Transit advertising is a significant way to build upon the impressions static imagery would normally earn. Photo by Blair Adams
Leaving Calgarians hungry for more
Of course, Toronto is not the only city to take advantage of this method of advertising. Calgary’s residents are also taking notice of the imagery criss-crossing their city on various forms of transit. One notable example is the EDO Japan transit campaign which launched in October 2022. More than one in four Calgarians recalled seeing the campaign, and within this group, 54 per cent were downtown office workers, 45 per cent were weekly transit riders, and 39 per cent were individuals who started ordering out more. Indeed, the ads transformed exposure into experience. After viewing EDO Japan’s transit campaign, almost half took action, with 17 per cent visiting their website, and another 17 per cent ordering food either in store or online.4 Transit advertising is also a significant way to build upon the impressions static imagery would normally earn. Within Calgary, when brands add transit advertising to their marketing efforts, it increases their impressions by 60 per cent.5 This makes transit an important tool when considering the size and scope of a campaign.
Conclusion
While OOH media might feel like a more traditional form of advertising, it still goes hand-in-hand with modern life. Striking artwork on murals or billboards is being increasingly shared on social media, giving brands a wider audience than ever and a second life online. In order to stay ahead of the curve, brands need to think outside the box and re-imagine the way they use traditional forms of advertising. Audiences are tired of endless streams of digital advertising, which have flooded their screens and no longer hold their attention. Perhaps what they seek is an impactful transit campaign that resonates as they resume the day-to-day life they enjoyed before the pandemic.
Notes
1 Based on interviews conducted within the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area (CMA). For more information, refer to the Pattison Monthly Recall Tracker Study, May 2022.
2 See Note 1.
3 Based on interviews conducted within the Toronto CMA. For more information, refer to the Pattison Monthly Recall Tracker Study, September 2022.
4 Based on a Numeris return to sample (RTS) survey from fall 2022, which compared Calgary 18-plus vs. noticed digital billboards or exterior bus advertising in the past week.
5 See Note 4.
William Dixon is a marketing content specialist with Pattison Outdoor. He creates and writes for client-facing materials to promote the company’s catalogue of products.
