Brands have caught onto this rapid increase in transport to take advantage and use this platform for clever and effective, highly visible advertising campaigns, adding a form of digitisation to go one step further.
“Traditional metered cab branding has been hugely successful,” comments Warren Weiner, founder and director of New Wave Outdoor Media (NWOM). Last year, Groupon used a clear call to action inside and outside the metered cabs for commuters to download their mobile app. Whether they were at a bus stop or sitting in a coffee shop or walking to and from work and office meetings, they successfully engaged with consumers who were influenced through the clever design to do just as required – download the app.”
OOH executive at KFC Dudu Cindi says, “I am personally a firm believer in cohesive multi-channel marketing campaigns and in particular the versatility of the OOH media space. The thinking behind this specific campaign was for product awareness and education. The cabs were a perfect platform for this campaign as we could do a reach and awareness job with a fully wrapped metered cab that allowed the message to break through the clutter as well as track ROI with the added benefits by including free Wi-Fi inside the metered cabs.”
Would they use these branded vehicles again? “Certainly, but with more innovation; i.e. 3D moulds. OOH has no fast forward, pause or off button, it’s always on,” she adds.
With the commuter time average in South Africa, 35-59 minutes, the implementation of digital out of home (DOOH) has given rise to more opportunities for branding of metered cabs, not only on the outside, but inside as well.
NWOM has implemented digital screens inside taxis to capture the attention of commuters.
Nestlé Aero had the same approach, however took things to the next level by incorporating a strong sampling activation to accompany their 3D rooftop innovation. Yodi Klaasen from Nestlé says, “The aim for this OOH campaign was to delight the consumer with the unexpected through leveraging the wacky Aero Bubble bar.”
Nestlé Aero's goal was to drive overall brand awareness while also increasing engagement with the brand by incorporating their social media platforms to drive awareness of the new Nestlé Aero chocolate. “Consumers were introduced to the new adverts and other promotional material via a video screen within the cab, then encouraged to create their own content while in or next to the branded cab (selfie, video, etc.) and post it on Facebook and Instagram or tweet it with the hashtag #Aeroletgo. Each passenger received a complimentary slab of Nestlé Aero from their cab driver, whether they entered or not, as an additional sampling drive. We sampled over 1,000 passengers during the duration of the campaign. Nestlé Aero gained over 7,000 more followers in the first 6 weeks (passengers and non-passengers) with just 8 cabs in Johannesburg and Cape Town.”
Another example of internal branding was the recent activation by Rimmel London for SA Fashion Week, which saw the brand embroided on the passengers' seats.
The three-month campaign was initiated to bring OOH awareness to the fact that Rimmel London was the official make-up partner of SA Fashion Week AW2017 in Johannesburg. Senior brand manager for Rimmel London Fahima Saban, says, “We wanted to create a Rimmel experience for our VIP guests from the moment they arrived in Johannesburg and while hosting them at the event. The idea was to drive awareness of Rimmel and the strong heritage of London, its partnership with SAFW and for them to be feel like they were having a true British experience.”
On a global spectrum, according to Nancy Fletcher, president and CEO of OAAA, the MAGNA forecast released in mid-June last year projects that global ad spend would increase by 5.4% in 2016. This growth, combined with that of DOOH advertising, will offer opportunities to interact with these devices, increasingly including technologies such as near-field communications (NFC), allowing advertisements to act as points of sale.
“Overall, OOH is the ‘traditional’ advertising medium benefitting most from digitisation, and we are proud to be part of growing this international trend here in South Africa,” concludes Weiner.
