- 60 per cent notice when new adverts appear on their commute
- Two in five actively seek out adverts to read
- Despite Brexit, the urban audience still views trips away as an important spending priority
- Time Out and Exterion report reveals how travel advertisers can make the most of their budget, through targeting young people during their commute
A sweet spot for travel advertisers to reach young urban audiences has been found as it is revealed that 80 per cent of urban millennials and 67 per cent of Londoners are daydreaming about short breaks during their everyday routine, including at work and on their commute. This is according to findings released today from the ‘Urban Socialising Report 2017’ by Time Out and Exterion Media.
In combination with the fact that 60 per cent notice when new ads appear on their regular London Underground journeys and two in five actively seek out adverts to read in this environment, advertisers have ripe opportunities to influence this experience-hungry but difficult to reach audience.
Although 78 per cent of the urban audience expect European holidays to cost more post-Brexit, only a minority (24 per cent) think this will cause them to be less likely to take holidays to the continent as a result.
The research also found that city dwellers continue to splash out on long holidays and short breaks, and are likely to book even more trips away than before. Travel marketers shouldn’t just be thinking seasonally, as the urban audience isn’t. 79 per cent of them tend to book short breaks throughout the year, showing that there is scope to reach this audience with short break inspiration year-round, especially city breaks, which are millennials’ favourite type of holidays.
In order to understand how to effectively target this audience, Time Out’s and Exterion’s extensive report identifies an “Engagement Zone”. By sharing information – i.e. holiday deals in the morning – and inspiration – i.e. imagery of the destination – in the evening, marketers can make the most of urbanites’ daydreaming nature during their commutes and brands can target an audience that is constantly planning their next trip.
Christine Petersen, CEO of Time Out Digital comments: “Our joint research has found a sweet spot for travel advertisers to connect with young urbanites, one of the most complex audiences to understand and target effectively. We know that they are determined to get out and see the world despite - or maybe because of - all the change happening around them, and we also know that they like to daydream about their trips during their commutes. This is invaluable knowledge for airlines and travel companies who can tap into this consumer behaviour by optimising their campaigns to make the most of their budget.
“During commuter times, Time Out’s urban audience of prolific travellers loves to read our weekly magazine and our mobile and social channels see traffic uplifts. This allows advertisers to hit the right people with the right frame of mind, at the right time to inspire and influence their holiday and short break decisions across multiple touch points.”
Nicola Barrett, Head of Research at Exterion Media, adds: “The Urban Socialising Report uses our award-winning 11,000-strong work.shop.play. community panel to delve deep into the urban audiences’ motivations and behaviours. Time Out was the perfect partner to launch the report, given their in-depth knowledge and understanding of city dwellers, including commuters. There is a huge opportunity to tap into the social lifestyle of this valuable and complex audience in the right place, at the right time.
“By using our wealth of data, we can identify socialising audiences on the move and provide data-driven solutions and insight to help brands and advertisers target this young urban audience much more effectively.”
About the Urban Socialising report
Time Out, the leading global media and entertainment brand that inspires and enables people to make the most of a city, and Exterion Media, a leading out-of-home media owner in the UK, launched the ‘Urban Socialising Report’ to help advertisers better understand young urban audiences, as well as the opportunities that exist to target them via digital, mobile, social, event, print, and out-of-home media advertising when they are out and about.
The full report can be found here
The Urban Socialising study covers:
Socialising in the City
● Makers vs shakers – decision making and purchase journeys
● How and when marketers can influence increasingly spontaneous Millennials
The Social Commuter
● How and when do Urbanites pay attention during their commute, and what is the Millennial mind-set while travelling to work?
● During their varied journeys, where are the multiple touch points at which to target and influence this challenging audience?
A Social Summer
● How marketers can utilise the growing opportunities over the summer to target the socialising audience in outdoor spaces and habits over the summer months
● How Millennials find out about summer events and which ones are most popular
Social Short Breaks
● Brexit fears don’t tell the whole story
● Daydreaming the days away, with a wide window of opportunity
Social Entertainment
● Do Millennials still have an appetite for culture in an uncertain time?
● Explanation on a new breed of intimate music festivals and new love for cinema