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Christmas DOOH Campaign: How Cost‑Conscious Christmas Shoppers Are Changing DOOH Targeting Strategies in 2025
- dan67805
- Nov 19
- 7 min read
The cost‑of‑living undercurrent
The United Kingdom’s cost‑of‑living squeeze continues to cast a long shadow over the festive period.
In late 2025 inflation remains stubbornly above target - official data show that the consumer price index (CPI) is still running at around 3.8 % year‑on‑year and the broader CPIH is above 4 %.
These numbers are lower than the double‑digit peaks of 2023 but still erode real incomes.
Meanwhile, surveys reveal that household budgets are under strain: in a Barclays poll taken just weeks before this paper was written, a third of Britons said they were postponing significant purchases until after the autumn budget and card spending had slipped 0.8 % compared with the year before.
PwC’s Holiday Outlook survey adds that 84 % of consumers intend to cut back overall, signaling a cautious mood.
Statistics aside, the sentiment on the ground is palpable.
Families are carefully curating gift lists, focusing on essentials and experiences that matter.
Younger shoppers - particularly Gen Z and millennials - are juggling higher rents, student loans and the desire to buy sustainable products.
Retailers sense the shift: instead of chasing sheer volume, they talk about “value, meaning and mindfulness.”
This is the landscape in which brands must operate while running a Christmas DOOH campaign in 2025.
Why our holiday audiences are different this year
Cost‑conscious does not mean cynical
Money is tight, but the festive spirit remains alive.
Many consumers are reallocating rather than cancelling: spending less on big‑ticket electronics, more on food and drink to host family, less on flashy packaging, more on bespoke experiences.
This isn’t about bargain hunting at all costs; it’s about feeling good about every pound spent.
They want to see quality, authenticity and relevance in advertising campaigns.
If an offer comes from a brand that understands their reality - and speaks to it with empathy - it will be noticed.
If it’s another generic “buy now” message, it will be ignored.
This subtle distinction is critical for marketers planning Christmas campaigns.
Moments matter more than ever
With shoppers watching their wallets, the path to purchase often collapses into a handful of micro‑moments.
A mum may make a decision about a supermarket shop while waiting for the lift with her children.
An office worker might scan a QR code on her way to the gym and order a last‑minute gift on her phone.
These fleeting windows are where intention is formed and acted on.
Traditional advertising channels - billboards, TV, even social feeds - are ill‑equipped to capture such context.
This is where digital out‑of‑home (DOOH) - and particularly indoor DOOH in places people live and work - comes into its own.
The problem with generic mass reach in a Christmas DOOH campaign
In a booming economy, plastering your Christmas offer across city‑centre billboards makes sense: high footfall, broad awareness and splashy creative build brand fame.
In 2025, however, generic OOH can be an expensive way to reach shoppers who may not be ready to spend.
There are three reasons traditional mass‑reach is losing its shine:
Misaligned context: Shoppers are far more likely to act on a message when it relates to their immediate life. A Christmas poster on a high street may be seen while someone is rushing to catch a train. The same creative in their lift lobby appears as they’re thinking about dinner, making it infinitely more useful.
Poor integration: Classic OOH often sits in a silo. It doesn’t talk to your paid social strategy or your email funnel. Consumers move fluidly between offline and online; your marketing should too.
Escalating costs: Prime outdoor real estate is costly. When budgets tighten, paying for eyeballs that might never convert isn’t smart.
This doesn’t mean brands should abandon large‑format OOH entirely, but it underscores the need to complement it with smarter, hyper‑local solutions.
DOOH: a tool designed for the cost‑conscious era
Trusted, unskippable, human‑centred
Digital out‑of‑home combines the reach of out‑of‑home with the agility of digital.
It earns remarkable favourability with consumers; research from the Out of Home Advertising Association of America suggests that around 73 % of people view DOOH positively and 76 % take action after seeing an ad.
Why? Because DOOH sits in public spaces - there’s no risk of data misuse - and it cannot be scrolled past, blocked or ignored like a banner.
Programmatic agility meets value
Programmatic buying has brought DOOH into the same ecosystem as social and display, enabling real‑time adjustments.
Brands can test creative quickly, pause under‑performing messages and scale up winners.
There’s no need for huge upfront commitments or paper posters.
This agility is particularly useful now: when your audience’s shopping behaviour is unpredictable, the ability to pivot messaging at short notice is invaluable.
Inside 30Seconds Media: the “last touchpoint” network
Our network of screens sits where people live and work, primarily in lift lobbies and entrance foyers of residential buildings and offices.
These screens achieve what we call the “last touchpoint” advantage:
Captive dwell time: residents and workers wait for lifts multiple times a day. That 30‑second window is enough to deliver a clear message, show a special offer and inspire action before they step into their home or office.
