• by Tricia Despres , April 25, 2005

Soon after the average baseball fan enters the stadium, stops by the concession stand, and finds their seat, chances are they will soon make their first visit to the restroom. In fact, studies show that most sports fans visit the restroom an average of 2.3 times during a normal nine-inning Major League Baseball game. Countless companies looking for relatively inexpensive, but highly effective exposure are now finding it on the walls of both the men and women's restrooms of the nation's sports stadiums.

Fans are a captive audience to restroom advertising during their average visit, which lasts anywhere from one to six minutes. A 2005 Dynamic Sports Marketing Research Study showed that 48 percent of visitors recall the ads they saw while in the restroom, which is three times higher compared to other clutter-filled media venues. Add to that the attractive demographics of the average sports fan, along with the gender exclusivity found in the restroom, and it's no wonder why more and more advertisers are finding a real deal within the confines of the bathroom.

Chicago-based InStadium currently offers clients such as espn, Motorola, and SuperCuts restroom exposure via colorful poster ads in 20 Major League Baseball stadiums. "What was once dead inventory space has become quite an effective advertising opportunity," remarks Jeff Kahn, InStadium's communications director. "The advertising reaches a captive audience in an uncluttered environment."

While InStadium must adhere to category exclusivity clauses that the stadium has already negotiated with an advertiser, the three-year-old company continues to add to its roster local and national clients. "Our clients don't have to blow their whole marketing budget for the chance to get in the stadium and affiliate with a team or mlb as a whole," Kahn explains. "Once they sign on and see the value restroom advertising offers, they tend to stick with us."