Your client at
America's front door
Doorstep ads are a smart way to reach consumers where they live
By Diego Vasquez
Jul 11, 2011
There's one out-of-home venue that's literally one step from being an in-home venue: ads delivered to the doorstep.
Door hangers have been around for years, and advertisers see them as a smart alternative to direct mail because they stand out.
But there are other ways to target people at their homes, such as clings that stick to the front door and branded doormats, which are also seen by people passing by in an apartment hallway or busy street front.
To find out how to get your client on people's front doorsteps, read on.
This is one in a Media Life series on buying out-of-home venues. They appear weekly.
Fast Facts
What
Advertising on front doorsteps.
Who
Any agency with direct-response or guerrilla capabilities can handle ad campaigns on doorsteps.
How it works
The most obvious and traditional way of targeting audiences at the front doorstep is using door hangers printed on a piece of paper. These can be as simple as ads from the local pizza chain that include a coupon.
But a door hanger also can be an envelope or a bag filled with a flier plus other extras.
 |
A cable TV provider, for example, might fill an envelope with a brochure or booklet detailing its offerings, or a real estate agent might place a newspaper- or magazine-style publication in a door bag that includes photos and listings.
Static door clings can also be used, though they must be easy to remove so as not to damage doors. These will be seen by passersby as well.
Branded doormats are also an option for doorway ads. Last year DirecTV distributed doormats in narrowly targeted geographic areas to push its NFL Sunday Ticket football package.
This method can be pricey, especially if the mat is of decent quality, but the advantage is that a certain share of home- or business owners will like the mat enough to leave it in place for months or even years, to be seen by everyone who enters that doorway.
Then there are the campaigns that engage consumers by their sheer creativity.
A recent ad by a pest control company was slid under the door so that half of the ad was inside, the other half outside. The inside half featured an image of a mouse, while the outdoor half looked like a mouse hole.
 |
The effect was it looked as though the mouse had made a hole in the door and scurried inside.
Markets
Doorstep campaigns can be executed in any market.
Numbers
The most effective doorstep ads are in high-density, urban markets because they're more likely to also be seen by people walking past.
The top 10 U.S. cities by population are: New York (8.18 million people), Los Angeles (3.79 million), Chicago (2.7 million), Houston (2.1 million), Philadelphia (1.53 million), Phoenix (1.45 million), San Antonio (1.33 million), San Diego (1.31 million), Dallas (1.2 million) and San Jose (946,0000).
How it is measured
Agencies track how many items are placed on or near doorsteps. Street traffic data can also be used to measure impressions when the ads are clearly visible from the street.
What product categories work well
Typical categories for doorstep advertising include professional services such as carpet cleaners, exterminators or roofing companies, local businesses such as coffee shops, pizza parlors and telecom services, including cell phones, internet and cable TV providers.
Demographics
Advertisers can target specific demographics based on neighborhood. For example, an advertiser targeting families can advertise in residential neighborhoods, or those looking to reach students can target college campuses.
Making the buy
Typical lead time is four weeks, which includes production of the materials distributed at doors.
Door hanger campaigns start at $4,000 for 2,500 hangers, including distribution. Doormats start at $25,000 for 1,000 mats distributed.
Who’s already been at doorsteps
Recent brands that have advertised on doorsteps include DirecTV, Irvine Apartments, Bravo Health, Hyundai, Home Depot, AT&T, Baker Roofing and Pizza Man.
What they’re saying
"Doormats will be expensive, but they work well in urban settings, especially buildings where there are multiple apartments. Door hangers work better for individual homes. Not only do the people who live there see it, but visitors and people who walk by [see it as well]. If it's an entrance on street level it gets a lot of impressions." –
Sasha Engel, chief operating officer and chief financial officer at GoGorilla Media
Web site info
GoGorilla Media
http://gogorillaadvertising.com
Brand Marketers
http://www.brandmarketers.com
Alt Terrain
http://www.altterrain.com
Attack! Marketing
http://www.attackmarketing.net
Interference Inc.
http://www.interferenceinc.com
Sniper Marketing
http://www.snipermarketing.net
Mango Moose Media
http://www.mangomoose.ca
michael alan group
http://www.michael-alan.com
GTM
http://www.gtmcentral.com
Colle + McVoy
http://www.collemcvoy.com
|
|
|
