The Census and Capturing Hard-to-Count Communities With OOH

In the context of the lasting effects of 2020 events Census results impact the US for the next 25 presidential terms Census data helps determine the number of seats each state has in the US House of Representatives as well as how voting districts are defined And if the 2020 count does not accurately reflect US residents local governments stand to lose an average of 14000 per person in funding over the next decadeThis 2020 Census also brings with it the incorporation of more technology and a deployment plan that leans into more modern targeting initiatives ie there is ample opportunity to achieve a more accurate count but also a host of issues that could result in nonresponseKnowing what is at stake the federal government states and local municipalities have allocated part of their budgets for paid media which nationally will include digital and social media for the first time Residents will be encouraged to participate online versus mailing in forms or taking them to local census offices as they have in the pastWhile the goal of the census is to get an accurate count of everyone living in the United States this year the government39s outreach efforts will focus heavily on hardtocount HTC communities Targeting HTC audiences the new online process and the addition of digital marketing and social media represent a unique opportunity for outofhome OOH mediaTake a Community Focus on a Community39s Canvases Today people are spending more than 70 percent of their waking hours outside the home This is time spent commuting consuming and engaging in their local communities As travel times continue to climb across the country with the average roundtrip commute to work now at 528 minutes per day there is more opportunity than ever for people to be exposed to OOH advertising Further by census definition HTC areas are typically underserved or lowerhouseholdincome communities Across America more than 30 percent of these HTC residents do not have a mobile phone a household computer and reportedly do not use the Internet Roughly 60 percent of these residents do not have inhome cable and are 85 percent more likely to not have a TV in their home at all than people in other areas These residents are best reached with OOH In fact many of them reside in areas with significant transit systems or live in communities where English is not their first languageWith OOH local municipalities can connect with residents inlanguage and with physical canvases that they are sure to pass by on their daily journeys Capturing these communities at all stages of the Census from driving awareness and motivation to reminding residents to participate through the end of 2020 will be critical in ensuring an accurate count and high response rate in communities that need federal funding the mostBrand Safety and Trust in the Era of an Online Census Post2016 people are hyperaware of the precision in which they can be reached and targeted on digital and social media as well as what happens to their information when it is shared online This amp8212 coupled with the fact that we live in an age of ad blocking cordcutting digital disruption and a general distrust for the digital space amp8212 has created hurdles for electronic media By adding OOH to the media mix states and municipalities can ensure that the Census messaging their communities receive is perceived as truthful and trustedIn fact OOH is the most trusted media format for millennial and Gen Z populations two groups that may fall into HTC communities as urban and transient populations that are difficult to connect with via mail and other traditional media formats Building this trust will be critical during the awareness and motivation stages January through May of the US Census Bureau39s campaignOOH Is the Best Primer for All Things Digital OOH drives four times more search and social activations according to Nielsen and increases search39s return on ad spend by 40 percent Benchmarketing data finds Knowing the US Census Bureau is aiming to have people participate in the Census online OOH is the ideal addition to its marketing initiatives at the local and national levels to prime people to take action In March when residents start receiving their invitations to take the Census OOH should be alive in their neighborhoods as another touchpoint and physical reminder to take action onlineFrom priming digital and social behaviors and complementing their role in the media mix to helping people trust the Census to localizing messages to mirror each community39s DNA and to being with people as they go about their lives as a physical reminder to take action and be counted OOH can drive awareness of the Census and motivate audiences to participate in a way no other media format canClick the social buttons to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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The Census and Capturing Hard-to-Count Communities With OOH

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Lindsay Kramer

Erin Brady

Breaking Barriers: Nada Bradbury’s AD-ID Strategy for Advertising Effectiveness and Women in Tech - By E.B. Moss

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The Census and Capturing Hard-to-Count Communities With OOH

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