In a recent campaign, Turo used programmatic digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising to challenge traditional car rental habits in Toronto, Ont., and Montreal, Que., increasing brand awareness by 36 per cent in both markets.

Turo, a peer-to-peer car-sharing platform, partnered with Vistar Media and Media Experts on a DOOH campaign designed to position the service as an alternative to conventional car rental companies.

Built around the message “Rent a car, not a rental car,” the campaign appeared across transit, billboards, residential areas, casual dining locations, airports, and airport lounges, reaching consumers in different stages of their journeys.

The campaign also used point-of-interest targeting to reach audiences within 1-5 km (0.6-3.1 miles) of competing rental locations. Datonics used audience targeting to help identify consumers showing signals of rental intent, allowing Turo to reach potential customers as they considered their transportation options.

According to a brand lift study, the campaign increased brand awareness by:

• 36 per cent in both Toronto and Montreal
• In Toronto, consideration rose by 45 per cent and purchase intent by 70 per cent
• In Montreal, consideration increased by 21 per cent, while purchase intent rose by 17 per cent

The results suggest that combining location-based advertising with audience targeting can help alternative transportation services compete for consumer attention in a category dominated by established rental brands.

Turo’s campaign demonstrates how DOOH can do more than build visibility: with strategic placement and audience targeting, it can put brands in front of consumers at key decision-making moments and help influence what they consider next.