Your client's
digital ad in bars
Digital signage brings a social media element to advertising
By Diego Vasquez
Apr 25, 2011
Social media is certainly the big thing in advertising right now, and one out-of-home venue where it fits in perfectly is what you might call the original social network: bars.
Advertising in bars has moved well beyond signs on the wall and ads on coasters. It's increasingly digital, whether through signage, touch screen jukeboxes or digital pub trivia games.
These days marketers want to keep a connection with consumers going beyond the bar space, and so more and more of these campaigns include a social media aspect.
To find out how to get your client in bars digitally, read on.
This is one in a Media Life series on buying out-of-home venues. They appear weekly.
Fast Facts
What
Advertising digitally at bars through signage, jukeboxes and trivia games.
Who
There is one national network of digital signs in bars in the top 10 markets plus Miami, and signage is available in other markets through smaller vendors.
There are two national networks of digital video jukeboxes and one for digital video trivia games.
How it works
There are three main types of digital advertising in bars, all of which can integrate some sort of social media aspect.
Digital signage on LCD screens around the bar runs a mix of branded content, bar information and static or video advertising.
Digital jukeboxes run banners and other displays while customers browse through songs.
And trivia games display ads during breaks between questions and can even ask players questions that relate to the brand.
The simplest way to integrate social media is to insert a call to action encouraging bar customers to visit a Facebook page or follow a Twitter feed.
Advertisers can also interact more directly with customers by asking them to text a message to a special number to receive more information or scan a QR code with their phone.
Brands can even build an entire campaign around social media.
For example, one digital network's screens feature a sports-themed Twitter feed that is updated six times per hour. Every time the feature appears, viewers see a list of the latest tweets related to the local market's sports teams, such as official team Twitter feeds, those from local media covering the team, and rants and raves from fans.
The tweets show up on two-thirds of the screen, with the rest of the screen reserved for an ad.
Beyond social media, there are other ways to give digital ads in bars a "live" element. A ski resort can rotate in ads that give the current ski conditions each time. Or an ad for a local news source could refresh with the latest headlines.
Markets
Digital signage is most prevalent in markets with a large number of bars/nightclubs, typically the top 15 markets.
Ads on bar trivia games and jukeboxes are available in every major market.
Numbers
Nielsen says dwell time in bars--how long patrons visit--averages between 80 and 90 minutes.
For bar trivia games, patrons watch or play for an average of 46 minutes.
How it is measured
Digital signage is measured using customer counts and surveys.
Trivia games and jukeboxes track how many games and songs are played, and a small percentage is added to estimate overall impressions.
What product categories work well
Frequent bar advertisers include alcohol, telecommunications, entertainment, auto, insurance and fast food.
Demographics
Nielsen studies show bar patrons have an average annual household income between $66,000 and $70,000.
Bar patrons are 55 percent male and 45 percent female.
And 75 percent of them are ages 21-34, with 85 percent ages 21-49.
Making the buy
Since everything is handled digitally, campaigns can go live in as little as 24 hours. Typical lead time with creative in hand is one to two weeks.
Pricing varies depending on the size of a campaign and the elements included, but CPMs fall in the $5 to $10 range.
Who’s already using digital in bars
Current or recent bar advertisers include Bacardi, Paramount, Jeep, BlackBerry, Verizon, AT&T, Geico, Visa and Absolut.
What they’re saying
“One [benefit] is the nature of the consumer you're reaching. The average person in our bars is there with three other people. And they're talking—it's obviously a social environment. The average check size is about $35 per person, so you can see there's money to be spent there.'" –
Dan Levi, senior vice president of digital media and strategic partnerships at Zoom Media & Marketing
Web site info
Ecast
http://www.ecastnetwork.com
Zoom Media & Marketing
http://us.zoommedia.com
Buzztime
http://www.buzztime.com
TouchTunes
http://touchtunes.com
LocaModa
http://locamoda.com
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