|
Background
The outdoor advertising industry continues to hold up against all other traditional media channels in the face of the economic recession and, unlike its rivals, is embracing technology as an opportunity for growth, rather than a threat to its market share. While the newspapers’ online equivalents cannibalise their print editions, digital out-of-home (DOOH) enhances the existing traditional poster formats, since they work together, rather than against one another. CBS Outdoor is just finalising its landmark £72m transformation of the London advertising estate, including the installation of 2000 digital screens, some of which are the equivalent of 14ft TV screens located opposite Tube platforms. Westfield London has also been equipped with 110 bespoke, 57-inch LCD screens housed within stylish interior designed pods, designed to work with the retail environment and capitalise of the high dwell time of the shoppers, many of whom are unwilling shopping partners eager for an engaging distraction.
Consumers are spending more and more time out of their homes. As in-home media fragment, there are immense opportunities to engage consumers in the so called 3rd space – that in between time when consumers are travelling to and from work or out-of-home during their leisure time. With technological advances in DOOH and the increase in marketing opportunities presented by smartphones, media owners such as CBS Outdoor and digital creative agencies are leading the way in introducing innovative and engaging advertising platforms to provide advertisers with opportunities to make their brands more interactive.
With this in mind, CBS Outdoor wanted to utilise the vast potential of its 57” LCD screens for consumer interaction, and so briefed Clusta to create an interactive for their screen which would work with the consumer’s mobile handset.
Launch
Unveiled as a pilot at the Media Playground conference in June, the platform works with CBS Outdoor’s 57" LCD screens, which are located throughout the London Underground network and the luxury shopping complex Westfield in West London . The LCD screens featured a training shoe as the object consumers were able to interact with in order to demonstrate campaign possibilities to potential advertisers.
Clusta’s new Application Programming Interface (API) offers allow passers-by the chance to connect their iPhones (or smartphones) via 3G or WiFi and, in doing so, interact with the contents or objects displayed. By swiping in either direction on the phone’s touch screen, the user can make the object represented on the display spin to the left or right. Also, by using the ‘pinch’ and ‘stretch’ finger gestures (inherent to the iPhone), the user is able to zoom in or out of the object displayed on the screen and change the colour of the item. Many more interactions are possible with this technology.
Opportunities
The ability to directly interact with advertising is now no longer constrained to science fiction. This groundbreaking interaction ushers in a new world of opportunities available to advertisers to engage with consumers in a captivating and innovative manner. At a location like Westfiled London which has huge numbers of affluent consumers in a ready-to-purchase mindset and a proximity environment with average dwell times of two to three hours, the opportunities for brand to use this technology to interact with consumers are immensely powerful.
The flexibility of the API allows it to be adapted for multiple digital touch points, resulting in huge implications for marketers to embrace this emerging technology. There is also capability for the technology to be developed for other smart phones and also include SMS interactivity to receive more information about the product. So for example, the "Text: 64444” for exclusive discounts" can also displayed for consumers to gain instant access to exclusive discounts
Example application 1: Trainer
The user can view the shoe in a similar manner to the demo produced for the Media Playground event. The advert will provide them with technical information about the shoe, key features, colours etc. They can then reserve the shoe in their chosen size / colour in whichever participating store is advertising.
Example application 2: Video Game
The user can control a liner video. There are several predetermined outcomes. The user is then encouraged to select their own story thread. By playing the game to user is given access to a discount code (a ref no. or QR code) which can be redeemed in-store.
Example application 3: iPhone
The digital billboard features a 360 animation of the new 3GS iPhone. They can view it in different colours as well as view the key features within the display. They can then reserve or purchase the product via the phone and collect in store when ready. They would be given a receipt or code to collect the item with.
Example application 4: Car
The user can use the iPhone to drive a new car around the display with the up, down, left, right functions. Furthermore, a simple configuration could be devised for the user to choose their favourite exterior colour, interior trim, model spec, wheels etc – perfect for campaigns advertising increasingly customised cars such as the new Fiat 500.
So, for the consumer, they will be able to engage with a brand in ways never before possible.
Response
The response from digital marketers and advertisers has been phenomenal. This revolutionary platform showcases the huge potential that exists for digital outdoor to use emerging technologies to captivate consumers in unique environments.
|