As consumers spend increasingly more time outside of their homes, traditional forms of media including television, print and radio are experiencing a decline in their user base.  As a result, advertisers are forced to diversify their approach to communicate with their target audience.  Outdoor media does a great job of delivering branding and awareness through viewer impressions.  Digital place-based media companies like Adspace Networks take it one step further by adding video, sound and more precise demographic targeting.  However, there is an opportunity to develop the brand-consumer conversation even further.

With the addition of mobile, the one-way impressions provided by traditional outdoor media evolve into a two-way interaction with consumers.  Mobile allows the consumer to take an experience away from the media and adds a new layer of accountability.  This benefits both brands, which are increasingly focusing on proving ROI, and users, who are consuming mobile content at an unprecedented rate, and have come to expect immediate gratification and a digital connection with the physical world around them.

We recently partnered with Adspace Networks on a campaign for FilmDistrict’s release of Insidious Chapter 2.  The multimedia approach used to promote the movie was a perfect example of marrying digital place-based media with mobile.  Adspace Networks’ digital displays provided awareness and impressions as well as a physical touch-point for consumers to engage with their mobile phones.  While watching the video spot, mall goers would see a custom created on-screen call-to-action prompting them to tap or scan the mTAG, which is embedded into the digital display.  Upon tapping the mTAG via NFC or scanning the QR code, consumers were taken to an exclusive mobile experience, available only through interaction with the mTAG.  The experience included a web-based augmented reality app which allowed consumers to immerse themselves in the movie and share the fun with their friends through social media and email.  Instead of just repurposing existing content and blasting out the standard trailer, FilmDistrict really took advantage of the power of mobile and created a unique and memorable experience for consumers.

The ability to communicate with users on their most personal screen is much greater than its probability.  Brands need to provide an incentive in the form of relevant, valuable and exclusive content in order to turn the visual impression into a mobile engagement.  The Insidious Chapter 2 campaign had the right formula – video spot with custom mobile call-to-action; clear value proposition; easy mobile access via the mTAG; exclusive mobile content; and entertainment value.  If brands continue to follow this formula, they will reap the benefits of increased awareness and engagement with their campaigns, and will train consumers to reengage in the future.