[26 June 2020] At what stage will ‘the new normal’ just be known as ‘life’? We’ve already discussed how it takes 60 days to create a habit, and here we are, almost 100 days from the start of the restrictions in NI. Things are largely back to normal now, and yesterday’s announcement [25/6/20] delivered indicative dates for many of the remaining industries, including gyms, cinemas and libraries, to reopen with 1m social distancing.
We’ve seen a bit more normality on Out of Home too, with lots of brands delivering messages which are more on-brand. This is something we strongly encourage. Not only is it damaging for brands to go dark and cut all advertising, but throughout lockdown research highlighted a desire to see ‘normal’ advertising.
Relevant content in the moment
What is generally agreed that it’s important to deliver ad content that is relevant to audiences at that particular moment. Not only does it increase positive brand sentiment, but it increases recall and awareness. The relevance can come from a location specific creative, or a time of day/day of week message, but really the opportunities for Dynamic content are vast.
Posterscope, Clear Channel and JCDecaux undertook some groundbreaking research earlier this year into Dynamic Out of Home and why brands should use it and the results are impressive with increased metrics across the board. With the large network of Digital OOH screens across Northern Ireland, and a rapidly changing news environment, Dynamic offers brands the chance to better engage with their audiences in a hyper-localised way. The Marketing Institute of Ireland is facilitating the launch of this whitepaper, called The Moments of Truth on 7th June from 10-11am via Zoom. Registration for the free webinar is here.
Creating an Effective Media Mix
As part of our Group iQ research we asked a panel of 300 Dublin respondents, how effective or ineffective advertising platforms will be in gaining their attention in the next few months.
OOH rated highly in terms of effectiveness with over half of respondents stating it will be successful in capturing their attention in the next few months. The medium outperforms the majority of traditional media platforms and on par with website advertising.
Delving into the demographics, OOH’s highest effectiveness levels are among 16-34 year olds, AB adults and females aged 25-34, reaching a high of 68%. This echoes research that points to OOH’s effectiveness in reaching younger demographics. According to a global study by Kantar Millward Brown, OOH is the #1 preferred ad format among Millennials and Gen Z.
At present, retail is an important environment for audiences and advertisers and will remain so in the near. As brands look to connect with audiences in this space, OOH will be successful in securing the majority of the main shoppers’ attention.
TV and Social Media ads measure slightly higher than other media in terms of effectiveness. However, OOH is a natural fit to accompany other media, being uniquely placed to act as a complementary and supporting media.
Boosting the business effects of other channels, OOH is proven to amplify messaging and content through a strong synergy with traditional and non-traditional media.
What consumers want from advertising
Another aspect of the research looked at the nature of advertising and different themes that are perceived as desirable to audiences.
The research shows ads that are entertaining and place a smile on peoples’ faces are the most preferred for all adults. 77% of adults want to see ads that entertain with females more likely to favour an entertaining themed ad (84% v 69%).
Three- quarters of the respondents cited ads that focus on the qualities of the product/services is their second most preferred type of advertisement. Older age groups (45-54) favoured this theme most at 79%.
A focus on the price and value of the product/service followed with 71% stating it was a topic they would like to see in advertisement. Males were 10% more likely than females to favour this advertisement subject.
Surprisingly perhaps, Covid-19 related ads and ads that indirectly relate to Covid-19 rate the lowest in terms of desirability.
As we begin to return to normal life, it is vital for advertisers to get re-engaged with consumers. Concluding from the research, consumers may be moving beyond Covid-19 related ads to seeking more regular brand messaging.
A focus on creativity and ad content is imperative more now than ever and tailored engagement strategies will be critical when it comes to engaging today’s consumer.
