In response to my recent post entitled Advertising Works… Application # 106 - The Great Outdoors filed under Promotion;
I heard from Jonathan Stanley of AudioConexus regarding the changing world of Outdoor Advertising adding a powerful audio component. I was excited about the news he was sharing, I wanted to hear more and I just knew you would feel the same.
I will now hand this post over to Jonathan.
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Titan Worldwide announced recently that it had won the contract to sell advertising for the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), beating CBS Outdoor and other outdoor companies in an agreement that will be worth at least $140 million to BART over the next 10 years.

This announcement clearly illustrates two points:
1. Outdoor advertising continues to generate important revenue for mass-transit operators across the nation and…
2. Advertisers are seeking new and novel media options for their messages.

To address these points, Titan Worldwide and other outdoor advertising companies are providing exciting new advertising venues for mass-transit such as station bulletins with floor graphics, cross-track wallscapes, turnstile wrappers and a network of exciting new digital products.

These new media venues are addressing the demand for more creative and meaningful ways to deliver advertising.

Mass-transit and public advertising have a symbiotic relationship with significant benefits for both parties - transit operators and restless advertisers.

First, rising fuel and maintenance costs continue to present challenges for mass-transit operators. Advertising revenue is central to creating new revenue streams to support sustainable transit as operators face tighter budget constraints while maintaining reasonable public transit rates for the consumer.

Second, a recent report released by the Association of National Advertisers and Forrester Research shows that “traditional television advertising has become less effective in the past two years, according to 62% of marketers, and a majority are trying new ad formats and new video platforms”. The bottom line: more than half of advertisers are looking for new media options.

What does this mean for Outdoor Advertising?

Outdoor advertising will continue to play a significant role in the mass-transit industry. What’s changing are advancements in technology. New media channels for audio and video are being delivered to location-specific destinations.

Global Positioning System (GPS) technology is now being used to deliver Location Based Transit Advertising (LBTA). This new media option provides advertisers with an advertising platform for highly targeted, location-relevant advertising that reaches a captive audience. The LBTA model delivers “the right message to the right people at the right time at the right place”, taking advertising relevance to new level - and to a captive audience.

Advertising is now being delivered as digital audio over Public Address Systems and as promotional video on LCD screens. GPS Audio and Video Systems also present exciting new solutions for accessible mass-transit. For example, mass-transit operators utilizing GPS systems are providing accessible transit for the visually and hearing impaired by delivering GPS triggered “next stop” announcements and messages.

So with GPS advertising moving into mobile markets, how will this new media channel address consumer relevance and add more value to passengers’ experiences?

Location-specific audio and video messages provide a variety of ancillary benefits for passengers. Community events, municipal announcements (such as new environmental, youth, and fitness and wellness programs), local fundraising and local awareness initiatives are a few of the messages that can be delivered around specific Points of Interest. As a result, the perception of “location based advertising” is changing and it’s not limited to text and video ads on mobile phones.

GPS and geography are providing new tools where location becomes an advertiser’s asset. For example, local businesses and non-profit organizations can deliver location relevant ads as buses approach their physical locations. Community festivals and event announcements reach local passengers and visitors to the destination.

In destinations that cater to more than one language-specific market, the technology removes language barriers for passengers. With the changing landscape of outdoor advertising, what’s clear is that new technology will continue to provide valuable new media options for advertisers.

In 2008, more than 50% of advertisers said that with the advent of Digital Video Recorders (DVRs), they will cut spending on TV advertising by 12%. As TV advertising continues to lose market share, location based advertising platforms are creating new opportunities for transportation’s Points of Interest - new revenue streams and value added services for passengers!

Enjoy the following sample audio clip that demonstrates Location-Based Transit Advertising delivering a targeted message to a specific transit vehicle as it reaches its destination using GPS: Location Based Audio Advertising
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Larry’s Note: As entrepreneurs and business owners we have a responsibility to make sure that we are aware of upcoming opportunities and changes not just in our own industry but in the services & resources that we can use to grow our business and make it more efficient and successful.