Clear Channel Outdoor launches ‘Connect,’ the first global out-of-home mobile interactive advertising platform | Be Korea-savvy

Clear Channel Outdoor launches ‘Connect,’ the first global out-of-home mobile interactive advertising platform


Consumer using Clear Channel Outdoor's Connect platform to receive advertiser info and offers on their mobile device using NFC or QR code. (image: Business Wire)

Consumer using Clear Channel Outdoor’s Connect platform to receive advertiser info and offers on their mobile device using NFC or QR code. (image: Business Wire)

NEW YORK, Mar 26, 2014 (Korea Bizwire) – Platform will initially reach 175 million consumers monthly across 23  countries on 5 continents – creating the largest network of its kind 

75,000 sites worldwide will be equipped with NFC, QR code and/or SMS  capabilities 

San Francisco and Washington, D.C. are first U.S. markets to be  launched, with more to follow 

In a world first, Clear  Channel Outdoor (CCO), the leading innovator in out-of-home  advertising, announced today that it is rolling out Connect,  its global interactive mobile advertising platform, representing a major  development in the evolution of out-of-home media worldwide – and  generating more opportunities for consumers and brands to connect. Connect  creates seamless integration between out-of-home and mobile, driving  deeper brand engagement with consumers when they are out and about. 

Consumer using Clear Channel Outdoor’s Connect platform to receive advertiser info and offers on their mobile device using NFC or QR code. (Photo: Business Wire)

With Connect, advertising panels on CCO’s pedestrian-accessible sites  across the globe will be turned into mobile launch pads, enabling  consumers to access interactive content from advertisers via their  smartphones. 

By June 2014, CCO will: 

  • Create a mobile network reaching 175 million consumers monthly across  23 countries on 5 continents; 
  • Equip 75,000 outdoor sites with Connect tags enabled for  Near Field Communication (NFC), QR code, and in Latin America, SMS  capabilities; and 
  • Offer marketers the biggest out-of-home/mobile interactive platform  from any media owner and the only one with a global scale. 

William Eccleshare, CEO of Clear Channel Outdoor, said, “We have made  this investment because all our intelligence tells us this is what  consumers want, to be able to engage with brands individually,  immediately and effectively. We are bridging the online and offline  worlds by combining our outstanding audience reach with personal  engagement through mobile devices. The global rollout of Connect  accelerates the metamorphosis of out-of-home advertising from being the  oldest form of advertising to the most modern and creative.” 

He added, “At Clear Channel Outdoor, we take pride in being a company of  advertising firsts. We were the first to introduce the public bike  scheme; the first to deliver an outdoor digital street furniture  network; and the first to run a facial recognition campaign. We have  done it once again with Connect as we are the first to  roll out this interactive mobile platform on such an international  scale.” 

The Connect tags are permanently attached to digital or  static panels on pedestrian-accessible sites with heavy footfall and  long dwell-time, such as street furniture – including bus shelters and  similar street-level advertising structures – shopping malls, airports  and at other points-of-sale. 

Consumers simply tap or scan their smartphone over Connect’s  NFC tag or QR code to instantly open a gateway to an online brand  experience. In CCO’s Latin American markets, the platform will also run  with the addition of SMS capability; a tailored SMS code will appear on  the outdoor advert. 

Advertisers can offer a range of consumer benefits which can be grouped  into 4 main categories: 

  • Information – search, maps, location-relevant, utility 
  • Shopping – transactional, discounts / couponing 
  • Entertainment – gaming, video, photos, apps 
  • Community – social media, text / IM, sharing 

Advertisers and planners will also benefit from the rich data and  metrics captured by Connect, including date, time,  location, conversion of click-thru’s, and even which kinds of devices  were used – all allowing for campaign optimization, performance review  and delivery of ROI. 

Connect is another important leap in our mission to facilitate  closer connections between brands and consumers through enhanced outdoor  and mobile capabilities,” said Suzanne Grimes, President and Chief  Operating Officer, Clear Channel Outdoor – North America. “With Connect,  we offer advertisers easier and more nimble access to mobile-interactive  campaigns as they no longer need to spend time creating NFC tags or QR  codes. Via our preinstalled tags, we seamlessly direct consumers to  advertisers’ mobile optimized content.” 

