August 2009 Newsletter

Feature Story

Out-of-Home's Can-Do Attitude

Article by: Kim Ramser, DOmedia Business Development & Industry Relations

Looking around, it’s almost hard to tell the out-of-home advertising industry is in a recession. Yes, numbers are down and vacancies are up. However, this industry continues to prove itself as the creativity and innovation hub of the advertising world! Industry associations, companies and suppliers are still moving forward with research, technology, new products and creative execution.

Research

Due to the high fragmentation of out-of-home, industry members have always battled the issue of standard audience measurement ratings. Recently, after many years of research, the Traffic Audit Bureau (TAB) released its first version of EYES ON data for review in 200+ markets. At last, the industry has reliable numbers for traditional billboards and bus shelters. EYES ON will provide a basis for differentiating media based on demographic criteria. After five years of hard work, nearly 500,000 billboards have been audited—no small feat, but a huge step in the right direction for OOH!

Technology

One major factor contributing to the growth of the OOH industry is continued technological advances. The introduction of digital capabilities in recent years provides advertisers with the ability to target the out-of-home audience like never before. The medium that has always been used to reach the masses now has the power to narrowcast and communicate more intimately with the consumer. New creative technologies such as Bluetooth, motion sensoring and touch screens give ads a way to engage consumers by providing an interactive, entertaining medium.

Considering the fragmentation of the industry, DOmedia has been making its own technological developments. For instance, DO is developing a planning and buying tool to help agencies execute traditional, alternative and digital out-of-home plans based on demographic and psychographic data. The first of its kind, this tool is designed to help media buyers put together an out-of-home campaign quickly and easily without the frustration of increased industry fragmentation.

New Products

Of course there are many new digital products making their way into media plans, but let’s not forget some of the new low-tech products finding their place in today’s advertising plans.
Targeting your consumer in the deli or grocery store is easy with deli wraps. Brandwich and Continental Airlines just had a campaign that offered free chips with the consumer’s sandwich. Toyota just implemented a green campaign using GreenRoad Media, the company who uses flowers and plants to get a brand’s message to the consumer. What better way to tout your green products than by using green products?

Awe-Inspiring Creativity

JCDecaux NA just “wrapped up” (no pun intended) a wrapped bus shelter campaign in Chicago for the Field Museum’s pirate exhibit. In addition to wrapping the shelter, they plopped down a life-sized pirate inside the shelter, causing quite a lot of attention.

For the University of Kentucky, Lamar and CBS Outdoor incorporated a low-frequency radio station into their creative strategy. When consumers passed the traditional billboards carrying the radio station, Kentucky football cheerleaders could be heard cheering their team on to victory!

In another example, Pepsi implemented a campaign using Bluetooth-enabled posters at 120 bus shelters in six cities. Consumers could interact with the posters by downloading music while waiting for a bus. The plan also included 8,800 traditional billboards in 200 markets that further engaged audiences by inviting them to design a Pepsi can.

Forecast

Since our industry’s innovation isn’t slowing down, one can only imagine how geared up we will be for the revival which—according to PricewaterhouseCoopers—shouldn’t be much longer. They predict that outdoor ad spending will increase by 0.7% next year. They also expect an increase at a compound annual rate of 2.5% through 2013, while radio and newspapers will not have year-to-year growth until 2012.

 

Sources: JCDecauxNA.com, MediaLife.com, USAToday.com

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Creative Corner

You on Tomorrow: Intel Gives Everyday People a Voice

“Wow”, “amazing” and “incredible” were just a few reactions to a recent national advertising campaign designed for Intel Corporation, a world innovator in silicon products designed to deliver great computing experiences.

Inwindow Outdoor, an out-of-home advertising company and leader in storefront marketing, recently launched Intel’s “You on Tomorrow” initiative in six major American cities including San Francisco, Boston, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami. In each city, a prime real estate storefront was transformed into a high-tech storescape providing movement, color and text messaging capabilities. The cool blue storescape, equipped with state-of-the-art electronic networking using 3D LCD screens, invited passing pedestrians to text their “vision of the future” to an Intel phone number. 

The results were more than amazing. This interactive “text-nology” campaign generated countless messages that were broadcast in real time on large-scale digital screens throughout the nation. On the day of the launch, electronic text messages were also beamed onto the Reuters’ billboard in Times Square.

The creative networking genius behind the campaign was a first for Inwindow Outdoor and a knockout success for Intel. Inwindow Outdoor had never before gathered the thoughts of everyday people to be displayed in storefronts across the country. Intel was able to engage consumers using a medium that has defined the company as a world leader in expanding technology boundaries. The integration of user-generated content made for a powerful and compelling campaign, giving consumers a voice heard around the nation.

Sample text messages included:

“In the future, I want flights to space”.

“In the future, I want to be able to speak in any language and have anybody understand what I am saying.”

“In the future, I want a million dollars and all cars to be electric.” “In the future I want an Intel processor in my head."

DOmedia knows the future is now, and it’s exactly these creative campaigns using groundbreaking initiatives like digital technology that make Inwindow Outdoor a major player in the out-of-home media sector. DOmedia celebrates Inwindow Outdoor’s cutting-edge ingenuity and is always excited to promote alternative advertising of this genre.

You can view Inwindow Outdoor’s Intel “You on Tomorrow” campaign by visiting www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7Hg2NG5udk.

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In the DOspotlight

Orange Barrel Media
Landmark Advertising

How often does an advertisement come along that’s so unique and awe-inspiring, it gets nationwide attention at the onset and continues to serve as a conversation piece for years after its been replaced? In other words, an ad with the ultimate “wow factor?” That’s exactly what Orange Barrel Media, the landmark advertising company (located in Columbus, Ohio), strives for with each and every advertising display they create. And the most impressive part: they always succeed, providing exciting and aesthetically pleasing displays communities can be proud of. From a 20,000 square-foot wallscape—to a giant soccer ball protruding from the side of a building—to the largest full-motion LED project in the Midwest, Orange Barrel Media’s advertising displays bring a creative flare to urban areas, creating a buzz and allowing clients to stand out from their competitors . . . literally stand out.
 
In today’s market, it’s easy for an advertisement to get lost in the crowd. To be truly effective, a campaign must demand attention—not only because it’s impossible to miss, but also because consumers actually want to see it. Orange Barrel Media’s displays present consumers with a refreshing alternative to traditional advertising. It’s this difference that makes each campaign so memorable.
 
With displays in Columbus, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., Orange Barrel Media dominates every market they serve.  In Columbus (also home to DOmedia World Headquarters), OBM controls 95% of the non-traditional out-of-home advertising. These aren’t just any displays, though. The 20,000 square-foot wallscape currently located on High Street definitely grabs consumer attention immediately. Part of the Nationwide Insurance “Life Comes at You Fast” campaign, the ad shows huge buckets of bright yellow paint, one of which appears to be spilled down the side of the building and onto the cars and parking lot below. 
 
In Cleveland, OBM will be launching the largest full-motion LED project in the Midwest at Playhouse Square, home to the largest stage between New York and Chicago. In the Los Angeles market, OBM’s Virgin Megastore Brand Experience gives clients the ability to reach some of the most influential consumers in today’s economy. And in Washington, D.C., Gallery Place holds the most dominant out-of-home presence with LED screens, full-motion LCD kiosks and sponsorship opportunities.

To see more advertising opportunities from Orange Barrel Media, click here.

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