A Dynamic New Phase for DOOH

According to KineticPakistan, in 2023, 25%of Pakistan’s OOHmedia spend went todigital billboards and screens.Furthermore, according toindustry sources, DOOH hasexperienced a 40% compoundannual growth rate since itslaunch in 2017. Now, generativeAI is bringing new possibilitiesfor DOOH by providing greaterpersonalisation, creativity andefficiency. To explore what thismeans for brands in Pakistan,I will look at generative AIthrough the Gartner Hype Cycle(GHC) methodology.

1 Generative AI

Currentlysituated in the ‘Trough ofDisillusionment’ phase ofthe GHC, generative AI iscapable of creating digitalcontent (images, videos andtext). This phase is typical fortransformative tech; as earlyuse cases uncover challengeswhen users begin to see itspotential beyond the hype.Globally, tools like OpenAI’sGPT-4, Google’s DeepMindand Adobe’s AI platforms, havealready reshaped industries,and according to Gartner,nearly 30% of marketingcontent will be AI-generated by2025. Imagine the impact onPakistan’s DOOH sector, whereAI can create data-driven,visually compelling campaignsto capture audience interest.The potential is massive.

2 DOOH in Pakistan

Themajor cities (IslamabadKarachi and Lahore) havealready replaced static signagewith billboards and displayswith dynamic content. Recently,anamorphic 3D screens havebeen introduced (one each inIslamabad, Karachi and Lahore).Pakistan has a young andtech-savvy population that isincreasingly connected throughdigital platforms. As the numberof internet users continues togrow, there will be even greateropportunities for DOOH to targetthese consumers effectively.

3 Automated Content Creation and Hyper- Personalisation

Generative AIoffers new creative directions toadvertisers, helping them designhigh-quality visuals and videocontent. In Pakistan, AI can helpgenerate tailored content thatis culturally relevant to differentregional perspectives. Forexample, billboards in Faisalabadcan display content in Punjabi,while billboards in Karachi (for thesame campaign) can have theirmessaging in Urdu. Furthermore,personalisation means that contentcan be adjusted according to realtimefactors such as the weatherand time. Imagine a coffee branddisplaying ads for cold coffeeon a sweltering afternoon andthen seamlessly switching to hotcoffee in the evening, or a fuelbrand displaying real-time trafficupdates on a digital billboardon Shahrah-e-Faisal, guidingcommuters on which route to take.This generation of relevant contentcaptures consumer attentionleading to higher ROIs forthe campaigns.

4 Efficiency and Cost Savings

Throughautomation, generative AI cansimplify processes in agile andcost-effective ways; somethingthat can turn the tables forcash-strapped SMEs. In fact,with generative AI, SMEs canproduce professional contentat par with larger brands,significantly levelling the playingfield. DOOH further optimises adplacements by leveraging AI andanalysing audience insights andother location data to ensuremaximum campaign ROI,making DOOH more accessiblefrom a cost perspective.

5 New Levels of Innovation

Consider a digital screenthat displays content basedon pedestrian engagement orchanges displays based onresponse to real-time data,such as trending topics orsocial media feeds. ConsiderDove, which deployedmore than 16 different visuals fortheir recent programmatic DOOHcampaign. The visuals weredependent on the weather andautomatically updated accordingto the prevailing conditions.This ensures memorablebrand experiences resulting inenhanced brand loyalty.

6 Data-Driven Precision

The recent digitaltransformation in Pakistan hasgenerated large consumerdata sets, which in turn hasempowered AI to generatesmarter advertising. Brandscan leverage this data to createads that address consumerpreferences. Additionally,generative AI enables real-timecampaign optimisation and canrecommend adjustments to thecreative execution to improveengagement. This adaptabilityenables brands to remain agile,current and in line with theirconsumers’ demandsand moods.

Pakistan’s DOOH industryis set for a transformation.The medium will now be ableto give brands the abilityto present their audienceswith alternative, dynamicand personalised content.By streamlining the contentcreation process and enablingreal-time optimisation, AIenhances the effectivenessof programmatic DOOH andtraditional OOH campaigns. Asthe GHC suggests, businesseswilling to embrace generativeAI today are likely to leadtomorrow’s market.

NB: The GHC methodologyprovides users with a view of howa technology or an application islikely to evolve over time.

Ahsan Shaikh is CEO,Kinetic Pakistan.