Thought Leadership: “Outdoor and Mobile – the possibilities are endless”

Steve Atkinson, group sales director at Clear Channel Outdoor UK, looks at how the world’s oldest medium is harnessing the power of mobile technology…

Outdoor is arguably today’s most powerful advertising medium – it cannot be turned off or tuned out – and enables advertisers to connect with an increasingly mobile, 24-hour society at multiple touch points.

The broadcast power of traditional outdoor, together with the ability of the medium to talk to audiences at the right time, in the right mind-set, remains unchanged. However, the advent of mobile technology has enabled us to offer enhanced accountability and flexibility for clients.

Speaking at the OAA/IPAO Outdoor conference earlier this month (April 2), our CEO Barry Sayer called on the outdoor industry to match Clear Channel’s commitment to delivering proof of posting for clients across all outdoor formats.

Clear Channel’s internal proof of posting system uses mobile technology carried by our field operatives to ensure instant confirmation that the right poster is posted on the right structure – whatever its size, shape or location – at the right time.

Using bespoke software, this WAVe (Wireless Activity Verification) system runs on Nokia N70 mobile phones and allows Clear Channel’s Operations team to scan a unique 2D barcode label, fitted on every poster, to confirm proof of posting. This system also allows the operative to photograph every posted panel and report any damage.

All completed instructions and damage reports are then transmitted via GPRS to Clear Channel Outdoor’s bespoke software management system, which allows us to provide up-to-the minute information regarding posting progress to advertisers and agencies.

While this system was developed to monitor and program our own workflows, it has proved an impeccable policeman in providing peace of mind to advertisers that they are getting what they pay for.

Clear Channel has also launched Interact, a suite of mobile services built around our unique shortcode number, 62266, that allows consumers to opt-in to find out more information about an advertiser, download mobile vouchers for special offers, access mobile websites or find the nearest store, gym, cinema or other desired location.

All of these bespoke services are supported by tracking and data profiling facilities for advertisers, further enhancing the accountability of specific campaigns, and the outdoor medium as a whole.

Advertisers such as KFC, King of Shaves, Army recruitment, Whole Foods Market, Rosemount Wine and Suzuki, have used the service to date – showcasing not only the range of clients appropriate for Interact but also the range of services on offer.

Dewynters, for example, capitalised on the huge success of the Mamma Mia film by running an outdoor campaign which included a call to action for consumers to enter a prize draw and win a week’s holiday on a Greek island. By texting the shortcode number 62266, a Mamma Mia! wapsite could be accessed which included access to the competition, a synopsis of the show, directions to the show, the opportunity to sign up to a newsletter about the show and a downloadable trailer of the musical.

KFC meanwhile was the first company to use the Find my nearest service in its outdoor creative. Consumers were prompted by the creative to text 62266 to find their nearest KFC. Clear Channel Interact then triangulated their locations and searched its database for the nearest KFC branches according to postcode. The address and a map of the most relevant KFC were then sent direct to the consumer.

Suzuki asked consumers whether it was “Time for a Swift Test Drive” or “Time for a Swift Brochure” in its outdoor advertising campaign. Consumers could then text one of four key words if they were interested in a test drive or a brochure – VROOM, REDHOT, FUN and LIFE to Clear Channel Interact’s shortcode number 62266, enabling Suzuki to track responses by area.

While Clear Channel Interact is not exclusive to outdoor – the unique shortcode could appear in any other media as a call to action – mobile technology is the perfect complement to outdoor advertising as it closes the loop by directly linking the consumer, while on the move and in a relevant environment, to the advertiser, initialising two-way communication.

The next step will be for outdoor advertisers to harness advances in mobile such as Near Field Communication (NFC) – a new, short-range wireless connectivity technology used for London’s Oyster card. Products with built-in NFC will dramatically simplify the way consumer devices interact with one another, helping people speed connections, receive and share information and even make fast and secure payments. As NFC can be used with a variety of devices, mobile phones may be used to purchase items directly from an outdoor advertisement or transfer information such as a film trailer or sample album track directly to a handset or MP3 player.

The possibilities are endless, and we look forward to working with our clients and agencies to build on the synergies between mobile and outdoor and make it ever easier for consumers and advertisers to interact.

Media Playground: www.media-playground.co.uk