Outdoor ads engaging nearly 60pc of commuters - study

The Europe on the Move study, which looked at people’s daily travel patterns in six European countries (the UK, France, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands and Ireland), was carried out by Harris Interactive on behalf of CBS Outdoor International. Nearly 10,000 consumers were surveyed for the study in September and October of 2010.

According to CBS Outdoor, the research finds that advances in technology have led to a growing population of tech savvy, highly mobile people who are increasingly likely to act upon commercial messages while out-of-home due to the growing connectivity offered by their mobile devices. They are also more likely to pay attention to outdoor advertising (63pc) and are particularly sensitive to boredom during their daily journeys.

“Europe on the Move is a timely study of the journeys undertaken by people across Europe,” said Colin Leahy, managing director CBS Outdoor Ireland. “It gives clear insights and a deeper understanding and appreciation of the behaviour and attitudes into these audiences that are so highly valued by advertisers and how to reach them when they are on the move.”

According to the study, boundaries between outdoor and indoor lives have blurred, with travellers shopping, working, socialising and researching online during even routine journeys. The report shows that nearly half (45pc) of all travellers report multi-tasking while on the move, including using mobile technology. 

The research reveals that European travellers are also using social media platforms almost equally in-home and out-of-home (for example, Facebook 56pc in home compared with 54pc on-the-move).

CBS Outdoor said that almost 70pc of empowered, mobile European travellers identified in the research were found to have acted as a direct result of outdoor advertisements, leading to potentially increased impulse buys and brand recognition. Over 19pc of Europeans reported going online to purchase items seen in outdoor advertising according to the survey.

Over half of respondents (58pc) said they consciously look at outdoor ads, higher than any other form of advertising.

The report also looked out how people’s moods and thoughts change depending on their mode of travel and time of day and how these patterns vary across different European markets. CBS Outdoor said this insight will help marketers to design more effective campaigns, integrating outdoor and mobile digital channels.