Strategies for Effective Residential Advertising on Digital Screens

In premium residential communities from coast to coast, digital out-of-home (DOOH) displays are highly valued. For property owners and their management teams, the screens installed in their elevators, lobbies, and other well-traveled common areas are a valuable amenity for their residents—ideal for displaying property messages and providing relevant content residents enjoy watching. Advertisers looking for a cost-effective way to fortify the impact of their B2C media strategies are taking notice, with good reason.

Digital advertising in residential communities gives media strategists the advantage of having highly targeted ads displayed on screens unaffected by the efficiency-limiting obstacles that impact other digital channels today. Instead, B2C advertisers can fine-tune their strategies to amplify the impact of consumer engagement. With the right network partner, agency decision-makers can discover the solutions and services needed to pull everything together.

Exploring the Advantages of Residential Advertising for Major Brand Clients

Advertisers failing to keep pace with rapidly evolving digital strategies risk diminished returns; that’s a given. Although digital ad spend is expected to surpass last year’s totals by 8%, most media strategists find that the conventional digital channels they’ve relied on for years no longer provide consistent results.

In response, agencies are embracing the advice of industry experts suggesting media diversification, a recommendation adopted to fortify overall ad performance by leveraging the successes in top-performing venues against any lackluster returns in another.

Related: Digital Office Advertising and the Power of Innovative Partnerships

Advertisers adding the right residential screen network to their media mix are taking advantage of a channel unaffected by consumer scrolling habits, ad-blocking software, or fragmented television viewership to influence the purchasing decisions of affluent consumers with considerable spending power at multiple touchpoints throughout the day. But it’s the network screens optimized to attract and retain viewer attention that have the most impact on building brand awareness, forging favorable associations, and driving sales.

How Experienced Media Network Partners Attract and Retain Viewer Attention

According to data published by NBC Universal, ad creatives need to hold viewer attention for at least 2.5 seconds to have a lasting impression on consumers. But at its core, digital signage is “glance” media, something people typically engage with momentarily before moving on. 

In many cases, that observation is quite accurate, particularly when a company leveraging space on a network of indoor screens displays ad creatives alongside generic RSS feeds or boring playlists. Once the novelty of a newly installed screen wears off, building residents typically stop paying attention.

But some providers offer much more. The screens that capture and retain viewer attention in premium residential communities broadcast residential advertising campaigns alongside an expertly curated mix of content from well-known sources, such as global, national, and entertainment news, health information, holiday travel tips, uplifting stories, real-time transit updates, and more—content residents enjoy watching. 

Some media network partners also provide advanced, user-friendly tools designed to help their agency partners track and monitor ad performance, fine-tune their targeting parameters, and calculate B2C ROI.  

Exploring the Residential Advertising Strategies that Benefit B2C Clients Across Multiple Industries

The screens installed in premium residential communities have the potential to influence the purchasing decisions of some of today’s most elusive high-value consumers with considerable spending power. This happens as they’re making their way to the office, stepping out for lunch, or returning home for the night primed for a few hours of online shopping. 

That’s the key to success: getting your B2C ad campaign in front of the right people, in the right place, in close proximity to where purchase decisions are made and influenced. 

In residential communities with screens optimized for consumer engagement, brand campaigns effectively deliver valuable impressions at an efficient CPM. Take elevator advertising, for example. Your campaign captivates audiences in a low-clutter, distraction-free environment that increases the effectiveness of your message.  

Most rides last between 30 seconds and two minutes, the average rider travels between floors four times each day, and captive audiences welcome the diversion. As you consider the potential value of investing in residential advertising for your agency, imagine how the following examples of just four of the most effective strategies could benefit the brands relying on your expertise.

Strategy #1: Leveraging Location-Specific Targeting for Consumer Packaged Goods

Adding the right residential advertising to your digital portfolio is just as impactful for major brands selling frequently replaced items like make-up, personal care products, and over-the-counter medications as it is for companies specializing in the latest electronic devices, luxury retail or auto. 