Repeat exposure: unlike a passing billboard, our screens are part of daily life. The same person sees your message on Monday morning, Wednesday lunchtime and Friday evening. Repetition aids recall and reinforces intent.
Community credibility: property managers often display notices and updates on these screens. Advertisers benefit from this built‑in trust; the screen is already an accepted source of information.
Put simply, we meet your audience at a moment when they are still in “public mode” but about to enter their personal space, making it the perfect time to influence the decisions that happen inside - like what to buy for dinner or which gifts to order.
A practical playbook for agencies and brand marketers
1. Speak to value without sounding cheap
Value doesn’t mean slashing prices. In a cost‑of‑living crunch, it means highlighting utility and meaning. Show how your product lasts longer, serves multiple purposes or enhances a cherished tradition. For example:
A cookware brand could promote “The roasting tray that sees you through every family gathering” rather than “50 % off!”
A toy retailer might showcase “Handcrafted heirloom toys that become part of your story.”
Remember: consumers want to feel good about their choices. Position your offer as an investment in joy rather than a compromise.
2. Bring your message home - literally
Use the context of a building to your advantage.
In a high‑rise with young professionals, highlight last‑minute e‑commerce offers or on‑demand services. In a suburban block with families, talk about stocking up for holiday lunches or hosting DIY craft nights.
On rainy evenings, push messaging about streaming subscriptions and comfort foods.
On crisp mornings, remind residents to book festive markets or brunches. Tailor your creative by time of day, demographic and micro‑location - this is where DOOH shines.
3. Create a “media sandwich” with paid digital
For maximum impact, blend DOOH with other paid channels:
Top‑of‑funnel spark: use eye‑catching motion graphics in the lift lobby to plant the idea. Because the screen is in a high‑trust environment, your brand gets instant credibility.
Mid‑funnel nurture: retarget viewers on social or search after they’ve seen your DOOH ad. Geofencing or anonymised device IDs let you show complementary messages on their phone or laptop, deepening engagement without being creepy.
Bottom‑of‑funnel close: follow up with email or paid search when they actively look for your product. A QR code on the DOOH screen can capture interest and drive them straight to your landing page. Measuring the path from screen to checkout helps refine your strategy.
4. Make measurement your ally
Even when budgets are stretched, measurement doesn’t have to be heavy.
Start with simple metrics: how many people pass the screen, how long they dwell, how many scan your QR code. Layer in brand lift surveys to see if people recall your message.
Over time, use anonymised mobile data to estimate footfall uplifts or website visits.
Programmatic DOOH allows you to test and optimise quickly - if a message isn’t resonating, switch it out.
5. Embrace creative elasticity
Thirty seconds in a lift lobby is enough to tell a story, but not if your ad is crammed with text.
Keep visuals bold and copy minimal.
Use animation subtly to draw the eye.
Develop a few core templates that you can swap out by day or region.
Use icons and colour to signal urgency - like a countdown for pre‑order deadlines - or warmth for family‑oriented offers.
This is your canvas; treat it as such.
The business case: why DOOH + paid media is the winning combination
There’s a reason industry watchers expect DOOH to grow strongly over the next few years and for programmatic DOOH to account for more than a third of campaigns by 2027.
But numbers only tell part of the story. The true value lies in how DOOH complements your other channels:
Trust and familiarity: in a world of scepticism toward social media, the permanence of an on‑site screen conveys authenticity. People recognise the screens as part of their building’s information system; your ad benefits from that halo.
Attention and recall: people can’t skip a lobby screen like they skip ads online. When consumers see your message repeatedly in a calm environment, they remember it.
Privacy compliance: DOOH relies on location and environmental cues rather than personal data. As privacy rules tighten, this matters.
Cost efficiency: with programmatic buying, you can start small and scale what works. You avoid paying for impressions that don’t deliver; instead, you invest in dwell‑time environments where the odds of conversion are higher.
Near the end of the campaign, numbers can reinforce your case.
Wrapping up: moving from noise to nuance
As the cost‑of‑living crisis stretches into another Christmas, brands must speak to consumers with empathy and intelligence.
Generic noise will be tuned out.
The winners will be those who understand the rhythms of daily life - who meet people in their homes and workplaces, who recognise the difference between a Monday commute and a Friday night and who marry creativity with timing.
Indoor DOOH is not a panacea, but it is a uniquely powerful tool when integrated thoughtfully into your media mix.
It offers trust without intrusion, attention without annoyance and flexibility without waste.
It’s the perfect complement to paid media during a season when budgets are scrutinised but the desire to connect is as strong as ever.
If there’s one takeaway for brand leaders and agencies, it’s this: get local.
Your audience is at home, at work, in their lifts and foyers.
Speak to them there.
Amplify the message online.
And above all, remember that value isn’t just about price - it’s about meaning.
This Christmas, let your advertising reflect that.
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