According to a new consumer survey carried out by YouGov for Ocean Outdoor, nearly half (49%) of 18 to 24-year-olds say they would be interested in seeing more live content on digital out of home (DOOH) advertising screens.

And one in four also says they are more likely to engage with adverts that appear alongside live broadcast content such as entertainment, news and sport.

A nationally representative sample of more than 2,000 GB adults took part in an online study. The survey was commissioned by Ocean to better understand consumer attitudes to broadcast content carried across its portfolio of city centre and roadside screens in 12 leading UK cities.

The new survey forms part of an industry seminar which took place at the Royal Academy of Arts in London yesterday (January 29).

Phil Hall, Managing director at Ocean Outdoor UK, said: “Ocean has developed a clear content strategy to create standout brand experiences at scale. We use premium broadcast-led content to connect hard to reach audiences with personal, immersive outdoor brand experiences – which they say they like and trust. This new survey reveals that in an age of fake news, ad blocking and a decline in both social media use and terrestrial TV viewing, combining linear broadcast content with new and interactive technology allows us to build a channel which is trusted and engaging. We are delivering the sort of content that discerning, younger audiences want to see.”

Key findings

Like

• 25% of 18-24-year olds are more likely to pay attention to ads alongside live content on digital billboards and posters outside of their home than standard ads alone.

• Young people are the most enthusiastic: 49% of 18 to 24-year-olds say they are interested in seeing more live content on DOOH screens, closely followed by 44% of 25 to 34-year-olds and 37% 35 to 44-year-olds.

• One in four 18 to 24-years-olds are also more likely to engage with ads that appear alongside live content, such as a sports match.

• As well as being interested in seeing more live content on DOOH, just over one in 10 (11%) of all respondents would like to see more dynamic and interactive advertising.

Want

• Almost half (49%) 18 to 24-year olds are interested in seeing more content on screens, compared with  one in three of all respondents (30%).

• Breaking news was the most popular form of live content for all respondents (77%) followed by weather updates (72%) and live transport updates (66%). 38% like to see film and TV trailers, with live sports (27%) and music related content (21%) also proving popular.

Trust

• 16% of 18 to 24-year-olds agree they are more likely to trust that the live content they see on a DOOH screen is genuine, compared to seeing content online or on other traditional media channels like TV or print.

• Whilst DOOH has not been around for as long as more established channels, irrelevant of age, audiences are likely to trust it just as much as traditional media, and in some cases more. 71% of people aged 35 to 54 agree that they have the same level of trust in DOOH as much as online and traditional media channels, compared to almost 3 in 5 (63%) of 25 to 34s and almost half (49%)18 to 24-years-olds.

Respond

• One in five (21%) 18 to 24-year-olds say they are more likely to take action towards a brand which appears alongside live DOOH content, compared to one in 10 overall.

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Retailers are today bracing themselves for ‘Takeback Wednesday’ with the return of online purchases set to rise a phenomenal 80% today. This comes as consumers get back into the swing of reality on the first working day of the year, and return those unwanted Christmas gifts that just didn’t quite hit the mark.

With over half of online shoppers electing not use a retailer again if the returns process is difficult, it’s imperative that online retailers not only understand how to provide an optimum shopping experience, but that they strive to reduce returns altogether.

Steve Gershik, CMO at inRiver comments: “As consumers get back to work post-Christmas, the rush to return unwanted items begins. Reducing the volume of returns needs to be at the top of online retailers’ priorities for 2019 in order to limit the financial impact on their business.”

“While many retailers are focused on shifting as many goods as possible over the holiday sales period, if products don’t meet shoppers’ expectations, they’ll be returned instantly. Our recent research found that nearly a quarter of shoppers (22%) said the products they buy online rarely meet their expectations, causing nearly half to always return items (48%).”

