Working Partner: Adrian Keet, IDOOH
Adrian Keet’s interest in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analytics predate their entrance into the mainstream, landing him in the enterprise software industry in the early 2000s. After over a decade of consulting on and delivering technological solutions to a global client base, he turned his facility for AI and predictive analytics to the Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising space, and started IDOOH.
IDOOH (pronounced “I do”) aims to enhance the commute experience of a self-selecting demographic – “tech-savvy movers and shakers” – with relevant information, offers, and entertainment. They’re doing this by installing interactive screens in private hire vehicles – those booked via ride booking apps – to deliver journey information and curated content that dynamically adapts to location, time of day, and even weather conditions.
“We’re the bridge for content owners and advertisers to connect with an interesting target audience, so our focus has to be on quality, relevance, and context,” Adrian, who also serves as IDOOH’s CEO, says. Here, we learn more about the new demands of content and the future of advertising.
How did IDOOH and its name come about?
The name IDOOH was the result of a playful exchange of ideas for a name that’s easy to remember and that has a positive, action-oriented sound. The “I” also brings to mind many qualities we want to be associated with, like intelligence, innovation, interaction, intimacy, and insight.
My brother James and I co-founded IDOOH because we had a different view of what the future of advertising could look like. We assembled a dream team from diverse backgrounds, including magazine publishing, print and digital OOH advertising, content production, big data, and hyper-targeted consumer profiling software. Drawing upon our team’s experience and knowledge, we felt that there was plenty of room for innovation in terms of how advertisers deliver content to audiences.
So what is IDOOH addressing differently from traditional advertising and content marketing?
There’s no shortage of beautifully created content, but the gap we see is in how the format and delivery of this content is then adapted to suit the needs and interests of the consumer.
We live in a multi-screen reality, which is not to say it’s a choice of one digital screen over another, but rather ensuring the appropriate purpose is served by each. IDOOH screens are larger than those of smartphones, allowing the viewer to enjoy a more immersive content experience. They’re also more context-aware, able to deliver relevant content during the commute based on geo-location, time of day, and even the weather.
We’ve been very encouraged by studies in the last couple of years. A report commissioned by Google in 2014, for example, showed that four in five consumers want ads customised to their immediate surroundings. Such insights add to some of our guiding principles.
How do you see the sphere of content developing, especially in tandem with technology?
The purpose of the message within the viewer’s context or environment increasingly has to be considered during the process of content development. We are simply no longer able to assume that the same piece of content can be applied across multiple platforms and scenarios.
