Digital out of home (DOOH) advertising is evolving rapidly, and within the medical sector, its impact is becoming increasingly evident.
With more than 150 medical locations across New Zealand – including GP clinics, blood labs and pharmacies – Giggle’s medical network is proving to be an essential tool for organisations looking to engage with highly relevant audiences.
The power of dwell time in medical environments
Waiting at a medical centre isn’t anyone’s idea of fun. You’ve flipped through outdated magazines, scrolled on your phone and stared at the walls.
What if that waiting time could be transformed into something informative, engaging, even entertaining? That’s where DOOH steps in, turning idle moments into opportunities for connections.
Unlike other high-traffic environments where audiences are transient, medical waiting rooms provide a captive audience with an extended engagement window. This unique aspect allows advertisers to deliver more impactful messages, fostering better recall and response rates.
Expanding the reach with Awanui Labs
In partnership with Awanui Labs, Giggle has expanded its reach, placing screens in more than 50 locations across Auckland.
Wellington and Canterbury add another 20 sites, contributing to a network that sees significant daily footfall.
Auckland alone experiences more than 9,000 visitors per day, with people in a health-conscious mindset, primed to absorb messages about well-being, lifestyle and preventative care.
A platform for public awareness and behavioural change
Medical DOOH isn’t just about selling products, it’s about creating awareness, driving positive behaviour change, and, in some cases, even saving lives.
Many organisations have already leveraged this network to drive impactful campaigns:
- Breastfeeding NZ used medical locations to reach breastfeeding mums and their whānau, ensuring their message was delivered in an environment where it was most relevant.
- Bowel Cancer NZ raised awareness during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, encouraging early detection and proactive healthcare measures.
- Motion Sickness and the Herpes Foundation integrated Giggle’s medical screens into their campaign to help reduce the stigma surrounding herpes, delivering educational content in a trusted healthcare setting.
Whether it’s reminding someone to book their next health check-up or providing critical information about a condition they might not have otherwise considered, DOOH in medical spaces is a force for good.
Bargain Chemist: a case study in effective communication
One of the most successful recent campaigns in this space has been Bargain Chemist’s initiative to ensure Kiwis remain informed about free prescriptions.
When the government removed prescription funding for all New Zealanders in June, Bargain Chemist wanted to reassure the public that their stores still offered free prescriptions.
Anna van der Loo, head of marketing at Bargain Chemist, explains why medical waiting rooms are the perfect channel for this message: “From the start, Bargain Chemist has always offered their customers free prescriptions.
“When the government removed the funding for all Kiwis back in June, Bargain Chemist wanted to ensure they could communicate that free prescriptions were still available in our stores back to the community.
“Medical waiting rooms were the perfect target audience, with a high proportion of those waiting also going on to need prescriptions. With the cost-of-living crisis affecting a lot of NZ families, making sure people knew getting Free Prescriptions was still an option allowed their dollars to go further,” van der Loo adds.
This campaign exemplifies the power of targeted messaging in medical locations. By reaching the right people at the right time, DOOH advertise, informs, reassures and provides solutions that matter.
Looking ahead: the future of DOOH in medical networks
As digital advertising continues to shift towards contextually relevant, high-engagement environments, medical networks stand out as a powerful channel for targeted messaging.
The world is moving away from intrusive, clickbait-driven ads and toward content that serves a purpose.
Giggle’s expansion in the medical sector is a testament to the increasing demand for strategic, high-impact advertising. With a network that spans the country, from Kerikeri to Invercargill, this is both an opportunity for advertisers and a shift in how we think about audience engagement in the digital age.
Whether it’s connecting with new parents, supporting public health initiatives, or engaging everyday Kiwis, medical DOOH is an invaluable player in the future of advertising.
Next time you’re in a waiting room and glance up at a screen, take a moment to appreciate how powerful those interactions can be. You never know, you might just walk away with a life-changing piece of information.
