1. ‘Mystery is the mind. More so, if it’s that of a consumer! ’
A marketer will rarely find one single way to make a consumer buy a certain product. But with
millions of brands entering the market every day, marketers are faced with the constant need for
finding intrusive ways to effectively market a product. Each brand is vying for the all-important
consumer's time and attention, each willing to experiment with fresh and unique ways to promote
their messages to specific groups in an appropriate environment. In this ‘buy me’ environment,
advertisers are left with little choice other than to resort to novel ideas to woo their customers.
Good or bad, advertising is all about grabbing attention! One might not notice his boss walking in the
office in a business suit on but would surely get intrigued to see him in a towel! Why? Because that’s
an awkward thing to see, rather to do! A marketer today exploits this psychology of human mind. He
aims to bring up techniques to advertise so cleverly that it catches the consumer’s attention when
the consumer is completely unaware and in whatever state he/she may be in.
‘Ambient advertising is one such trend, fast catching up as an
innovative marketing technique that grabs the customer attention
through an unusual medium, in the time and place least expected.’
A new concept for the advertisers as well as for the advertising agencies, the whole idea of ambient
advertising is to catch the eye of the niche even before they realize they are a target! ‘Ambient’
advertisements are so considered because they encompass one's atmosphere. It neither restricts
itself to mainstream media outlets like radio, television and newspapers nor does it adopts a size,
shape or format. Ambient advertising is a brand message that knows no boundaries and hits you
abruptly anywhere, anytime. On public beaches, on the backs of bathroom stall doors, at the bottom
of golf course holes, on the floors of supermarket aisles, tattooed on people, painted on cars,
printed on egg shells. And that’s the point. That’s what makes it so refreshing. Jignesh mishra of ON
Media says,
‘Advertisers are always trying new ways to reach consumers, use spaces
which have not yet been used.’
Ambient advertisers leave no place unexplored and untouched .And if they have, it could only be for
the sole reason of being rebuffed by law or ordinance which doesn’t forbids advertising to its weird
limits.
2. (from up to down) Ad shows people climbing into
or out of the car when they are actually entering or
exiting stair, dumbbells placed at subways in New
York City creating an illusion of person holding the
safety bar ,doing weights, also showcasing a yoga
practitioner on the flexible stems of drinking straws
3. (From up to down)An ad featuring Kellogg
cornflakes around London sidewalks,
fantasizing a motorcycle while pushing the
trolley around, an ad that says’ smoking is
injurious!’
4. Advertising has, at some point, likely made our lives better, either because we must advertise our
own businesses, or because ads help pay for goods and services that otherwise would have passed
costs along to us. Ambient advertising, though considered a nontraditional stand alone activity , it
serves in the same manner as any other advertising medium i.e. Letting consumers know about
products. Much of the time, it's also highly creative and entertaining, which stems from its emphasis
on thinking outside the box and trying to work with smaller budgets.
Be it the blood spouting fountain, which was part of a promotional campaign for a horror film
festival and the dog with the ‘unmanned’ leash used to promote a film, The Invisible premiering on a
popular television channel, More and more consumers are moving from just transactions to
experiences with the brand. Ambient helps brands be more a part of people lives ,break through the
clutter and reach out to all ,say ad professionals.
‘What has triggered the trend of ambient advertising? It’s the need to
get noticed.’
Traditional marketing is slowly loosing its charm and appeal and its returns dwindling every year. The
public are ignoring TV advertising in its masses as broadcasters offer the option to record specific
programmes and fast forward through ads (Tivo, Sky+ etc) negating advertising breaks
effectiveness. Moreover, these main stream advertisements mediums usually cost a huge amount
for one insertion. And if the size or reach of the newspaper or any such conventional medium is not
significant, it goes unnoticed. As such more and more brands are opting to advertise through an
anomalous source of media rather than more traditional ones of print & electronic media, radio &
newspapers. Ambient advertising helps in establishing individual connect, and is more reasonable in
terms of cost effectiveness. That's the reason bigger brands are going in for it.
Bharat Parekh, a financial consultant, was looking for a unique way to publicise his latest scheme. He
was not interested in promoting his scheme through conventional ways. "So, when my ad agency
came up with the idea of gifting apple baskets with my company's logo stuck on each apple to my
premium clients, I was all for it. It not only helped build a personal connect, but also got me good
business."
‘Advertising is one that impacts!’
A water fountain spouts blood. A dog walks around with a leash around its neck, ominously
suspended in mid-air. No, these are not attempts to create a sci-fi thriller but ambient
advertisements. Not just fresh idea but ambient advertising is impactful. A marketer opines,
‘You either like it or you don’t. With a commercial you can turn it off,
with a print ad you can turn the page, but with ambient - it's unavoidable
and that's why it's so powerful.’
5. Whether you love it or hate it or, you cannot ignore it. Not just this, the great thing about it is its
ability to target specific age groups & demographics in a chose n location with confidence, be it a
nightclub or a sports stadium etc.
Having said that, this does not always work s in its favor.
‘Ambient advertising, views almost nothing as sacred. Perhaps it's
time they should.’
Ambient media though proving to be a powerful source of communication is discarded on certain
fronts. Every available space is now an advertising platform, it seems. Over the past decade, ambient
advertising has become ubiquitous. Be it high traffic areas include shopping centers or main
pedestrian walkways, business parks or roadside, exhibitions or a fashion store changing cubicles.
Ambient media in someway or the other tries to invade in the private space or relaxed moments
which instead of creating interest would annoy a customer and may persuade a rather harsh and
aggressive behavior . Billboards were taken down in the city centre of Sau Paulo for the sake of
architectural beauty and cleanliness of the city. Even space is not left !The Russian space program
launched a rocket bearing a 30-foot Pizza Hut logo, and some companies are investigating the
possibility of placing ads in space that will be visible from earth!
