The digital out-of-home space is so much more than giant billboards lighting up the sides of our roads. Enterprising networks are popping up in environments of all kinds. They’re entering the places we work and play and helping foster stronger connections between us and the brands we love and trust.
Exemplifying this approach to DOOH is Boomerang Media. The company operates DOOH networks across the UK, each with a focus on a specific group of people.
postcards, posters, and dooh
Boomerang Media has come a long way since its beginnings in 1994. Starting out, it delivered postcard marketing in bars, clubs, and universities. From there, the company began its gradual transformation to where it is today. It began working with posters first, and then, as the technology developed, shifted to digital out-of-home.
The company has entered many verticals throughout its run. These include shopping malls, children’s playcentres, cinemas, leisure centres, schools, and health clubs. To Boomerang, one of the benefits of being in these spaces is the opportunity to foster connection with young people and families. They’re desirable demographics which, at times, can prove difficult for brands to reach.
engaging content for fun places
Many of the niches in which Boomerang Media operates have a strong focus on leisure. For Boomerang, this means they not only reach desirable audiences, but reach them at their most relaxed and receptive.
Advertising content makes up the bulk of the media mix, with static images and full-motion videos both supported by Boomerang’s screens. The company does regular, in-depth research into what kinds of content do, and are likely to do, well with each environment’s specific audience. This helps to ensure ads that get delivered remain as relevant as possible.
Many of the locations on Boomerang’s network also use the screens to get important messaging to their visitors. For announcements, bulletins, and other important messaging, the digital signage run by Boomerang is a perfect fit.
delivering ads at showtime & play time
Boomerang Media’s biggest news these days is its return to the cinema space, as the company recently started managing digital signage in Vue Cinemas’ UK cinemas. Boomerang sees it as a great chance to return to work they love, and to reconnect with brands they once collaborated with. There are also several blockbuster films coming in 2019—like Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: Episode IX, and Frozen 2. With them comes blockbuster advertising demand, making Boomerang’s homecoming all the sweeter.
To take full advantage of this opportunity, Boomerang’s mission will be to deliver targeted, compelling advertising to big, bright new screens in the foyers and hallways all over the cinemas on their network. Their goal is to create a more engaging experience for visitors and a more valuable opportunity for advertisers.
This return to cinema also intersects nicely with Boomerang’s work in other recreational areas. Notable examples include its health club and gym network; which includes screens in Pure Gym, David Lloyd, and Nuffield Health; and its network of screens in children’s playcentres—another environment in which Boomerang is a market leader.
These locations are all big draws for young families, meaning that as Boomerang’s reach grows, it becomes a more and more compelling choice for brands trying to reach this valuable demographic.
boomerang media and broadsign
Boomerang’s presence in many unique verticals is great for ad buyers and their customers. It does, however, create unique demands from a network management perspective. All told, Boomerang maintains about 1,750 screens across their network, with plans to expand to perhaps twice that over the next year.
After trialing a number of digital out-of-home solutions, Boomerang Media found that Broadsign presented the best answer for their needs. With Broadsign Control, Boomerang has centralized access to screens and campaigns in all their different verticals. This greatly simplifies the planning and screen management process. It’s a benefit that will only prove itself more valuable as the company scales up over the coming years, helping them to maximize their return with minimal extra demands on time and attention.
