The IT Nerd

As Canadians gear up for back-to-school shopping, brands are pouring marketing dollars into digital channels to capture purchase intent. But new research suggests many buying decisions begin long before consumers ever open a browser.

A new national survey from Vistar Media found that 39% of Canadians have taken action after seeing a billboard or digital out-of-home (DOOH) ad, reinforcing that out-of-home isn’t just an awareness channel, it’s helping drive real consumer behaviour.

At a time when marketers are largely focused on clicks, conversions and attribution, the findings suggest many may be overlooking one of the most effective ways to build intent before shopping begins – especially at a time when 99% of Canadian parents plan to shop in-store for at least some of their Back-to-School purchases, .

Key findings include:

• 39% of Canadians took at least one action after seeing a billboard or DOOH ad in the past month.
• 22% looked up a brand online after seeing an ad.
• 18% visited a company’s website.
• 36% say a billboard influenced or reinforced the last action they took.
• Gen Z is the most responsive audience, with 52% taking action after seeing an out-of-home ad, well above Boomers (32%).

Scott Mitchell, Managing Director, Canada at Vistar Media, is available to discuss:

• Why the most effective back-to-school campaigns build demand before consumers start searching.
• Why marketers should rethink the idea that out-of-home is simply an “upper funnel” awareness play.
• How DOOH complements digital by building trust, consideration and purchase intent before consumers click.
• What Canadian marketers should consider when planning omnichannel campaigns during one of the year’s biggest retail moments.

You can read the report here.