Over the past few years, the benefits of decluttering and simplification drew in millions of consumers. They latched onto everything from Marie Kondo’s KonMari method for only keeping things that "spark joy," to the more hardcore Swedish Death Cleaning (or döstädning).
Perhaps there's something in the general decluttering message that we can take into media planning and brand decision-making. Advertising clutter is a big thing, and one that certainly does not spark joy for brands or consumers.
The tidal wave of ads that consumers are presented every day across TV, social media, and other platforms can atomize attention, with people becoming overwhelmed and desensitized to marketing messages. "Ad blindness" — where consumers subconsciously tune out ads altogether — can be especially problematic for challenger brand advertisers, as consumers may not even notice their campaign or sponsorship amidst the barrage from big-spending competitors.
So, how can decluttering and simplification help? Well, one way for certain advertisers to stand out from the crowd and cut the clutter is to avoid the scrums on some of the digital, video, and social platforms. Instead, they can utilize a media partner where the combination of vivid creative, strong geo-targeting, ad exclusivity, and proven effectiveness all come together.
Out Of Home media — and wrapped vehicle and transportation media in particular — is one such platform. It's big and bold, with executions almost always exclusive to one brand. It's also able to stand out like no other medium. Messages on moving vehicles stick in consumers’ minds, driving intent to seek out further brand information and purchases. And the surprise element of a creative ad showing up directly in front of a consumer? Unlike others, it's neither interruptive nor skippable. And it drives people to action.
In fact, according to a Nielsen report, 60% of consumers engage in online brand activity and 80% make purchases after seeing ads on transit media. OOH generates more online activity per dollar spent than television, radio, print, and online advertising — and all with little of their noise and clutter.
Up north, the Canadian Out of Home Marketing and Management Bureau found that OOH increases the effectiveness of digital channels by up to 31% for online advertising, 56% for paid-social, and 80% for search.
In today’s media landscape it is immensely challenging for brands to shape consumers' attitude and break through the clutter. Agency media plans have become complicated messes, causing stress, inflating costs, and making it difficult to find the things that still work.
The path to effective advertising is to start fresh. Provide a message that is memorable and impactful in an unexpected environment. Cut through the clutter and capture attention. Build new partnerships with companies like mobilads that specialize in delivering consumers effectively on exclusive canvasses for your ads. In other words, spark joy in your media plan before calling in the Swedes becomes necessary.
Craig Cook - Chief Executive Officer - craig@mobilads.co