New research on bus advertising conducted by PML Group and IpsosMRBI points to the enduring power of Classic Out of Home formats to get noticed and to enhance brand saliency.
The Outdoor marketing agency surveyed 300 Dubliners added 16-54 to gauge perception and measure the effectiveness of external bus formats such as T-Sides and Supersides. There are approximately 800 bus T-Sides and slightly more Supersides available for advertising on the Dublin Bus fleet.
The research, carried out in October, showed that 74% of the sample agreed that these forms of advertising are ‘very noticeable’. This was consistent across age groups with the peak at 77% among 16-24 year olds. 79% of the same key demographic also agreed it was a highly effective channel to reach ‘someone like me’.
More than 70% of the respondents also associated bus advertising with ‘big brands’ while more than two thirds found it entertaining.
The medium’s ability to convey important civil information to a large audience is also reflected in the public’s opinion of bus ads being a good source of useful information – with agreement levels in excess of 70% again.
Latest full year statistics on Dublin Bus journeys shows that 140 million individual journeys were taken in 2018.
According to Colum Harmon, marketing director, PML Group: “While digital is transforming our medium in so many exciting ways, it is useful to remind ourselves of the merits of Classic formats such as billboards, 6 sheets and, in this case, bus panels. These formats deliver for brands year after year and resonate so well with consumers. This research speaks to that fact and also reflects increases in passenger journey numbers and added exposure to these channels.
