Ambient Media And Traditional Out-Of-Home Media Advertising
Ambient media refers to any non-traditional out-of-home media. Regardless of what you call it, ambient media is specifically designed to reach consumers when they are most vulnerable…close to the point of purchase. Out-of–home media advertising is virtually any advertising that reaches consumers outside of the home. Out-of-home advertising is generally used to promote local businesses and their products within a region or specific geographic area. Although it includes numerous types of displays such as highway and street billboards, bus stop benches, public safety announcements, and mobile ads. It is all centered on communicating a message to the public and potential consumers. This article explains what traditional out-of-home and ambient media are and how they are used collectively to successfully reach target audiences.
The use of ambient media has been growing rapidly. It provides a unique strategy pertaining to delivering advertising messages to the target audience wherever they may be. No audience can be considered to be a totally captive audience. A potential consumer always reserves the right to choose if they want to receive the advertisers message. Ambient media is very close or in the immediate environment of the potential consumer. Traditional out-of-home media is more remote and usually requires more attention from the audience.
Since ambient media is so “hot” and does quite well on its own, should it become the sole media source for an advertising campaign? Nothing is ever that hot that it can work for the long-term in a vacuum. A successful ad campaign needs synergy, which can only be created by using the right communication mix, with the proper media format that sends a powerful and effective message.
Sports stadiums and event arenas are popular venues where advertisers combine ambient media and traditional out-of home media to reach target audiences. Advertisers buy traditional arena sized billboard space within the venue, in addition to having their ambient media message displayed with their logo imprinted on the snack/beverage packs the roving vendor carriers use.
Another innovative use of traditional out-of-home and ambient media advertising is for local businesses to advertise on billboards along major highways within a specified area then strategically enhance the ad campaign by using ambient media advertising and having their message imprinted on dry cleaning bags, hangers and paper covers of dry cleaning stores within the same-targeted area.
Shopping carts and shopping cart returns are other great locations to collectively use ambient media and traditional out-of-home advertising to reach target audiences. Again, billboards and local signage are used in an urban or suburban area. Ambient media is used by taking the ad, or a revised version of it and putting in on the roof of supermarket returns so anyone driving in or near the parking lot can see it. Also, placing the same ad on the handles or the movable safety flaps on the cart so it is in your face the whole time you’re shopping.
Ambient media and traditional out-of –home media advertising have each proved to produce successful ad campaigns on their own. And in some situations it may be best to just use one form of media to reach the intended target audience. But advertising is seldom that cut and dry. More often than not it falls into the murky gray area. A combination mix of the right media methods is often the difference between an ad campaign that soars versus a campaign that is a disappointing flop.
Using traditional out-of-home and ambient media advertising together is a combination that more likely will produce desired results. Target audiences are comfortable receiving the traditional media message because that’s what they are accustomed to. Ambient media is not only seen, but is subliminally being heard. For example, when you constantly see the snack vender then decide to buy popcorn at the game, when you hang your shirts in the closet and as you push your cart around the store. The written messages are being absorbed and processed whether or not you are consciously receptive to them. Ambient media along with traditional out-of-home media provides a powerful format to produce a successful advertising campaign.
