WHERE UGC AND DOOH MEET

By 2017, you’ve probably heard the term “User Generated Content” countless times. You may have even purchased a share of voice on a digital signage platform or (Digital-Out-Of-Home advertising). Despite knowing about these entities separately, have you thought about getting these two buzz-phrases to work their best for your organization? Don’t just go through the marketing motions when it comes to these two, because they are here to stay. Most importantly, they can positively affect the bottom line when they work hand in hand.

First and foremost, we must get to the bottom of both phrases and how they work to better your ROI. Then we will discuss some tips on making DOOH and UGC work together.

World Science Festival Twitter Wall

User Generated Content

UGC content comes in all forms this day in age, but they all have one thing in common- these social media platforms allow consumers to discuss and elaborate on their experiences with a particular product or organization. In the age where consumers expect experiences to be personalized, social media helps bridge the gap between consumer and organization. While this can pose an issue for organizations who benefit from operating behind closed doors, it highly benefits those who prefer to incorporate their audience into their marketing plans. Companies can now understand where they need to improve and where they are shining, while consumers now have the ability to open up communication lines with the companies that create their favorite products. It also turns out; UGC’s effectiveness is its trustworthiness. According to data collected by MarketingProfs, 86% of millennials say UGC is usually a good indicator of high quality. In essence, you’re entrusting your audience to do your selling for you.

video wall

Digital-Out-Of-Home Media

DOOH is the digital media platform that is taking over traditional mediums to reach audiences out of their homes by means of high-performance digital displays. As with UGC it comes in all shapes and sizes. Anything from video walls, interactive displays, and outdoor digital billboards are effective when it comes to carrying your message. According to a study by Nielson 75% of people surveyed recalled seeing a digital billboard in the last month. But why? What sets digital-out-of-home apart from traditional media? The first thing to consider is how much attention digital media receives. The ability to incorporate animation and video along with high-knit displays makes it virtually impossible to ignore without even taking screen size into account. The second aspect to consider is flexibility. Campaigns can be changed or reworked with the click of a button. Business who choose to deploy via digital signage will now be able to update content remotely and instantly. These benefits make a digital signage campaign an easy choice over a traditional print that put financial constraints on updates.

So we know why UGC and DOOH are so great. How do they work together?

Your audience doesn’t have to search for it.

So we’ve talked about how great UGC is for a business, but sometimes it’s easier said than done. It’s more than creating a hashtag these days- UGC campaigns must be creative, participative and must reach people in more than one arena- not just behind a smartphone.

That’s where DOOH comes into play. We often tell our clients who are looking to deploy social media campaigns via DOOH, “don’t underestimate how much people want their voices to be heard. They want to see themselves up on the big screen.” It’s almost like a ‘build it and they will come’ scenario when employing digital signage for social media campaigns. You put up the screen, and watch the interaction happen. Sites like LiveWall and Tint allow you to curate posts from one hashtag across multiple platforms and display for marketing purposes. You can even monitor and remove unwanted posts as they come in.

Bottom line is, your UGC/social media campaign needs to be all encompassing and easy for your audience to find and participate with.

Location, Location, Location

Location can be the trickiest part of any campaign. First and foremost, who are you targeting and how does that correlate with the display location? For example, If you are targeting working-class folks, a digital billboard on a city-bound expressway is going to work out better than an interactive display within a concert venue.

Consider UGC platforms when choosing location as well. Pick a social media platform that your audience is accustom to and more likely to participate with. A DOOH/UGC campaign can be devastated if the target audience doesn’t have immediate access, so do your research.

Speaking of location…

Try Interactive

Again, DOOH comes in all shapes and sizes, so determining which platform is best is key. Of course, a large format display such as an outdoor billboard or videowall will catch everyone’s attention and will generate more content as a result. However, consider touch screen displays, or interactive kiosks. An interactive experience can be much more engaging when done the right way. Location of the kiosk is vital when choosing to go interactive, so whether you are leasing space on an already established network, or deploying an interactive kiosk on your own, be sure to study the space before anything. Take an afternoon and pull up a chair. Areas with high-dwell times such as lobbies and airports are ideal for an interactive kiosk, while high traffic zones make more sense for a billboard to catch passers.

While you may not receive as many impressions with an interactive experience, the time a customer spends emerged in your brand is just as important.  According to a study by Nielsen, 60% of consumers would prefer to purchase a product from a company they are familiar with than switch to another. What better way to open the doors of your brand than with an interactive kiosk and maybe make a lifelong customer.


Creativity and strategic media selection are key in moving forward with a UGC/DOOH campaign. Given the right tools and avenue, your guests will do the work for you if you have done your part early in the planning phase. Always be sure to partner with a reliable digital signage company to ensure that your campaign is run effectively.