Everyone and their grandfather has a cell phone these days, and every one of those cell phones needs to be charged at some point.
That's sparked a demand for a new sort of phone booth, a public cell phone charging kiosk.
Those kiosks have been available in airports for several years, and now they're popping up in other locations, including bars, gyms, movie theaters and baseball stadiums.
They offer free charges, which makes them a magnet for busy shoppers.
The kiosks also represent a new out-of-home opportunity for advertisers as a place to connect with those consumers, whether through traditional signage, ads on a video screen or interactive ads on a touch screen mounted on a kiosk.
To find out how to get your client at public charging kiosks, read on.
This is one in a Media Life series on buying out-of-home venues. They appear weekly.
Fast Facts
What
Advertising on public charging kiosks used mainly to charge cell phones but also to charge MP3 players, tablet devices, digital cameras and laptop computers.
Who
There are a few agencies that specialize in advertising at charging kiosks. One works with advertisers directly to set up campaigns, while others lease out the kiosks and leave ad sales up to the lessee.
Advertisers can also set up campaigns through out-of-home agencies that oversee advertising at specific venues, such as airports or transit stations.
How it works
Public charging kiosks feature charging connectors for a variety of devices, including different brands of cell phones, MP3 players, tablets, laptop computers and digital cameras.
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They are usually free for anyone who wants to use them.
Many of them use technology that speeds up the charging process, so it takes between seven and 12 minutes to get a full charge, about half the time it usually takes.
The kiosks come in different forms. Some feature simple traditional signage on the machine, such as a logo or brand name. Samsung sponsors such kiosks in airports around the country, while Best Buy has multiple kiosks of that sort at the Minnesota Twins' Target Field in Minneapolis.
Other kiosks can be fully wrapped with vinyl that includes advertising creative. The kiosks can also include secure lockers that allow users to safely leave their device and return for it when it's fully charged.
An increasing number of kiosks also feature video screens ranging in size from 17 to 42 inches. The screens double as a media player, meaning they can run anything from a loop of static ads to TV-like video spots to custom-created video content.
The screens can even be connected to a video game system to keep users occupied while their device charges.
Other units include a touch screen, which encourages users to interact with the machine while they wait. Touch screens often feature casual games similar to those found at bars, and advertisers can also create a branded custom game.
Markets
Phone charging kiosks can be placed in any market.
Numbers
There were 302.9 million U.S. wireless subscriber connections in December 2010, the latest data available, according to the industry trade group CTIA-The Wireless Association.
Cell phones have a 96 percent penetration rate, and 26.6 percent of households are now wireless-only, meaning no landline.
How it is measured
Venue traffic counts are used to estimate impressions of wrapped machines, and the machines also track how many times the chargers and touch screens are used.
What product categories work well
Frequent phone charging kiosk advertisers include alcohol, retail, telecommunications, coffee shops and electronics.
Demographics
Among adults who use cell phones, 52 percent are female and 48 percent male, according to Scarborough Research.
Twelve percent are ages 18-24, 19 percent are 25-34, 19 percent are 35-44, 20 percent are 45-54, 15 percent are 55-64 and 15 percent are age 65 or over.
Twelve percent have an annual household income below $25,000, with 19 percent between $25,000 and $39,999, 11 percent between $40,000 and $49,999, 19 percent between $50,000 and $74,999, 16 percent between $75,000 and $99,999, 13 percent between $100,000 and $149,999 and 10 percent at $150,000 or more.
Making the buy
Lead time is three to six weeks, depending on creative requirements.
Leasing a machine for up to five days costs $1,500, plus another $500 to $1,000 for custom artwork and wraps.
Who’s already using phone charging kiosks
Current or recent phone charging kiosk advertisers include Samsung, AT&T, Bacardi, Best Buy, Patron, Target, Papa John's and Starbucks.
What they’re saying
“I think the brand affinity angle is the most valuable. If I'm out and my phone dies and Bacardi or AT&T or whoever gives me a much-needed service, to me that's valuable and it sticks in my head whether I want it to or not. At a crucial time when people are so dependent on their cell phones, it's a perfect way for an advertiser to say, 'we're here for you, we're happy to help.'" –
Paul King, president at GoCharge
Web site info
goCharge
http://www.gochargenow.com
Plug-n-Charge
http://plugncharge.net
JCDecaux
http://www.jcdecauxna.com
NV3 Technologies
http://nv3tech.com
Hercules Networks
http://www.herculesnetworks.com
