Advertisers targeting African-American and Hispanic audiences have a new venue for reaching consumers where they gather in their neighborhoods for a haircut and socializing.

To find out how to get your client’s message in front of a targeted audience in a non-cluttered environment, read on.

This is one in a Media Life series on buying the new out-of-home venues. They appear weekly.

Fast Facts

What
Ads placed on signage in neighborhood hair salons.

Who
Alloy Media + Marketing, headquartered in New York.

How it works
Ads are placed on framed posters hung in barbershops and beauty salons that cater to African-American and Hispanic clientele. The signage carries an implicit endorsement of the products by the shop proprietors.

The program is called Alloy Access Barbershop and Hair Salon Network.

“This audience uses their local salon as a social network, a trusted information source,” says Alloy Access president Tru Pettigrew.

The program, which is now kicking off with Rockport as the initial advertiser, is designed to showcase national brands. One to two signs are placed in each outlet, based on the size of the shop.

“Larger shops may have two,” Pettigrew says. “Also some shops that are both barbershop and hair salon have two so ads can be placed by the gender of the audience in the same location.”

Posters measure 48 inches high by 36 inches wide. Advertisers provide creative.

“We encourage them to make it culturally relevant, to use the language and visuals that reflect the lifestyle,” Pettigrew says. “The Rockport campaign focuses on the person wearing the shoe instead of the product. There is the unspoken endorsement because the product is advertised in the salon.”

Creative can also direct the audience to local retail outlets that sell the product.

The signage is used for both branding and promotions.

“The beauty of it is as an entry point for non-traditional media,” Pettigrew says. “You can offer sampling in these shops, the stylists can wear your product. You can design custom events like sponsorship of a free styling day. You can do demos on site or have a sweepstakes or a mini-fashion show or a product video running on a plasma screen. Associate your brand with new and fresh styles.”

More than one product can be advertised in a location.

Additionally, countertop cards from local retailers can be used to enhance a campaign.

Alloy is working with the San Francisco-based Black Owned Beauty Supply Association (BOBSA) to recruit member shops into the network.

Markets
New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Detroit, Houston, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Baltimore, Memphis, St. Louis, Boston, New Orleans, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., are some of the top markets where the program is available.

Numbers
This initial network includes more than 400 venues. There is generally more than one venue per community.

How it is measured
Alloy is now working with venues to set up a system to track patrons on a daily basis.

What product categories do well
Products and services including beverages, fashion, footwear, consumer electronics, packaged goods, and health and beauty care are top categories.

“We have partners in these barbershops and salons, so they have a say in what they will or won’t advertise in their shops,” Pettigrew says.

Demographics
The target audience is African-American and Hispanic consumers who frequent neighborhood barber shops and beauty salons.

Further targeting can be done by zip code, Pettigrew says. “Using zip codes can also help advertisers buy near retail partners within a market.”

Making the buy
Lead time is 30 days. Advertisers can buy the network, region or a market and can cherry pick locations within a market.

Factors that affect cost include the number of outlets and the campaign length. Signage cost is the same across markets. Flights are 30 days.

Who’s already on signage at barbershops and beauty salons
Rockport footwear is kicking off a campaign in 50 locations in markets including New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

What they’re saying
“These barbershops and salons truly are trusted information sources in their respective communities. There is also the buzz factor. They will be talked about in those shops and beyond those shops. Your brand is involved at an intimate level, in the heart of these communities.” – Tru Pettigrew, president of New York-based Alloy Access

Web site info
Alloy Media + Marketing at http://www.alloymarketing.com