The research company placed a foot counter outside male and female washrooms at Clearwater Mall on Gauteng's West Rand for a one-month period during August 2012. The first study was conducted at this mall, as it represents the typical profile of a shopping centre in which the company's washroom advertising is usually displayed.
In the past, the company had relied on footfalls from landlords to understand the foot traffic through each environment and washroom entry was based on a variety of studies and research samples, via top research houses.
The study revealed that the washroom foot count was more than 25% of the total traffic through the mall. The total foot count through the centre was 885 738 of which 224 999 patrons visited the washrooms where the advertising was located. Of these, 118 530 were female and 106 469 were male, with the average number of visitors per day recorded at 7 258.
TLC MD, Brett Tucker, explains that often planners do not have a recognised media tool to confirm the media currency related to washroom advertising and as a result, they question the accountability of the media type.
"The ongoing challenge that we face is to break through the traditional mind-set that ambient media such as washroom advertising is untested/unproven, which leads to media planners and clients defaulting back to what they know."
"The launch of this pilot study means we can now provide detailed stats on the total number of people exposed to washroom advertising during the course of a day, week and month.
"The plus point of our media type is that once we know the amount of people entering a particular washroom, we also know they are 100% guaranteed to see our frames. With frames literally placed in front of a consumers face for at least 45 seconds this allows for the transfer of information from advertiser to consumer.
"With budgets becoming tighter and tighter, it's imperative we can show measurability and guaranteed consumer engagements.
"Studies like this are invaluable as they prove that washroom media is a real reach media platform. When you then look at the key salient factors of gender specific, category exclusivity, lifestyle targeted and low productions cost, you cannot help but reconsider washroom as an effective media platform. Hopefully the above can justify investment on our media type and assist in moving people's thinking to so-called 'non-traditional' platforms," concludes Tucker.