Investing in the services of an experienced media network provider powering screens in premium locations ensures your clients are connecting with end-users willing to spend more on products and services that align with their values, interests, and personal (or professional) goals.

That’s a business essential. Advertisers diversifying their media mix to achieve a higher ROI can’t risk squandering resources paying for screen space in buildings that don’t reach their ideal targets. 

A comprehensive digital strategy requires partnering with a network provider with the ability to fine-tune ad placement based on geographic location, household income, job titles, and more. Those strategies can be even more impactful when combined with ad triggers determined by proximity to retail, 1st party data ingestion, dayparting, or local weather conditions.

Strategy #2: Integrating Custom Brand Alignment for eCommerce and eTail Products and Services  

When your client list includes eTail companies—clients selling directly to consumers through the Internet—it’s important to ensure you’re partnering with a media network provider with an expansive network of screens delivering mass reach impressions to your target customers. 

Some advertisers are amplifying the impact of their residential advertising by collaborating with their network provider’s editorial team to create custom brand alignments. 

Based on a report published in 2022, an advertising strategy that includes brand alignment is more effective than increased placement frequency for driving sales. Not only does the available data suggest that an advertising strategy focused on aligning brand messaging in an omnichannel marketing strategy generates an average of 33% more revenue, but it’s also a great way to build trust and encourage brand loyalty.

Strategy #3: Integrating Custom Content Alignments for Leisure Activities and Personal Travel

Affluent consumers are often ready for new and exciting ways to enjoy their considerable discretionary income. Spending on travel and experiences has grown significantly over the past few years with younger generations increasingly prioritizing experiences over possessions. Some gravitate towards booking wellness retreats and isolated private villas; others prefer traveling to exotic locations while filling their itineraries with exclusive tours, private culinary experiences, and extended stays in the world’s finest hotels. 

Related: Maximizing Elevator Advertising Impact with Precision Targeting Strategies

Agencies adding residential screens to their digital portfolios might also want to consider utilizing the services offered by their network provider’s editorial team to amplify brand messaging.

In this hypothetical example, consider the advantages of having an experienced editorial team in your corner to collaborate on custom content alignments, elevating the impact of your media strategy. Your client’s ad campaign has the power to influence their travel consideration set with custom content alignments to take the contextual relevance of the media channel to the next level. 

For travel industry clients, some of the most successful strategies align ad campaigns with content exploring travel destinations, popular attractions, and travel tips, alignments with the potential to boost brand awareness by as much as 52%.  

Strategy #4: Connecting Affluent Consumers with Convenient Solutions for Working Parents

The digital screens in affluent residential communities are also ideal for connecting B2C clients with people willing to invest in products and services that simplify their everyday lives. Most are willing to spend a considerable portion of their income on a wide range of conveniences that give conveniences that allow them more leisure time to enjoy with their families, services that can include anything from meal kits and organic snack subscriptions to delivery services and family-friendly restaurant chains.

Not only are agencies reaching the people most likely to purchase, but advertisers partnering with the right network providers have multiple methods to boost consumer interaction and drive sales. 

Take the use of quick response (QR) codes, for example. Advertisers incorporating scannable 2-dimensional matrix barcodes into their static and motion images are using the tech to direct consumers to product information, downloadable menus, the finer points of their client’s subscription services, and delivery options. Experts predict that nearly 100 million US consumers will be scanning QR codes by 2025.

See How Digital Advertising in Residential Communities Can Make Your Media Strategy More Effective

Ads featured on display screens installed in premium residential communities influence the purchasing decisions of affluent consumers multiple times throughout the day. But not all companies offering ad placement on a network of digital screens are appropriate for brands targeting high-income earners. Most don’t provide the type of programming needed to ensure optimal consumer engagement.

When the success of your media strategy depends on your ability to reach consumers with considerable spending power, visit Captivate to learn more about our impressive screen network, brand-safe programming mix, and custom content alignments.  Captivate is an industry-leading media network powering screens in premium residential communities across 170 active DMAs. Ready to get started? Submit a contact form.