NewsLine Column: The Secrets Behind Selecting Ambient
Ambient media is now worth in excess of £100 million and with an increasing number of options available within the sector, Rick Weir, marketing director of Hi-Tech Solutions, explains why advertisers need look no further than washroom media.
The ambient media market place is huge. According to Concord, it’s worth over £100m and there are in excess of 500 different media owners jostling for the attention of advertisers. Discovering the factors that influence the decision of these advertisers would be extremely valuable asset for media owners not just in ambient or outdoor but for media owners across the board.
Just imagine if you knew exactly what advertisers required in order to buy your product as well as their order of importance. We at Hi-Tech Solutions commissioned a study in August 2002 from Vivid Research to find out exactly that. Interestingly, price hardly enters the equation. This research, from the UK’s top 50 media agencies, provides a valuable insight into the actual factors considered important when selecting this media – an insight that is transferable across all other media.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the most influential factor was suitability with 28% of those researched naming it as the most important factor. On the whole washroom media provides a simple channel of communication to a social group. Whereas pizza boxes target a film-watching audience, sports stadiums reach sports fans and retail changing rooms hit a fashion conscious audience, washroom posters reach them all. Pubs and bars are the last true junction where advertising meets 18-35s being socially active. Whether watching a big game, popping in while shopping, after work or out on the town on a Saturday night, virtually every young person goes to the pub. So advertisers with products consumed by 18-35s need look no further for a suitable medium.
Prior to the growth of washroom media the only way of targeting socially active 18-35 year olds out of home was with traditional billboards. Don’t get me wrong, billboards are quite rightly touted as the last broadcast medium, but since opportunities to advertise in locations such as pubs, bars and clubs appeared, outdoor has also become a narrowcast medium.
Washroom posters are as tightly targeted as you can get – which was the third highest concern of media agencies with 16% – and because of the long dwell time and the fact that the audience is over 18 the copy can be a bit fruity, impact is easy to achieve – which was considered the second most important factor with 24% of the votes.
Being an outdoor media contractor, delivering what the client books is an elementary requirement. In addition to this is proving what’s been booked actually has been booked – accountability.
Accountability was discovered to be the fourth most important factor when selecting ambient media. The real difference which elevates us from the rest of outdoor – even the big media owners – is our proof of posting. By scanning a bar code on our panels and posters which is then downloaded to the internet which the client can access, the client knows in real time whether a poster has been posted or not.
It appears that if you can prove that your medium is suitable for a product, if it is impactful enough be noticed and if the audience can be tightly targeted, you’re onto a winner. Although still necessary, other factors such as quality, coverage and value are only considered important by 2-3% of people in media agencies.
Now you know the factors needed to get the attention of advertisers and their agencies all you have to do is find another one that fits the bill!
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