnel consumer action.

Social media has become a major player in today's customer journey, with a massive 87% of Gen-Z saying that social media influences their purchase decisions[8]. But an even higher number, 91%, would share OOH ads on social media[9], making out of home the perfect way to organically influence the consumer journey. Importantly, OOH is one of the primers for all things digital, including search, social and mobile.

Reaching Audiences on Their Terms

Brands are consciously choosing to meet audiences how and where they want to be met, prioritizing quality content and improved user experiences in media decisions. Sixty-five percent now rank consumer preference as the most influential decision factor, ahead of conversion rates (49%) and cost (45%)[10]. A non-invasive storyteller by nature, OOH offers brands a platform to deliver meaningful messages with contextual relevance at scale. This approach provides more value to audiences, with half of consumers rating contextual ads as more interesting, resulting in a 27% lift in recall of the brand's story[11].

Out of Home Is a Full-Funnel Strategy

As the performance conversation expands to include a more balanced, full-funnel approach, out of home's cutting-edge attribution capabilities offer visibility into its impact all the way down. Whether intended to build awareness or influence consideration and purchase, out of home gets results. Forty-three percent of consumers report visiting an advertiser's website after seeing their out of home ads. Thirty-nine percent have searched for additional information, while 39% made a physical purchase after seeing out of home and 28% have downloaded an app[12].

These five trends define a landscape of change and opportunity for brands that can capitalize on them by leveraging the awesome power of out of home.

Want to take a deeper dive into these trends and more? Download your complimentary copy of OUTFRONT's 2022 Advertising Trends Report today.

This article was written by Caroline Gaudette and Jay Fenster