Ambient Advertising is often described as advertising that utilizes “outdoor non-regular media” and does not rely on traditional mediums like television, radio, or print. Instead of using billboards, for instance, Ambient Advertising may utilize elements of the environment, such as sidewalks. In essence, Ambient Advertising is an advertisement that seamlessly integrates into its surroundings and becomes part of the ambiance.
When it comes to effectiveness, ambient advertising goes beyond being a part of the environment and seamlessly blending in with the media. It must be noticeable yet fit into the background, demonstrating its creativity. It is covered by non-traditional media and found in unexpected places or objects, making it innovative and attention-grabbing. Ambient advertising merges with the environment while still capturing viewers’ attention, relying on word-of-mouth publicity and standing out from traditional advertising.
In the Indian context, there have been ongoing debates about the effectiveness of traditional media in delivering advertisements. Over the past decade, the consumer has developed immunity towards advertisements appearing in newspapers and magazines. Even the once novel cable television advertising has lost its allure. The consumer’s over-exposure to advertising has resulted in a shift in preferences, causing them to selectively view or instantly skip certain advertisements.
The effectiveness of advertising has been killed by over-exposure, which is a harsh truth. So, how bad is this “over-exposure” to advertising? Let’s consider the following: on average, a regular current affairs weekly contains about 18-20 full page advertisements in a 70 page magazine, excluding pullouts, cover pages, part-page adverts, “special features,” and more. This accounts for almost 30% of the magazine space. In lifestyle/fashion magazines, this number rises to over 40%. Television advertising statistics reveal a similar situation.
The total duration of advertisements in 2007 increased by 31% compared to the previous year, reaching 4006 lakh seconds (The Marketing Whitebook 2009-10). The volume of ads has continued to grow, resulting in increased ad clutter. To understand consumer reactions to regular advertising, we conducted an online survey to gauge their attitudes towards ads. The survey results were expected as they showed that a significant portion of consumers actively avoid watching ads. Specifically, 20% of respondents always switch channels during ad breaks, while 38% switch channels eight times out of every ten breaks. Additionally, 30% change the channel five to six times out of every ten breaks.
A staggering 88% of television viewers opted to ignore advertisements rather than watch them! Furthermore, about 60% of the audience regularly switched channels. It seems that the all-powerful TV remote reigns supreme! Of those who did view the ads, a majority (62%) cited two main reasons: the creative quality of the ads and information regarding a new product release. In contrast, 25% watched an ad with future purchase intentions, while only a small fraction (15%) viewed an advertisement for a product they currently use.
Only 13% of respondents mentioned their favorite celebrity endorser, suggesting a decline in the significance of celebrity influence. People no longer desire to see a celebrity merely serving as an excuse for a poorly designed, uncreative, and dull advertisement. Consumers cannot be persuaded to purchase a product solely based on a celebrity’s endorsement. Interestingly, 11% of respondents admitted to watching an advertisement on TV out of sheer laziness to change the channel!
The findings of our survey can be summarized into two main conclusions: consumers are not interested in seeing advertisements on TV, and if they do, they prefer clever and creative ones. An excellent example of this is Vodafone’s zoo-zoo ad campaign, which captivated audiences through its creativity and unique concept. One notable advantage of Ambient Advertising over traditional advertising channels is its lower cost.
Based on our survey, marketers dedicate substantial funds to advertising and promotions, but the majority of these endeavors fail to capture attention. In India, expenditures on television advertisements amounted to Rs 80 billion in 2007 and are predicted to reach Rs 200 billion by 2012. Likewise, spending on print media (newspapers and magazines) reached Rs 94 billion in 2007 and is anticipated to rise to Rs 208 billion by 2012.
Indian advertising is spending a lot of money, but Ambient Advertising stands out by delivering results with a fraction of these budgets. This makes it a favorite tool for guerilla marketers. The power of the advertisement lies in its content, delivery, idea, and medium, rather than the size of the budget or the names involved. Ambient Advertising surpasses traditional methods in creativity as well, as creativity is an essential aspect of it. To capture people’s attention, it needs to be creative, humorous, and original.
No celebrities are available to assist. However, ambient advertising offers an extra advantage due to its creative quotient. This makes a marketer’s job more challenging but also comes with its own benefits. Our survey confirms that consumers desire creative advertisements, which is something that ambient advertising guarantees and fulfills. Additionally, we included questions in our survey regarding responses towards ambient advertising. The results are highly positive, with approximately 75% of responders giving it a good or better rating.
Guerrilla Marketing was created as an alternative approach to promotions that doesn’t rely on a large marketing budget but rather on time, energy, and imagination. It quickly became known for its unique and attention-grabbing campaigns that often go viral. Ambient advertising can be seen as a framework for Guerrilla marketing, with the term “ambient” referring to its presence in the world rather than in a confined frame.
Guerrilla marketing, which involves loud and perceived acts that can be seen as vandalism and annoying to people, is questionable. On the other hand, ambient advertising offers a better approach by creatively using space without causing annoyance. A good example of guerrilla marketing is ambush marketing, where Nike sponsors the Olympics and Adidas (or vice versa) places ads near the site to claim association with the event. In contrast, ambient advertising would involve placing ads on shop floors and supermarket trolleys. This type of marketing allows businesses to establish brand recognition without aggressively promoting their products.
