Talk Business Magazine September 2014 | Page 76

MARKETING Advertising To get the best returns on your advert, you need to understand which dwell time will be the most effective - you’ve got to be dwell time smart the aforementioned side of a bus (known as streetliners in the business) act like a moving shop front. They’re a canvas that creates impact, grabs attention, and increases brand awareness in the best possible environment, an environment where large audiences are in an open mindset, engaged and receptive to communication - which is the exact situation they find themselves in on the high street. As such they’re a perfect format for businesses to ‘sponsor’ the high street that they are located on. Like shop fronts however, they shouldn’t be too busy, distracting, or copyheavy. To make the best use of the short dwell time format, ads need to be clear and targeted to their audience, as the message is put directly in front of shoppers as a prompt to purchase. LONG DWELL TIME In contrast, long dwell time formats provide you with the opportunity to have a conversation with your audience. Because consumers are exposed to the ad for longer, they can absorb a greater amount of information than a pedestrian walking down a high street could, and thus they can truly engage 76 September 2014 MARKETING_TB36_exterion.ga..indd 76 with the message that you are trying to convey. For example, bus rears, a format popular with the motoring industry, have an average dwell time of around 48 seconds. That’s a long time to talk to consumers on a one-toone basis and convince them to visit the nearest showroom. Meanwhile, online businesses often use the space inside a bus or train (known as passenger panels) to encourage direct response by prompting travellers to visit a website, as consumers are in a time-rich environment where they are able to go online via their mobile phone. Because of the greater exposure and the opportunities for longer copy, the message of a long dwell time advert is as important as ever. It is vital that it is targeted with a clear and relevant call to action if it is to have any hope of succeeding, bearing in mind that the ultimate goal is usually (though not always) to prompt a purchase. Understanding which length of dwell time to utilise to match your core objectives, and how to shape the content to fit the choice you make, is the cornerstone of a successful campaign. Contact: www.exterionmedia.co.uk ? C52205_EXTERION_DPS_297-x-420mm_TALK-BUSINESS-DPS AUG_AW.indd 1 22/07/2014 15:35 Exterion Media works in partnership with companies everywhere to make sure that you select the dwell time time that is right for your business and advertising campaign. Exterion Media, in association with Campaign, is celebrating the Year of the Bus by launching The Big Bus Challenge. Your brand can be the centre of attention and be seen by 30 million people every week. It’s laying down a challenge to every advertiser, agency, and creative out there: show off your skills with some brilliant bus advertising designs – and you could win yourselves a national or regional campaign, along with personal prizes for the winning teams. It’s free to enter and you can submit as many entries as you like! Visit www.bigbuschallenge.com for more information. SECTION SPONSOR 29/08/2014 12:39