Turn up the heat with OOH this summer

This summer is all about experiences, enjoying the outdoors and sharing these moments with loved ones. Across the season, consumers are gearing up to spend an estimated £7bn (a quarter of the year’s total retail spend). For brands, this is a highly anticipated time of the year to engage with the nation’s excitement for their favourite season.  

Our updated Retail Occasions series is your go-to for navigating the summer months. Now's the time to fine-tune your marketing strategies for a bustling season ahead, and choosing the right media is crucial for early retail appeal. 3 in 5 Brits say they are planning to spend more time outdoors than they did last summer, so when thinking about when and where to catch your audience, speak to them where they want to be - Out of Home.

With its versatility as both a brand building channel delivering huge reach, and an ability to connect with shoppers using data-driven messages in the right moments and mindsets, Out of Home is the right choice for brands looking to inform and inspire shoppers this summer. 

A getaway is a must!   

As the sun graces our shores, Brits are seizing the opportunity to indulge in much-needed getaways. 22% intend to fly abroad for their summer break (+4%pts YoY). For the jetsetter, the top travel spot is a beach destination to soak in the sea, sun and sand.  Meanwhile, domestic travel remains preferential. 51% intend on travelling domestically this year. Holidaymakers are choosing city breaks, eager to drive or hop on a train to a nearby city. This may be a result of continued cost of living budgets and holidaymakers are still being cautious with their money. Almost two-thirds (63%)* seek good value for money when shopping around for their getaway.    

A ticket for two 

Holidaymakers will be enthusiastically booking a romantic trip for two. Partners reign as the most popular travelling companion for both domestic and international trips. 3 in 10 say they will book a trip with their significant other. Alternatively, family getaways are also proving popular, with 1 in 4 planning on a family holiday overseas this year. But, it seems large group holiday with friends aren’t on travellers’ minds this year, with only 4% opting for a friend getaway.  

Dad jokes aside… 

Keeping up the warm spirit, family and friends will be celebrating the father figures in their lives with gifts as legendary as their puns. Buying for Dad isn’t always easy, often ones to not share what they want. Consumers report they want to see better gift guides from retailers to help with their challenge. 46% state they find it hard to find the right gift for Dad (+8%pts YoY). Often, we see imaginative and inspiring offers for Mother’s Day, but Father’s Day doesn’t always get the same love from retailers. Curated gift bundles specific to Dad’s interests and personalised gifts would be a great help with the purchase journey. Particularly when consumers are leaving their purchases to the last-minute (43%, +7%pts YoY).  

A summer of sport  

The upcoming months will provide no shortage of action across the world of sport, with a host of major international tournaments taking place. Our latest sporting summer playbook proves that OOH advertising is an effective tool for branding and activation. Our story highlights how brands that use OOH advertising around major sporting occasions can piggyback on the core values associated with these events, and integrate them into their own identity.  

Leave a lasting impression with OOH

Ensure you leave a lasting impression this summer. Brands have an excellent opportunity to lead consumers from inspiration to purchase, leveraging OOH to captivate audiences where they naturally spend their time. With broad reach, contextual messaging, and real-world placement, enhance your campaign to keep your brand sizzling all season long. 

Source: GlobalData, Summer and Father’s Day Retail Occasions 2023 
*Verdant Leisure, Dec 2023 

Ready to rise to the occasion?

If you'd like to know more, our Retail Occasions hub gives you easy access to deep occasion-specific intelligence and analytics on nine key occasions across the year. From Valentine’s Day to Christmas, we’ve got the answers to all the important questions on consumers’ attitudes and shopping behaviour. And, with our Retail Occasions Tracker, we’ll keep you updated on exactly when each occasion is activated, how many buyers have entered the market, current total market spend, and its remaining potential to tap into. You can access the hub here.