One great example is the Dancing Grass Vans of London, which are owned by renegade smoothie makers (and brilliant marketers), Innocent. These vans are covered in real, growing grass and can often be spotted around the city, delivering smoothies and catching people’s attention. Despite serving a practical purpose, the vans don’t resemble typical advertisements. However, who could ever forget the name of a company with vans covered in grass? In anticipation of the release of the Simpson’s Movie, 7-11 transformed several of their stores to resemble the fictional (yet legendary) Kwik-E-Marts, complete with peculiar products reminiscent of Springfield.
This ambient marketing campaign proved to be incredibly successful. It is a form of captive audience advertising that utilizes innovative and creative formats placed within the target audience’s living and working spaces. It can be an effective means of engaging people on the social front. However, there are two challenges commonly faced in social marketing: effectively conveying the message and capturing people’s attention for long enough to ensure understanding. Additionally, cost is another obstacle, similarly encountered in guerilla marketing.
NGOs engaged in social marketing often lack the financial resources that corporate companies have. However, ambient advertising comes to the rescue and proves to be a savior. This is evident in the following instances, where teaser boards are used to convey the message “Grass is Dumb.” This message aims to stimulate thoughts about water conservation among regular joggers in a park. The idea behind the message is that your lawn won’t complain if you water it for slightly less time, so only use what you truly need. Ambient advertising always has the potential to inspire a sense of social responsibility, and it can best be described as an actionable act.
KFC has found a solution to the costly problem of potholes on Chicago roadways after winter. They are offering to repair the potholes and then stencil “Refreshed by KFC” in white paint over the repairs. In a similar effort, during lunchtime on Wednesday, Moving Boards were spotted in Sydney CBD. These boards carried flyers and were manned by individuals with big smiles, their goal being to raise awareness for “GOLD WEEK” and show support for the Sydney Children’s Hospital’s biggest fundraising event of the year.
The immense feedback received demonstrated that advertising can be utilized for positive purposes rather than negative ones. The future of Ambient Advertising is a significant concern: will it continue to flourish or be forgotten in the annals of advertising? Numerous experts argue that ambient advertising functions as a self-destructive mechanism. As unconventional, one-of-a-kind media channels increasingly become ordinary and mainstream, the “WOW” factor of these advertisements diminishes rapidly, ultimately leading to their demise.
It is true to some extent that buses and taxis are being used for advertising, which was a unique idea around a decade ago but is now a mainstream advertising medium. However, this may not be the case with other ambient media. How can egg cartons, bathroom stalls, or painted sidewalks ever become mainstream? Even if a medium becomes regular and commonplace, the idea, content, and delivery of advertisements will still keep ambient advertising alive. While ambient advertising has limitations and can never replace mainstream forms of advertising, it continues to thrive.
Ambient advertising is not as effective in rural areas due to its reliance on static media and the need for a constantly moving target audience. The best locations for these advertisements are urban areas with high human traffic, such as busy streets and shopping malls. In contrast, displaying them in rural areas with low population densities would be a waste of money and render ambient advertising ineffective. This presents a challenge in countries like India where the majority of the population resides in rural or semi-urban areas.
One of the main limitations of ambient advertising is its potential reach in a single instance. Placing an advertisement on national television allows you to reach the entire country, whereas painting a sidewalk in a busy city street may only reach around 4000-5000 individuals per day. The numbers clearly show this difference. Moreover, there is a chance that an excessive amount of these advertisements may cause consumers to view them as annoying, which is a commonly observed phenomenon in traditional advertising mediums. Nevertheless, it would be incorrect to assume that ambient advertising is completely ineffective.
While Ambient Advertising cannot fully replace traditional advertising, its true power lies in its ability to enhance mainstream advertising. It can generate excitement within the public about a product or service, initiating conversations, capturing attention, and sparking interest. As a pre-promotional tool, it can generate anticipation for an upcoming product launch through teaser campaigns. All these benefits come at an incredibly cost-effective advantage.
All that needs to be done is to open the minds and let the creativity speak for itself. Digital technology has already become an integral part of lives and it increasingly permeates newer avenues and Ambient Advertising can use it as a perfect ally. A future where ambient advertising uses new technology for wider and farther reaches to tap into greater areas and bigger populace. People want creative advertising (which can also be gathered from our survey) and creativity is a staple for Ambient advertising, so as long as people get what they want, they will keep coming.
“Out of sight, out of mind” is a frequently used phrase that reflects the human tendency to desire what we see repetitively. Ambient Advertising takes advantage of this psychological principle by repeatedly exposing consumers to the same messages. Conditioning consumers through repetition is a powerful tool in marketing. For example, in a mall restroom, there is often nothing else for a person to look at but the advertisement placed directly in front of them. Additionally, effective advertising aims to connect with the subconscious mind, and Ambient Advertising excels at achieving this goal.
Ambient Advertising has the potential to effectively communicate impactful messages in a subtle manner, especially within social marketing. However, it is vital to meticulously create these messages to prevent any unfavorable associations among consumers. Ultimately, despite varying expert opinions, evidence indicates that Ambient Advertising still has a significant journey ahead before becoming outdated.
In emerging markets like India, ambient advertising is especially important and has great potential. The busy cities of India and China offer excellent opportunities for advertisers to display their creativity in this field. With major companies such as Nike, Coca-Cola, Vodafone, Kellogg’s, and others investing substantial amounts in this type of advertising, it can be concluded that ambient advertising is a lasting trend.
References
- The Marketing Whitebook 2009-10
- https://en. wikipedia. org
- www. about. sensis. com. au/media/pdf/small_business
- http://smib. vuw. ac. nz:8081/www/ANZMAC2000/CDsite/papers/l/Luxton1. PDF
- www. initgroup. com/press/presscoverage/wgsn_080402. pdf
