Covid Affected all areas of life, including advertising. Brands and Advertising crumbled in the market, especially OOH channels. What happens to outdoor media when people are no longer outdoors? It was a standstill moment in history that we didn’t prepare for, yet we as species have a way of rising to the challenges and finding ways to move forward. It is precisely what OOH advertisers did as well. They realized that if the people were not outdoors, they must take the messages to where they were. That is where the success of Mobile Advertising kicks in. Thus, in a situation where OOH would have completely shut down, a single OOH channel proved a flexible medium to reach the audience even when they were locked inside. Mobile Advertising is one of the oldest forms of advertising. Not only has it stood the test of time, but it is a tried and true method to fall back into during challenging situations.
Picutre Source – WARC
What sets mobile advertising apart from the rest of the category is its ability to connect with the market and people in meaningful ways. Community engagement has always been high in mobile advertising. They can access residential neighbourhoods; the drivers often talk to locals and answer questions. In addition, Mobile Advertising has created opportunities for outdoor advertisers. The pandemic was a ripe opportunity to redefine community engagement in advertising, and OOH advertisers benefitted from that.
InMotion, an award-winning mobile billboard and advertising company, found its success during the pandemic. They used the opportunities creatively to garner seven-to-eight-figure revenues per year consistently. The company says mobile billboards are the critical factor in its growth and finds the traditional billboard inventory limited. Traditional billboards are one-sided; they are stationary, expensive, restricted by city ordinances and reduced to locations allowed for billboards. People generally pay more attention to things that are in motion.
As per a study conducted by Business Wire in July 2020, the increasing use of LED mobile billboards is one of the key factors driving the Mobile Advertising market. The soar in home deliveries is another critical factor. People relied on online shopping even for their day-to-day basics during the pandemic. Everything was delivered to the doorstep, from groceries to luxury items. These delivery trucks were effectively used to communicate brand messages. These mobile billboards that circulated in residential neighbourhoods increased brand reach.
Truck Advertisers have always been the backbone of the Mobile Advertising industry. They drive your message across places and answer consumer doubts and questions in real-time and thus help in bringing together brands and consumers. For example, truck drivers played a pivotal role during the pandemic. They made sure the supplies were stocked and delivered promptly. They and the first responders ensured we were safe and had everything we needed. Communities across the world acknowledged their efforts. People showed gratitude by donating and hosting programs like a hot meal for truckers in NB, Canada. Mobile Advertising allows these drivers to make additional income. Brands carry out Ads and campaigns for at least a few months, and drivers can benefit from the security of these long durations.
Marketers can also get creative with their trucks. 3D and LED billboards can make your ads more exciting. Making an experiential event using a mobile truck is an excellent way to make your brand compelling and attractive. Especially at a time when people are starved for experiences, brands that incorporate experiential strategies can come off as exciting and appealing. Using the mobile advertising truck as a brand food truck or tradeshow is a surefire way to improve brand engagement. Especially food-trucks are an easy and Covid-safe way of interacting with consumers. Everyone loves food, and food-truck creates an opportunity to engage with the market or get them to try your new product. It is also a cost-efficient way when compared to creating or producing big experiential gigs.
Picture Source – ModernTortia
Raising COVID Awareness
Picture Source – Google Images
‘Covid Ads’ are the biggest advertisement success in advertising history. The message had to be spread quickly, and marketers used every advertising medium to get it done. Truckside advertisements played a pivotal role in raising Covid awareness. Governments had to find a cost-efficient yet effective medium to spread awareness, and local and regional governments worldwide leaned on Mobile Advertising. Not just Govt and hospital but even brands and agencies used their platforms for free to spread awareness. For example, Ford did a ‘Share the Road’ campaign in 2020 to help people with safe, socially-distanced alternative journeys. The campaign included guides for cleaning and sanitizing your vehicle, maintaining social distance on roads etc. Covid messages that were urgent and location-specific were communicated through truck ads. For example, Biomat USA used Mobile Billboards to outreach plasma donors from Texas communities.
Covid was one of those opportunities that helped Mobile Advertisers to serve and connect with their community. During the pandemic, the trucks were used as pop-up stores providing sanitizers, masks, and groceries. In suburban neighbourhoods, mobile billboard advertising was integral in increasing vaccination rates. The multifunctionality of truck advertising is one of its greatest advantages.
A Medium For The People
TV and social might not be affordable for small businesses and start-ups, but truck advertising is. It is one of the most cost-efficient mediums out there. Another notable benefit of mobile trucks is that it lets you convey the message you want. Socials and TV have a lot of restrictions and protocols in place. They can even take off your advertisement or message anytime they deem fit. But mobile trucks are grounded and flexible.
