Colum Harmon, marketing director, PML Group, shares new iQ research in this week’s Out \ look
New iQ Research Points to Optimism for 2022
59% of Dubliners would use the words ‘hopeful’ or ‘optimistic’ to best sum up their feeling for the year ahead. This compares to 21% who would use the words ‘pessimistic’ or ‘anxious’. 17% of 16-24s describe themselves as ‘excited’ about 2022, more than double the percentage of any other age group.
With five weeks left on the 2021 calendar, this week we publish the first of a two part look at Dubliners’ expectations for the year ahead, across a range of topics. The study, part of our ongoing iQ insight programme, was conducted on our behalf by Ipsos MRBI among 300 residents of the capital, aged 16-54.
Overall, respondents are optimistic that 2022 will be a better year in terms of indicators such as personal finances, job security, health, and socialising.
Looking at personal finances, 48% of the respondents expect 2022 to be better than 2021 with a further 31% believing it will be the same as 2021. That leaves just one in five who think their personal finances will deteriorate in 2022. On this topic, males are more optimistic about 2022 than females and younger age groups more hopeful than their older counterparts in the study. 53% of males expect a better twelve months ahead for their personal finances compared to 43% of females. For 16–34-year-olds the figure is 64% vs. 33% among 35-54s.
A similar type of pattern emerges when we look at Job Prospects/Security in 2022. Again, males are more optimistic, at 55% v 46% among females. Two in three 16–24-year-olds expect better in 2022. In terms of where people live, those on the south side of the city are slightly more optimistic about the employment scene than those on the north, at 55% v 51%.
Although there is a definite sense of optimism when it comes to respondents own personal situations regarding finance and job security, when the focus switches to the economy as a whole, opinions are less bullish. Less than half (41%) of all respondents believe 2022 will be a better year for the economy than 2021. More than one in three believe things will get worse, peaking at 43% among 35-44 year olds. Again, younger people are more optimistic than anyone, with half expecting an upturn for the economy and only one in four thinking it will disimprove.
When it comes to the pandemic, just 18% of respondents expect 2022 to be a worse year than 2021 with 50% believing it will be better and the remaining 32% of the view that we will experience a similar year in 2022 regarding Covid-19.
Next week, we’ll be taking a look at socialising, personal health and family wellbeing.
Event Based Impact
Black Friday is the perfect example of how brands can leverage Out of Home as an event-based marketing channel. Outdoor is a location medium but its agility means its content can be hyper-relevant to time and to events happening across the physical and virtual landscape. Digital OOH and Dynamic Digital OOH are ideal platforms for brands to inform, remind and drive direct response on the day in question. Different brands take different approaches of course. Sky can be seen across DOOH formats encouraging consumers online. Virgin Media take a different approach to their ‘Red Friday’ promotion, focusing on locations of retail outlets such as Stephen’s Green SC and Blanchardstown Centre, driving footfall to physical stores.
Pauline Browne, Curry’s PC World Marketing & E-Commerce Director sums up OOH’s role for the electrical retailer as part of its Black Friday strategy “Out of home is one of the key mediums we use as part of our “Black Tag Sale” campaign in November in the lead up to Black Friday. This period is a key trading time for the business and as such we upweight our investment across our marketing mix. OOH acts as a crucial amplifier of our campaign and in a time where consumers see so much advertising, OOH provides clear cut through by driving trust and credibility in our message.”
Sharing the Magic
Speaking of event-based OOH marketing, a different type of event was promoted via OOH this week also. Christmas TV ads can be a hot topic of conversation at this time of year. John Lewis has of course been at the centre of many such exchanges in recent years but in this market over the past few years SuperValu have been one of the standout performers.
The supermarket used Digital OOH to promote the launch of its Christmas TV campaign, simply referencing the date and the copy ‘Share the Magic’, in a reference as to when the TV spot would premiere. A great example of using OOH to build excitement and intrigue and it’s another powerful example of how OOH and TV can complement each other and, in this case, share the magic!.
SuperValu marketing manager, Shane Lynch, commented “Our outdoor teaser campaign proved a real winner for us, it drove strong engagement in store and on social media with our shoppers. We look forward to exploring more opportunities like this in 2022”.
Well done to SuperValu and its agencies on a great Christmas campaign.
OOH Media Pack 2022
It’s that time of year again at PML Group that we send our annual OOH media pack and once again this year we will be offering the option of a home delivery. Alternatively, we can arrange delivery to your office or workplace.
So, if you would like to receive a pack simply fill in your details at the link below and we’ll take care of the rest. But be quick, closing date for orders is Monday, November 29th!
Order your OOH Media Pack Here
And, finally…..
The annual Drum Awards for OOH in the UK took place this week and PlayStation5’s takeover of the London Underground to mark its launch has been crowned campaign of the year. It generated a buzz around the world by trading out the iconic roundels of the Tube for PlayStation’s own instantly recognisable symbols.
Posterscope won the ‘Innovation in OOH’ category for its work with Nestlé on delivering campaigns on 100% recycled paper, an initiative which was rolled out in Ireland also, through the Source out of home team.
This year’s show was the 10th anniversary instalment of The Drum Awards for Out of Home, and to mark the occasion a special best-of-the-decade award, voted for by The Drum readers, was bestowed to one of the previous nine Grand Prix winners. After hundreds of votes were cast, O2’s ingenious medium-is-the-message ‘Oops campaign’, the best-in-show winner in 2018, was named the Grand Prix of Grand Prix winner, a campaign executed by Posterscope, Havas and VCCP.
