'REAL' DIGITAL OUTDOOR SITES CAN ATTRACT NEW ADVERTISERS AND OFFER FLEXIBILITY
The concept of your article on how outdoor and online are being employed in unison was excellent, but missed the point when citing product examples (The old and the new: perfect partners?, 9 October, page 24)
I don't believe a good planner or client falls for the "digital outdoor smoke and mirrors" represented by a few key locations and a PR release. Using a converted six-sheet and Bluecasting are not leading examples of digital outdoor.
Foisting technology on the unsuspecting audience is experiential marketing and has its role in terms of adding value to outdoor campaigns.
However, good outdoor advertising works by being part of the audience's out-of-home journey, where the media and advertising is more relevant to their own lives.
Traditionally, this would be a 48-sheet on a busy A-road, but in the digital age this is a giant screen integrated into the departure board at a rail station or perhaps an ad running on a cash machine.
Real digital outdoor offers genuine scale in terms of coverage and frequency, with the benefits of greater impact, flexibility and an immediacy that is not delivered in posters.
These benefits will mean that outdoor will appeal to new advertisers who demand daily copy changes or even just a one-day campaign.
BID4SPOTS APPEALS TO NEW SECTORS AND ADVERTISERS ...
Paul Mitchard, Operations manager, Bid4Spots
In response to the article about Bid4Spots by Jonathan Barrowman from Initiative (Strategy Verdict, 9 October, page 10), I would like to point out that he made a number of wrong assumptions regarding this new product recently introduced into the UK radio market.
Bid4Spots is an exciting new way to buy last-minute unsold airtime for the following broadcast week, thus maximising one of the spontaneous advantages of the medium.
Every Thursday, radio stations bid against each other in weekly reverse auctions for advertisers' budgets. With radio revenue increasing less than the rate of inflation, it is in the interests of advertisers, agencies and radio stations alike to welcome brand new initiatives like this.
Barrowman stated that "this US-imported trading mechanism is extremely limited in the UK radio market". However, Bid4Spots is already attracting new advertisers and new sectors to radio.
Bid4Spots has had a successful launch with more than 60% of its advertisers being new to radio. Stations have traditionally used a variety of methods to sell last-minute airtime, such as stand-by and per-enquiry packages or barter.
The Bid4Spots model injects a breath of fresh air into the "last-minute" market for buyers and sellers alike, as it offers significant control measures to both parties.
However, Barrowman also questions the "quality control" that Bid4spots offers.
It must be remembered that the radio stations using Bid4Spots control their price and the placement of the advertising and can decide whether they want to participate at all.
Advertisers also have many controls that are planned beforehand, all of which ensure the existing standards of quality measurement are achieved.
Barrowman says that "radio doesn't need to fill inventory gaps" - many radio stations in the UK have to run a set amount of advertising every hour, whether they've sold it all or not. This is because many have split-transmission areas or networked programmes and they need to balance out the ad-breaks due to local advertisers.
There is thus no reason why Bid4Spots would encourage longer ad breaks or why creativity would suffer.
Bid4Spots is well established in America, with around 3,500 stations participating for the past two years.
It simply follows the worldwide trend of online trading models and aims to assist in the growth of radio revenue in the UK.
BUT CURRENT TRADING MAY MEAN IT HAS LIMITED APPEAL
Jonathan Barrowman, Head of radio, Initiative
I respect, and expect, Bid4Spots to defend its investment.
However, three facts remain. Current trading levels on Bid4Spots certainly suggest it has limited appeal in the national UK radio marketplace.
The RadioCentre cites early (not last-minute) booking as key to attaining its Certificate of Excellence.
The radio market will be up around 5% in 2007, not because it is traded as a commodity, but because it delivers good-quality output for listeners and a strong communication platform for advertisers.
E-MAIL CAN BE THE SAVIOUR OF DIRECT MAIL DURING STRIKE
Oliver Felstead, European general manager, Couponstar
The cancellation of all door drops during the Royal Mail strike had organisations across the country bemoaning the impact it would have on their ability to communicate with customers and the cost it will have on the industry.
However, it need not lead fast moving consumer goods and retail marketers to abandon direct marketing altogether.
Consumer-printable coupons distributed by e-mail offer a viable alternative to traditional direct mail, enabling organisations to maximise the opportunity offered by the internet and offer brands an unparalleled ability to interact with customers.
Based on traditional paper coupons, consumer-printable coupons fit easily into the existing coupon system, with minimal disruption to retailers. However, perhaps more importantly, they also enable marketers to more effectively target consumers within the specified time frames, regardless of mail strikes.
And, as consumers only print the coupons they are interested in, and use their consumables to do so, they are far more likely to redeem the coupon in-store and the wastage associated with direct mail is removed.
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