Not jus t places, the amounts of advertising and marketing, people are exposed to daily have also
gone beyond belief. Ambient advertising, today, covers lavatory walls, adorns petrol pump nozzles
and book-marks, and livens up coffee cup holders and pizza boxes .in short, it has simply become
impossible to avoid. Unfortunately, the basic nature of most ambient advertising is developed in this
way!
Some accuse efforts into getting ambient as "environment pollutants”, creating disorder and clutter.
This is why marketers are pressed to find even more pioneering and insistent ways to cut through
the "ad clutter" or "ad fatigue" of modern life. Others worry that this deluge of advertising will
create a backlash with consumers and they may walk of .People may feel trapped and that cannot
always make the desired result.
‘Ambient tactics can be fun & informational but marketers need to
stop being so self-serving and sales driven and get a clue to do the right
thing from the get go.’
Most ambient marketing is fun but the more potentially damaging campaigns can makes some
marketers “ask forgiveness rather than ask permission”. This can ultimately have a negative impact
on current and future customers.
Globally, ambient advertising is going in the direction of interactivity. It’s better for the ambient
industry to think of possibilities that brighten up the city and accentuate the architecture such as
neon and LED (light emitting diode) screens. One can even make advertising ambient interactive
such as a touch screen so that you wave your hand and play with the billboard.
6. Screen technology, mobile-tagging technology such as Quick Response (QR), a two dimensional bar
code, were initially seen in Japan and have now travelled to Europe and the US. A user with a camera
phone equipped with the correct reader software can scan the image of the QR code causing the
phone’s browser to launch and redirect to a site’s url.So, It’s also about entertainment, not just “buy
me, buy me!”
Social responsibility causes are also kicking in. Large companies take the responsibility to talk about
the problems of certain communities, green movement, etc.
‘The ad industry needs to be keenly aware of the cues we’re sending
to kids on a much deeper level in terms of what we ‘value’ as a society .’
Before one considers ambient marketing, the impact it will have on prospects and current customers
should be carefully thought of. Provocative and exciting campaigns, Engaging visuals, great
experience? True, the effect in the eye of the beholder. No one is saying ‘don’t market’, that’s
unrealistic. Ambient advertising is likely here to stay, and "ignoring" it won't help combat
commercialism. But, responsibility and accountability go hand in hand, with outcomes that cannot be
ignored. Often, little thought is given to the trickle down impact of ambient advertising on society.
Media literacy and critical thinking skill sets will help overcome the shock value an ambient
advertising creates.It’s in the favor of those marketers be mindful of the methodology, messaging,
and harm that comes from zero accountability and reach out to society in an acceptable way.
‘Brands are expected to spend £40m across the sector in 2009, down
from £57m last year and a severe drop from the high of £61m achieved in
2007.’
Although ambient advertising may make a mark by having immense shock value, yet it is still not
strong enough to muscle out the more conventional forms of advertising. For branding and publicity
we still need to rely on print and electronic mediums. Ambient media alone will never have the same
effect, unless it’s connected to some other media and recognizable in what it tries to tell you. It is a
sort of self-regulation. If you look at Sao Paulo, there were a $100 million lost in ad revenue in out-of-
home (as per the Internet), and it sounds dramatic for companies that rented out billboards. It’s
tragic for those who sell space.
The boom years before 2008 created an explosion of creativity in media ideas, though many of them
were poorly conceived. Every week we were getting three or four new bits of media that were never
going to succeed. You just know when an idea is not going to work out,” says Gideon Adey, kinetic
business development director .For e.g. Ads on escalator risers are in themselves self-defeating, as
they are visible only when there are few people on the escalator. The worst advertising down-turn in
decades has cut a swathe through the ambient media sector, clipping the wings of media owners ,
forcing them out of business and driving revenues down .This should, however, leave the field clear
for brands to take advantage of more effective niche opportunities.
7. According to Michelle Edelman,
‘Ambient advertising should provoke emotions and provide an
experience to its customers. ’
Essentially there are three main routes to success for an ambient medium. Timing is vital; a medium
that can reach someone just before they are about to do something else will often prove successful.
For example, credit card brand Visa advertises on petrol pump nozzles to encourage people to use
its cards rather than cash when paying .Another important consideration is the mindset of the
consumer when they receive the message. Changing room ads target their audience when in a
personal environment. Ads about weight loss or beauty products which may be embarrassing in a
wider social location are therefore more appropriate there. It is also important to match the
environment to the brand message. Ambient marketing campaigns should be entertaining, non-
intrusive, and meaningful. Paramount Pictures promoted the release of the film Transformers:
Revenge of the Fallen by installing a giant Bumblebee Transformer in London's Westfield shopping
centre. For example, Sony Ericsson promoted a fashionable mobile phone through ads in changing
rooms in Miss Selfridge, knowing the campaign would almost exclusively reach 16- to 25-year-old
women. Such tight targets of such campaigns make them more advantageous in their effort.
However, by the same token advertising can easily reach saturation point and lose effectiveness
through overexposure. As such originality of concept and innovation of approach is important in
ambient Media.
‘Ambient media forces advertisers to think on a much wider plain and
to realize that media is completely open-ended, it's everywhere. Unlike
broadcast and print, ambient is more in your face and you connect with it
at a very immediate, emotional level.’
Whether used stand-alone or in conjunction with a more traditional advertising campaign, ambient
advertising brings up a fresh idea to way to advertise and so is expected to stay here for a long time
and become more and more visible as it is an innovative and cost effective way to influentially and
expressively target consumers.
‘Advertisements carried by niche media are always effective
especially when they never let go a chance to surprise, excite and engage!’
