Aaron Poole, marketing executive, PML Group with this week’s Out \ Look on Out of Home
66% of Black Friday Shoppers Rely on Advertising for Offers
Retailers and consumers are gearing up for one of the most anticipated shopping events of the year with Black Friday Weekend, kicking off on November 24th.
In the most recent Kantar TGI release 38% of all Irish adults marked their intention to make a purchase on Black Friday weekend. In our latest iQ research, in partnership with Ipsos B&A, we wanted to shed light on the patterns and preferences that shape the Black Friday landscape for consumers and how they intend to spend.
Research was conducted among 300 Dubliners, aged 16-54, across the month of October.
The research highlights the need for advertisers to cut through the noise to highlight their offerings ahead of Black Friday Weekend. Over 66% of consumers agree that they rely on advertising to remind them of Black Friday, rising to 70% of males and 77% of 25–34-year-olds.
The data also reveals a trend towards delayed purchases, with a large proportion of consumers opting to wait for Black Friday Weekend to take advantage of deals: 78% of the 16-24 age group, 76% of 25-34-year-olds, and 70% of 35-44-year-olds noted their inclination to postpone purchasing items until the discounted weekend in the hopes of snagging a deal. This tendency drops among those aged 45-54, with less than half (49%) waiting for Black Friday.
Black Friday is not only a time to bag a bargain. For many, it is the seasonal trigger to kick-start the Christmas shopping mentality that will continue right through to December 25th. This is particularly palpable among the younger demographics, with 83% of 16-24-year-olds agreeing that the allure of savings makes it an ideal time to start shopping for Christmas gifts. This eagerness is consistent across the board, with 66% of all adults, males and females agreeing, peaking at 84% of females aged 25-34.
This aligns with new data from Kantar TGI noting 44% of Christmas shoppers start their planning in November, with the average person spending in excess €500 across the Christmas period.
The Out of Home Advantage
While 66% noted their reliance on advertising for Black Friday deals, Out of Home becomes a critical touchpoint along that consumer journey. An estimated 66% noted that Outdoor mediums – including the inside shopping centres, advertising on the high street, and outside supermarkets – are best at informing on upcoming offers, highlighting the effectiveness of the medium at keeping key occasions top of mind.
Black Friday is the perfect example of how brands can leverage Out of Home as an event-based marketing channel. Consumers have identified Outdoor locations medium as be hyper-relevant to Black Friday, particularly amongst younger audiences: advertising inside of shopping centres and on the high street scored highest for informing consumers in the 16-34 audience best, particularly in the female segment. Digital OOH and Dynamic Digital OOH are ideal platforms for brands to inform, remind and drive direct response on the day in question.
This extends out to Christmas shoppers where in-store experiences are preferred by 45% of all adults, highlighting the convenience of omnichannel shopping. OOH advertising plays a cross-medium role in creating a seamless experience between physical stores and online platforms.
Merry Hallow-Scream from Spar
Dracula has sunk his teeth into this Backlit special build from Spar, wishing shoppers a Merry Halloween! Two Backlit 96 Sheets in Belfast, and one Backlit 48 Sheet in Derry deliver this perfectly timed campaign to shock and amaze audiences.
Created using a shadow effect, the large fangs are installed behind the vinyl skins of the Backlit panels. As the ambient light decreases and the internal illumination of the Backlit becomes increasingly visible, the fangs gradually appear.
Speaking about the campaign, Clare Ferris, Account Manager, PML Group NI said: “Special builds create talkability and are so eye-catching for audiences, as well as generating social content that isn’t a pain in the neck to share!
“To make this campaign really Count (Dracula) and capitalise on relevant timings, Spar bit audiences in Derry, home to Europe’s biggest Halloween Festival.”
SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO and ViVOXTRA retailers in Northern Ireland are participating in Henderson Group’s annual 12 Deals of Christmas campaign, as it returns for 2023 to bring great value deals to shoppers in the run up to the festive season. The team at Genesis were delighted to work with PML Group NI and Potato Bred to deliver an exciting and topical installation, generating awareness of Halloween Deals in a fun and engaging way!
Sara Murphy, Brand Marketing Manager at Henderson Group, commented: “It’s always great to have some fun around the Halloween period, and we think this design showcases our great value ’12 Deals’ offers.”
Planet OOH: NSCDA Halts TV Bingers in Their Tracks
Nova Scotia, Canada:
In a move to engage the younger demographic of Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Career Development Association (NSCDA) launched “Timestamps,” a recruitment campaign that cleverly intersects with the popular culture of binge-watching.
The campaign’s OOH installations are strategically placed in and around the Halifax area, with copy asking “If your current job has you feeling like:” or “If your health insurance is like:” accompanied by a timestamp directing consumers to a specific moment in an episode of a TV show.
Going to the timestamp referencing the first episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, for example, viewers see a clip of Andy Samberg’s character Jake Peralta saying “This job is eating me alive. I can’t breathe anymore.”
This innovative approach taps into the cultural zeitgeist, leveraging a format that’s already popular in yearbook quotes and social media comments. It’s a strategic play designed to pique curiosity and drive engagement.
Interestingly, the campaign faced a unique challenge when AI failed to deliver the needed timestamps, leading to a hands-on approach where Wunder’s team dove into TV shows and fan sites to find the perfect quotes. This “labour-intensive” process added a human touch to the campaign, ensuring each selected moment was just right for the message.