When times are tough, and people are confined to their homes, they need an effective medium to reach the authorities. While social media may come off as an easy way to do this, the chances are high that a tweet or mail will be lost in the avalanche of online clutter. The medium has to be chosen strategically to ensure that the messages get to the decision-makers. Mobile Advertising can do this. You can take the automobile outside the offices or events where the authorities are present and ensure your messages are heard.
For example, during the pandemic Canadian Govt increased the price of internet. With work-from-home and zoom classes, citizens heavily relied on the internet to continue their lives. OpenMedia in Ottawa decided to address the issue by launching a Mobile Advertising truckside campaign circulating parliament. It demanded to know why the government hasn’t taken any steps to make the Internet affordable and available for the community. The medium used was truck-side advertising because it was the only medium that could reach the decision-makers. A politician or minister is unlikely to spend time on social media or TV. They have team members to look into these aspects. They are busy, and one location where you can’t miss out on them is the parliament. The case study shows how Mobile Truck Advertising is a formidable medium. With the right strategy and creativity, it is a powerful way of reaching the target, and as a grassroot medium, it will always be a medium for the people.
Picture Source – OpenMedia
Big Brands, Too, Embrace Truck Ads
Now being an effective medium for small businesses and community messaging doesn’t mean it isn’t for big brands. Big brands like Coca-Cola create truck ads called ‘Christmas Caravans’ every Christmas as an exciting way to reach customers. When an international brand is headquartered abroad, local competitors can take the opportunity to get closer to the consumer. Likewise, big brands can use Mobile Advertising to get closer to their customers.
Picture Source – Coco-Cola
We at Movia partnered with Shoppers Drug Mart and their agency Denstu to launch a truck-side advertising campaign in Calgary and Edmonton. Shoppers Drug Mart wanted to inform the public about their new food section. We used five truck-side ads to carry the message to relevant locations. Whether they were commuting, running errands or at home, we successfully delivered the news over the five-week campaign course.
We utilized our patented beacon technology to measure real-time impressions and mobile device retargeting to increase effectiveness. The ads could also be seen in front of competing stores, like London Drugs and Walmart, giving potential customers a good reason to choose Shoppers for their next trip. Moreover, with a large percentage of the population staying at home due to the pandemic, Movia’s hyper-targeted truck-side ads made it easy to target residential areas that were otherwise difficult to reach.
We achieved a successful campaign by garnering 10 million impressions, most of which were delivered when consumers decided where to shop. Together, Shoppers Drug Mart and Movia found an effective way to reach their consumers and deliver the messages during a challenging time to reach consumers.
Mobile Advertising In The Post-Pandemic World
A study conducted by OneScreen.ai found that seventy-seven percent of people are now noticing their physical surroundings more than before the pandemic. Seventy percent said they are noticing OOH ads on road trips. In addition, people have a newfound appreciation for being outdoors. Fifty-two percent want to reduce personal screen time, be on a digital detox and do more outdoor activities.
Another 2021 study says that eighty percent of survey respondents made a purchase after seeing an OOH ad, and seventy-seven percent said they frequently learn about new brands and services via OOH ads. The recall rate is high in OOH as well. To be precise, eighty-six percent of survey respondents said they could recall a brand or product name from an OOH ad they saw within the past six months. Eighty percent of the survey respondents said they made a purchase after seeing a post-pandemic outdoor Ad. The survey says that people trust OOH more than other marketing channels because they feel less personally intrusive. In addition, people find OOH trustworthy as it can sidestep significant data privacy and security fears.
Yet the IRL mobility index is further below the pre-pandemic benchmark. Employees find work-from-home (the donut-problem) convenient as it gives them more time to spend with their families. Most colleges and schools have the technology to offer online, offline or hybrid classes. This flexibility in class delivery mode leaves students with more time. Even interviews, pitches and business meetings have taken to the virtual world. Being physically present is no longer mandatory. This is the ‘new normal,’ and it is why brands and agencies are still reluctant to embrace more of OOH into their campaign. Yet mobile advertising, especially truckside Ads, can solve the issue by locating the market and accessing residential neighbourhoods. Adding technologies like GPS trackers, as we do in media, makes the medium further effective. The technology adds to media credibility and assures brands and agencies that their Ads are seen.
Conclusion:
The pandemic brought the entire global market to a standstill. Every economy and industry faced a backlash. It was one of the moments in world history when we realized how free we were. As people and brands struggle to cope with the ‘new normal,’ marketers should try and help people take time off from their screens and incorporate more outdoor campaigns to make the streets exciting, especially with the help of truck-side advertising.
