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Press | Press Releases
Ecast Touchscreen Music Service Delivers Elusive, Ad-avoiding Young Men
More than half of Ecast consumers are Adults 21-34;
Sixty-five percent of Ecast consumers are men
NEW YORK, March 15, 2007 – A high-tech, interactive form of place-based advertising is giving advertisers a new way to access a tough to reach demographic: young men 21 to 34.
The Ecast touchscreen music service, which is available in 10,000 bars and nightclubs across the United States is noticed by more than three quarters (78 percent) of bar patrons, according to a survey conducted by Arbitron Inc (NYSE: ARB). The survey of bars containing Ecast units in New York, Seattle and Columbus, Ohio also showed that over 37 percent of patrons had used or watched someone else use the Ecast service, which delivers music, advertising and other forms of entertainment to the young-adults via broadband-connected, digital touchscreens.
Ecast units run on a secure broadband network that provides access to a catalog of over 250,000 songs through an advanced interactive touchscreen with promotional capabilities. Adding 300+ locations per month, the Ecast network is an emerging media channel for brands and labels to engage young, affluent and influential adults in a social setting. The service is supported by advertisements and sponsorships that are displayed onscreen.
Reaching the ad-avoiders
Young men under the age of 34, often present challenges to marketers. While heavy users of on-demand media and video games, they are often difficult to reach via traditional ads, however, these same consumers seek out time with the Ecast music service. Over half of Ecast consumers estimate they visited the touchscreen twice, spending 4 minutes or more with the service; the average time spent was 5 minutes. Sixty-five percent of Ecast consumers (those who used or watched someone use Ecast) are male and more than half (56 percent) of Ecast consumers are between the ages of 21-34.
“With the emerging on-demand lifestyle, people want more control of their media exposure, making traditional methods of marketing less effective,” said John Taylor, president and CEO of Ecast. “Ecast offers brands direct and intimate interactions with a very coveted demographic. Our out-of-home touchscreens not only provide the best in terms of music selection and engaging advertising, they also allow marketers to capture email addresses, conduct online surveys and a host of other features that help validate the efficacy of our unique, interactive medium”
Early adopters and influencers
Ecast attracts a select group of early adopters and influencers. Seventy-nine percent of Ecast consumers found using the music service enjoyable and 60 percent said they would be willing to try products from companies sponsoring the service. Compared to 23 percent of Americans age 21+, 46 percent of Ecast consumers buy or try new products before most people they know. Thirty-eight percent of Ecast consumers feel they are very influential over what their family and friends purchase and 70 percent feel that Ecast was a good way to introduce friends and family to music that they like. Americans age 21+, 46 percent of Ecast consumers buy or try new products before most people they know. Thirty-eight percent of Ecast consumers feel they are very influential over what their family and friends purchase and 70 percent feel that Ecast was a good way to introduce friends and family to music that they like.
“Our research found that Ecast is a targeted and effective way to reach consumer influencers and trendsetters. Ecast users are the first among their family and friends to try new products or services and wield a tremendous amount of influence over the purchasing decisions of those around them,” said Diane Williams, product manager, custom research, Arbitron Inc. “In fact, Ecast delivers over twice the concentration of 21-34 year-olds compared to less targeted, general consumption, mass media.”
New Opportunities for Recency Media Planning
Bar or lounge-based advertising can provide advertisers with new opportunities for recency media planning. The average brand recall for an advertisement was 43 percent among those who interacted with the display and had an opportunity to see the ad. Ecast consumers are in the immediate market to purchase products sold in bars such as beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks and Ecast is in a position to influence purchase decisions for the rest of the night for consumers who plan to visit a quick service restaurant or convenience store after leaving the bar.
“Ecast receives millions of touches each day,” said Micah Berek, advertising brand manager, Ecast. “Our network complements traditional media campaigns by reaching consumers when they are away from other forms of advertising—the strategic placement of our touchscreens significantly affects the level of engagement between the consumer and brand.”
How this study was conducted
A national telephone survey was conducted with 843 randomly selected respondents aged 21 and older between July 21 and August 7, 2006, using random digit dialing (RDD). In addition to basic demographic information, respondents were asked about their bar or lounge-going habits and consumer attitudes. On-site interviews were also conducted with a random sample of 730 customers in eight bars containing the Ecast touchscreen music service. The test locations were selected from participating bars in the New York, Seattle, WA and Columbus, OH, metro areas, and interviews were conducted on weekdays and weekends. In order to qualify for the survey, respondents had to be aged 21 or older and have been in the bar for at least one hour that day.
ABOUT ARBITRON:
Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) is an international media and marketing research firm serving radio broadcasters, cable companies, advertisers, advertising agencies and outdoor advertising companies in the United States, Mexico and Europe. Arbitron’s core businesses are measuring network and local market radio audiences across the United States; surveying the retail, media and product patterns of local market consumers; and providing application software used for analyzing media audience and marketing information data. The Company has also developed the Portable People Meter system, a new technology for media and marketing research.
Arbitron’s marketing and business units are supported by its research and technology organization, located in Columbia, Maryland. Arbitron has approximately 1,800 employees; its executive offices are located in New York City.
Through its Scarborough Research joint venture with The Nielsen Company (formerly VNU), Arbitron also provides media and marketing research services to the broadcast television, magazine, newspaper and online industries.
ABOUT ECAST:
Ecast operates the largest broadband touchscreen media network in the United States, providing digital music to over 10,000 bars and nightclubs across the country. Our unique touchscreen music service allows locations to put the power of choice where it should be: with the consumer. Utilizing the speed and scalability of broadband, Ecast delivers music, advertising and other forms of entertainment to the young-adults most responsible for affecting purchasing decisions and consumer trends. Ecast is changing the way people listen to music in public places and revolutionizing out-of-home advertising. Ecast’s investment partners include Crosslink Capital, DCM, El Dorado Ventures, Focus Ventures and Mobius Venture Capital. For more information, please visit www.ecastnetwork.com.