• by Tom Siebert , October 16, 2006

Jeep, seeking alternative advertising routes off the well-traveled roads of television commercials and newspaper ads, has turned to the digital jukebox network Ecast to promote its urban sport vehicle, the 2007 Jeep Compass.

After paying for and picking songs on a touchscreen broadband-enabled jukebox, consumers are invited to create their own virtual Jeep Compass by choosing its colors, wheel trim and sound systems while learning about the vehicle's safety and other features (repurposing Jeep's online campaign from Organic). Most importantly, potential customers are invited to sign up for e-mails to receive more information on the Compass or other Jeep models.

By offering a unique platform that mixes the interactive and out-of-home environment, Ecast is able to collect crucial information from consumers who willingly provide it, says Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales George Giatzis.

"Today, the most successful advertising is all about not being intrusive," Giatzis says. "For out-of-home, you're finding it on gas pumps, in elevators--where does it end? Advertising lives in our world where people can interact with it, but it's not intrusive."

Today, Ecast will release preliminary results of the effort, which is two-thirds of the way through a three-month campaign. According to Ecast and Jeep, users have demonstrated an 8.3 percent click-through rate following song-selection, and are spending an average of 53 seconds interacting with the brand. Moreover, almost 3,000 people per week are providing contact information.

According to DoubleClick, the average click-through rate for Web surfers on the Internet is significantly lower, at 0.62 percent.

Ecast's digital jukeboxes are mostly found in upscale bars, nightclubs and other nightlife hangouts, says James Kenyon, senior manager, Jeep Brand and RWD Product communications--which makes it the perfect literal touchpoint for the Compass.

"The Compass is not designed for the family market--it's more of an urban vehicle and skews more female," says Kenyon. "We joke that it's for someone who might only need it for offroading if they're paying too much attention to their cell phone and drive it off the road."