Making A Silk Purse Out Of A Sow's Ear

All those rumors that creativity is dead are wildly exaggerated. Especially in the world of media placement. Thanks to the current economy and it's negative impact on real estate, mobile marketing, the latest new advertising vehicle, is now taking a back seat to something that we consider even more innovative. Brilliant, actually. It's the recent rise of vacant-storefront marketing.

An article in the May 11th edition of The New York Times explains that savvy, budget-conscious marketers are taking advantage of the glut in empty street-level retail space by purchasing advertising rights in store windows.  The way we see it, it's a win-win all the way around.  

The property owners earn enough income from the deal to maintain the buildings until a new renter is found.  They also avoid the negative perceptions that come when a space sits empty for too long: it can give some potential lessees the idea that the location may not be that great at generating or attracting enough traffic to make it profitable.  And they don't have to worry about what passersby might see "behind the curtain".  The advertising can obscure anything unsightly that might be stored inside.

The advertisers get great positioning at street level and they get a considerable amount of bang for their buck because the vacant windows are leasing at a fraction of the cost they would have to pay for a conventional billboard.  They also get more drive-by time.  Traditional outdoor is targeted to motorists who typically have no more than 8 seconds to notice and grasp the message.  At street level, these boards are seen by pedestrians, who travel by at a much slower rate, allowing the brand and its message more time to register.

Advertising has always been an industry driven by creativity.  This is just another prime example of it.

To read the full article, go here:  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/business/media/12adco.html?_r=1