Digital OOH (DOOH) in Kenya is a relatively young subset of the OOH industry and has witnessed steady growth of DOOH screens, particularly in the capital Nairobi, since 2017. Before Covid, static frames made up 99% of all outdoor sites in the country, which has since grown to about 10% and is evidence of the increasing demand for DOOH in Kenya. Interestingly, relatively new players have been at the forefront and have invested heavily in DOOH sites in the country, in a market where market leaders with static media have been around for decades. This demonstrates that marketers in Kenya appreciate the impact of new technology on media, and it is one of the reasons why OOH remains one of the most effective communication touchpoints, given its ability to adapt to the times.

And why not? DOOH is particularly effective in Kenya and Africa, where much of the population is young, tech-savvy, and always on the move. The infrastructure is still developing, which means there is a huge opportunity and excitement for DOOH providers and brands to be more creative in how they deliver their communications to maximize the potential of this platform.

Although the country was somewhat slow in catching up with its SSA peers in terms of investment, it has seen some of the most innovative executions, including the integration of machine learning and AI on screens. For example, during the height of Covid, Dentsu Kenya & Safaricom Ltd created an interactive campaign using data points to engage with audiences in traffic

(Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwhhjIyKejI)

Additionally, in an effort to raise awareness about air pollution on World Air Pollution day, we integrated AI on communications displayed on digital screens, translating carbon emission jargon through color-coded screens in Nairobi, which also marked a collaboration with the United Nations Environmental Program.

The agility provided by DOOH has given us an opportunity to introduce a new set of data in the OOH space. We have pioneered a new approach to outdoor advertising, shifting from a frame-picking approach to an audience mapping approach. Essentially, this means we can now tailor our campaigns to target specific audiences rather than just locations.

This data-driven approach has been further advanced by our introduction of PrDOOH, championed by Dentsu Location Services. In collaboration with another team in DLS SA, we executed one of the first live campaigns during the World Cup finals when France took on Argentina. We streamed live results with real-time creative generation running on DOOH in two countries simultaneously.

What excites me the most in the market is that leading clients in the OOH industry have started customizing content specifically for DOOH, which is a great step towards making the service more effective. DOOH partners are also aggressively expanding their networks in both commercial and residential spaces, bringing brand campaigns closer to home and offering much-needed flexibility in last-mile penetration for the channel. We have also seen several campaigns run on a PrDOOH platform as more and more partners embrace the SSP, providing brands with an opportunity to drive more value and reach audiences effectively. Its essentially the opportune time for brands to seize the day with the agility of DOOH.