“With the rise of social media, consumers increasingly expect to be  involved in advertising campaigns and to have relationships with brands,  yet they often reject advertising interruptions in other mediums.  Connect presents the opportunity to target consumers on-the-go, when  they are receptive to messages and can be delighted by timely, relevant  and tailored invitations to engage,” added Grimes. 

CCO will be showcasing Connect and its full capabilities  at the forthcoming Festival of Media Global event (April 6-8) in Rome,  where Clear Channel Communications’ CEO Bob Pittman, will also be one of  the event’s key speakers. 

CCO first launched its mobile platform in the UK with a nationwide  rollout in 2013 that included 10,000 mobile-enabled sites in London and  Edinburgh. CCO’s mobile platform has since been launched in Belgium,  Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Singapore. The global roll-out of Connect  will see additional platforms planned for completion by June 2014 in  Brazil, Denmark, Estonia, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico,  Peru, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the USA. 

Notes to Editors: 

CCO’s mobile platform will be available in the following countries: 

Country  Launch date 
    
Asia   
Singapore  Already launched 
    
Australasia   
New Zealand  June 2014 
    
Europe   
Belgium  Already launched 
Denmark  June 2014 
Estonia  May 2014 
Finland  Already launched 
France  May 2014 
Italy  May 2014 
Ireland  Already launched 
Latvia  May 2014 
Lithuania  May 2014 
Netherlands  Already launched 
Norway  May 2014 
Poland  May 2014 
Spain  May 2014 
Sweden  May 2014 
Switzerland  May 2014 
Turkey  June 2014 
UK  Already launched – adding 10,000 new sites 
    
Latin America   
Brazil  June 2014 
Mexico  June 2014 
Peru  June 2014 
    
North America   
USA  June 2014 

Fast Facts: 

Mobile usage: 

  • By 2017, it is expected that the total number of smartphone  subscribers worldwide will be almost 4 billion (from 3.6 billion in  2014) – equivalent to 80% of the global adult population [Source:  Cisco 2014 Mobile VNI Study
  • It is estimated the percentage of the U.S. population using  smartphones will rise to 64.3%, in 2017, up from 45.7% at the end of  2013. [Source: eMarketer] 
  • Mobile devices accounted for 55% of Internet usage in the U.S. in  January. [Source comScore] 
  • The total value of global mobile payments predicted by 2017 is $13  trillion. [Source: A.T. Kearney] 
  • U.S. mobile consumers making proximity mobile payments are expected to  reach 54.1 million in 2017, as compared to 10.9 million in 2013. [Source:  eMarketer] 

NFC & QR technology: 

  • 416 million smartphones with NFC will be shipped in 2014 as compared  to 120 million in 2012; nine out of the top 10 smartphone  manufacturers now produce NFC enabled handsets. [Source: IHS  Technology] 
  • 31% of U.S. smartphone owners have scanned a QR code or texted to get  more information on a special in-store deal; 40% of these QR code  users claimed that they made purchases they hadn’t planned as a result  of the information they received. [Source: Vibes] 

About Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO) 

Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCO) is one of the world’s  largest outdoor advertising companies, reaching more than half a billion  people every month via a global network spanning 30 countries across  five continents. Clear Channel Outdoor is dedicated to creating  inspiring and innovative out-of-home advertising solutions by  collaborating with advertisers and applying powerful audience insights  that enable brands to engage effectively with consumers when they are  out and about. Clear Channel Outdoor is also pioneering the integration  of out-of-home platforms with digital technologies such as mobile and  social to drive awareness and inspiration to engagement and purchase. 

With a portfolio of over 760,000 displays that includes traditional and  digital formats in roadside, urban, transit and airport environments,  street furniture and at retail near point of sale, Clear Channel Outdoor  also has one of the fastest growing digital out-of-home networks with  some 5,000 screens in 19 countries worldwide. In the U.S., Clear Channel  Outdoor operates in 48 of the top 50 designated market areas. 

Clear Channel Outdoor North America: clearchanneloutdoor.com 

Source: Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (via Business Wire)

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