Fast Facts

What
   Ads printed on pool and billiard table felt and pool and billiard balls.

Who
   Encompass Outdoor Media, headquartered in New York.

How it works
   Ads are printed on the center of pool and billiard tables, right on the felt.
   Ads can also be printed on the balls.
   "The first question we’re asked is if the ad printed on the felt table top will interfere with the game," says partner Don Winter says. "The answer is absolutely not."
   The sides and top rim of some tables are also available as ad space, depending on location.
   The ad-accessible pool tables are located primarily in bars, many of them near college campuses.
   "The way we view it, the pool table is the center of gravity, the focal point in a bar," Winter says.
   Advertisers can be national or regional, says partner Michael Travin.
   There is one advertiser per table.
   Advertisers can buy one or more tables in each establishment, or they can buy by DMA, Travin says.
    "If the advertiser wants, say, the borough of Queens, about 90 percent of the time we can give them what they want."
   Balls can be bought along with a table, but not alone. "You have to buy the table to get the balls," Travin says. "We recommend at the very least to buy the cue ball when you buy the table."
   Creative is provided by the advertiser, Winter says.
   Creative could tie into a pool or sports theme, Travin says. "You can definitely work a promotion around the pool table with liquor ads on the tables and giveaways."
    Maximum printable space on tables is 2 feet by 3 feet.
    The table felt comes in green or burgundy. "Almost any logo would look great," Travin says.
    Print is four-color process.
    Printable area on pool and billiard balls is 1 inch by 1 inch. Balls can be printed on two sides. The advertiser’s logo is the recommended creative for balls.
    "This is definitely for branding," Travin says.
    Tables and ball ads can stand alone or be part of a larger campaign in the bar, which might include napkins, matchbooks, coasters, shot glasses and signage. 
   "We can put together an entire program with one-stop shopping," Travin says. Encompass works with another media company to provide in-bar ads.

Markets
    "Just about anywhere," Travin says. "The advantage of pool tables across the United States is getting into a lot of secondary markets where you can’t find many opportunities to advertise. In Norman, Okla., there are very few places to market, but we’ll get you pool tables."
   Markets can be cherry-picked.

How measured?
    Message is seen by the active audience of players and the passive audience of spectators.
   "It’s not only the participants," Winter says. "It’s also the people waiting to play and watching the game."
   There’s a high audience involvement with an average sustained exposure of 10 to 15 minutes, Travin says, citing billiard industry sources.
    "We’re focusing on high-traffic bars," says partner Adam Pierce. "We have an idea what each location is doing numbers-wise."

What product categories do well?
    Liquor is No. 1, Travin says. Entertainment, automotive, tobacco and travel also do well.
    Restaurants could be excluded if the bar serves food.

Demographics
    "This is geared for a male audience 21 to 34," Pierce says.
    Other demographic factors, like income, depend on the market, Winter says. "A college crowd is going to be different than a bar in Manhattan. It’s going to differ market to market."
   There are also differences between college markets. "Georgetown is going to skew higher than a state school," Pierce says.
   Focus can be on bars surrounding college campuses, Winter says.
    Campaigns are targeted by region, city or neighborhood.

Making the buy
    Lead-time is 45 days for tables and 60 days for balls.
    Factors that affect pricing include number of tables, number of markets and length of flight. "Cost is generally from $300 a month to $700 a month per location," Travin says. "Add $75 to $150 for balls."
    A nominal production charge is extra.

Web site info
    Encompass Media at www.encompassmediagroup.com

December 2, 2002© 2002 Media Life

-Kathy Prentice writes about out-of-home advertising  for Media Life, penning her stories from the resort town of Traverse City, in the upper reaches of Michigan.

Send to a Friend| Printer-Friendly Version
Cover Page | Contact Us