JAMES COPLEY - UK CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, KINETIC
- How much have you (the industry) invested in your Olympic estate and what have you done?
There has been continued investment in out-of-home at a high level for many years, which is as much about the industry as a whole as about the Olympics. Media owners are set to bring their development programmes forward to coincide with the Games. A lot of the new hardware will remain as a legacy beyond the Games period and outdoor display techniques such as vinyls mean branding can appear " built into" a structure on a temporary basis.
- Where do you think the additional outdoor money will come from?
We will see an influx from global clients introducing corporate brand budgets into the UK specifically for the Olympics. OOH is the perfect medium to enhance those areas of communication. We expect incremental money to come into OOH from advertisers that would normally put their budgets into other viewing media as 3.5 million people travel to the UK specifically for the Games. The euphoria of these visitors and of the local audience will make OOH advertising even more cost-effective.
- What makes outdoor unique in an Olympic year?
Quite simply, there will more people out and about. Kinetic Panel research shows 35 per cent of people nationwide and 42 per cent of Londoners are currently excited about the Olympics and people will make an effort to come to London to share the experience. People will delay holidays to be in the UK and such a significant, international event will motivate people to engage in more activities outside the home. This is the public transport Games: 98 per cent of attendees will interact with transport media on their way to the Games. OOH advertising is the optimum medium through which to reach them.
- What role will digital outdoor play in this Olympics?
This will be the perfect environment for tactical, up-to-date messaging and day-part specific advertising. It will be the making of digital OOH. Advertisers will follow in the footsteps of brands such as Nike, which worked with Kinetic to bring live comment during the World Cup. We will see brands using digital OOH to break the news to the public as it happens.
- If you had one piece of advice for advertisers during the Olympics, what would it be?
This is the greatest show on earth in the greatest city on earth with a chance for people to use the greatest medium on earth. This is not just about corporate sponsors, it is an opportunity for everyone to embrace the occasion. It is crucial that non-sponsors know there will be plenty of chance for every advertiser to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
- We know about the big outdoor sites, what are the hidden gems that will be key to the Olympics?
It is important to understand who is going to the Games, where they come from and how they are going to get there, and then reaching them throughout their journey. We are working with all our clients to ensure they create the most impactful and meaningful OOH messages possible.
SPENCER BERWIN - MANAGING DIRECTOR, SALES, JCDECAUX UK
- How much have you (the industry) invested in your Olympic estate and what have you done?
Investment is important but some of the most dramatic changes have come from transport companies opening up spectacular new spaces for advertisers. We'll be seeing more wall and tunnel wraps giving ownership of key areas following the success of campaigns from Aviva and NatWest. As the home of the Javelin trains, St Pancras is a key gateway to the Games and we will offer brands the amazing opportunity to wrap the giant glass wall overlooking the North entrance hall, a media first.
- Where do you think the additional outdoor money will come from?
This is an international event, with international budgets that have been planned well in advance. Clients spending millions on sponsorship will want to capitalise on their investment before and during the Games. The key Olympic sites are under a pricing agreement that allows access at a fair price to all Olympic sponsors.
- What makes outdoor unique in an Olympic year?
This is going to be an outdoor Olympics with audiences out and about in the summer, watching the Games on big screens in city centres. As we have seen during the World Cup and the election, digital outdoor particularly comes into its own during national events as it can respond quickly to the latest news, celebrating success and capturing the nation's mood with time-sensitive messaging.
- What role will digital outdoor play in this Olympics?
This is the first Olympics where digital outdoor has scale. JCDecaux has launched the Stratford digital Sail on the doorstep of the Olympic Park, upgraded the M4 digital Torch and committed to doubling our digital rail and mall footprint by Q3 2011. Key digital opportunities include Heathrow's digital airport panels, CBS's digital escalator panels and Westfield Stratford's digital billboards. As 80 per cent of people will travel to the Games by rail, digital opportunities at stations will be central for brand cut-through. We will be promoting D-Day on 15 March, the chance for brands to count down the 500 days to the start of the Olympics across all digital formats.
- If you had one piece of advice for advertisers during the Olympics, what would it be?
The Olympics is a national event, it's not just about London and there is a huge opportunity for brands to capitalise on this. Only 35 per cent of sites are covered by the Locog agreement and while it is natural for brands to want to dominate in London, major cities such as Birmingham, Nottingham and Edinburgh can be booked now. Advertising for national brands - whether they are a sponsor or not - will be equally relevant right across the country.
- We know about the big outdoor sites, what are the hidden gems that will be key to the Olympics?
Ebbsfleet Station - a Gateway station to the Olympics with the Javelin train that is not covered by the Locog agreement - can be booked immediately. With a car-park capacity of 5,000, it's one of the park-and-ride stations for the Games. It's a blank canvas and we can work with brands to develop spectacular, bespoke advertising.