“Understanding the reasons why consumers send products back will enable e-commerce businesses to focus on providing a better experience, reducing these occurrences. Shoppers need to know exactly what they are purchasing; it is up to retailers to deliver a product that is consistent with expectations. Ultimately, if customers feel let down by a retailer, they’ll go elsewhere in the future.”

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A study launched by Gekko titled ‘Service not Sci-fi’, reveals that UK shoppers would rather deal with real people not robots or artificial intelligence when it comes to shopping.

The study found that 81% of UK shoppers claim the personal touch has disappeared from retail customer service in modern Britain, with almost a third (32 percent) blaming an over reliance on technology for this decline. Half of those polled think that companies in the UK are using technology to save money, rather than improve customer experience.

Despite living in a world driven by technology, most people don’t want technology at the sacrifice of humans’ opinions and experience.  Only 30 percent said they would like to see ‘smart pricing’ initiatives adopted by retailers, where prices change in real time depending on demand, 22 percent smart mirrors that show a 360 view of themselves, 16 percent a virtual reality changing room, 14 percent augmented reality to help visualise products in the home and 9 percent a talking robot assistant.

When it comes to buying online, 43 percent of UK shoppers have had their screen freeze while trying to make a purchase, so when asked what makes a great bricks and mortar shopping experience, 49 percent of those polled said it was down to having good staff on the shop floor, staff that know the products (49 percent) and staff that go the extra mile (47 percent). Coupled with this, 61 percent of the nation would prefer to deal face to face when complaining, 59 percent when enquiring or trying to find out more about a product and 73 percent when getting a refund.
And businesses take heed – a third of Brits say that the personal touch is more likely to make a repeat purchase, and more than a fifth (22 percent) claim they always spend more money in a shop if they are served by a good assistant, incrementally adding to sales. Over a third (34 percent) of shoppers stated that a poor experience has driven them to buy from another retailer.

The research also highlights the impact of the decline of the local shop, with a quarter of Brits saying they miss shopping somewhere where people recognise them, 16 per cent confessing they preferred the days when they could talk through a purchase with a someone in-store, and a quarter saying online shopping is less fun than buying something in a real shop.  The convenience of a store’s location is also stated as important by 43 per cent of respondents which means that as retailers consolidate their estates, many will notice the effects, further emphasising the need to carefully consider the experience being provided in-store and the staff needed to deliver the experience.

According to the research, we waste almost an hour and a half a month – which is 17 hours a year, the equivalent of more than two days at work – interacting with automated technology, only for a human to have to step in and help.

Bug bears include getting someone to rectify a problem with the self-service checkout, and ringing customer services and dealing with a recorded voice, only to repeat the details to the person you end up talking to.

It’s little wonder, then, that 51 percent of Brits have slammed the phone down during an automated call, as the system didn’t recognise what they were saying.  And 47 percent of shoppers have experienced self-service checkout failure that’s had to be rectified by a shop assistant.

In fact, more than three quarters (77 percent) of UK shoppers admit they’d much rather use a checkout with a person on it, rather than taking the self-service option.  More than 4 in ten (43 percent) British shoppers would rather speak to a person than an automated system when making a phone enquiry, with almost a quarter (23 percent) ending up having to complain on social media when their query hasn’t been responded to via the automated service.

Daniel Todaro, MD of Gekko said: “Everyone is talking about technology and innovation within retail, but our research clearly shows that what consumers really want is the human touch.  With traditional retail under more pressure than ever and an astonishing 81% of people feeling that the personal touch has disappeared from shopping, businesses need to focus on the customer experience in these tough trading times to help keep the high street alive.”

By understanding your brand, its target audience and your channel, Gekko Field Marketing are able to create campaigns and strategic teams that actively enhance the shopper journey and increase profitability within crowded categories.

The omni-channel continues to drive change within traditional retail, and through our research and understanding of high ticket, considered purchases, we help brands complete the customer journey from ATL to purchase. Gekko deliver insightful and effective Field Marketing solutions, converting shoppers into customers of your brand.

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