New Jersey has faced its fair share of crisis over the last decade from Superstorm Sandy, the Opioid Crisis to the more recent Marcal fire in 2019. You can add COVID-19 to the list with one theme consistently emerging through the darkness: We are resilient, we are #NJStrong. Each time the odds have been stacked against us, we have managed to come together and improve as a community. Since Governor Murphy first announced Phase 1 on April 27, 2020, we have seen state parks and golf courses, nonessential retail businesses, and our beloved beaches and boardwalk reopened. Now it is time for OOH to create its bounce-back story.
New Jersey is now on track to enter Phase 2 on June 15, opening outdoor dining, in-store retail sales with salons and barbershops to follow on June 22. Data shows that more people are leaving their homes as quarantine fatigue sets in and summer upon us. According to Geopath and Intermix, the New York DMA has seen the highest increase in average daily miles traveled by 113% over the last month and 175% since April lows! Why is all this important? New Jersey specifically has seen a sizeable increase in distance travel since April’s low by 116%. We have been the second most-impacted state behind New York and seen tremendous strides since. We are a part of the largest DMA in the country with considerable foot traffic despite the pandemic. The increase in mobility is creating a positive correlation as OOH properties impression variations slowly return to normal.
New Jersey is also the transportation lynchpin of the Tri-State Area as commuters make it the third-most traveled state in the nation. Its close relationship with neighboring New York City provides many opportunities to capitalize on OOH in vibrant communities filled with commuters. This type of influence allows brands to reach beyond NYC, increase frequency, and maintain awareness amongst consumers in the most densely populated state in the nation.
Now is the time to encourage brands to adapt and adjust their advertising strategies despite the downturn. However, many have pulled campaigns and adjusted ad budgets. Data from a recent Kantar study reported that “if a brand cut all its ad spend during the crisis, this would have a 13% impact on sales in the long run and make market share hard to recover. However, a 50% drop in ad spend would result in just a 1% drop in sales.” OOH continues to have a very low CPM while providing maximum reach and frequency – which can be advantageous for reduced budgets. The beauty of OOH is its ability to magnify the performance of other mediums when viewers are away from their homes!
We are passionate about New Jersey and all things OOH. We believe in its value to the industry and the importance of staying top of mind during this downturn. We are making a comeback, and OOH is not far behind.
