Interactive outdoor ads may be the key to reaching Australians: JCDecaux

A study by Ipsos in 2009 found that Australians were “overwhelmingly negative about ads and refused to believe they were influenced by them.” The study also found that consumers were annoyed by the ill-considered and inappropriate timing of ads.

Another study in 2010, by Ipsos MediaCT commissioned by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, stated that Australians (57 per cent) were even annoyed by disclosure announcements of sponsorship arrangements during radio shows, even though they felt distrustful of radio shows that attempted to integrate sponsored content into the programme.

“When it comes to advertising, Australians prefer to be allowed to opt in, rather than being bombarded,” commented Steve O’Connor, CEO of JCDecaux Australia in a phone interview with Campaign Asia-Pacific.

This may explain the success of outdoor interactive campaigns in Australia, such as Intel’s Ultrabook Temptations stunt, which had Australians digging on the beach for buried treasure all day.

“Overall, the Australian ad market is in decline, but outdoor is doing relatively well in comparison to the market, it’s one of the few sectors that has grown this year,” said O’Connor.

A study launched today by Magnaglobal and commissioned by JCDecaux found that 50 per cent of Australians agreed that they were likely to use interactive out-of-home technology when presented with the opportunity. As 93 per cent of the metro-based audience surveyed own a smartphone or tablet device, this represents an opportunity for marketers, according to the study.

Without smartphone-toting commuters, VML Australia and George Patterson Y&R’s Mobile Medic campaign for the Australian Defence Force may never have gotten off the ground.  Instead it was a runaway success, clinching four Gold Lions at Cannes.

More recently, Qantas launched an outdoor campaign for its ‘You’re the reason we fly’ brand refresh, which featured the faces of commuters walking by if they had a Qantas app launched on their iPhones.

The study, ‘Project Connectivity’, canvassed more than 1,000 respondents in June, using both quantitative and qualitative survey techniques. It was aimed at providing insight into Australia’s metro consumers and how they were engaging with technology.

The report also found that new technologies and interactive experiences increase the impact on consumers on the move. Nearly nine in 10 of those surveyed claimed to have reacted to outdoor advertising in some way. “Connected device users are being driven to action and the trend is likely to accelerate,” said the study.

Sydney Opera House and JCDecaux are banking on this insight with the launch of interactive social media outdoor screens in Sydney. The campaign ‘Big Moments’ (pictured) invites people to share theri own big moment and memories from the opera house on Facebook and then seamlessly transfers them to three JCDecaux touch screen panels panels at Pitt Street, Martin Place and Circular Quay.

Passersby are able to interact with the screens, and those who aren’t near one can explore the Big Moments campaign anywhere they wish through a mobile site replicating the screens.

 “Audiences are embracing these new platforms and I have no doubt the experience will confer a positive image on the Sydney Opera House brand,” commented O’Connor. We believe that smart integration with social media is critical and this campaign sets new benchmarks for the industry.”