• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, February 3, 2009

Two new studies give a boost to out-of-home advertising, touting its ability to reach consumers in a fragmented media environment--especially if advertisers understand behavior patterns in the local market and use the medium in conjunction with other channels.

The first study, released by the Cinema Advertising Council, highlighted the effectiveness of pre-show movie advertising in combination with TV. The second, from Posterscope, delivered insights into the different patterns of consumer exposure to outdoor advertising in various U.S. markets.

The CAC study, performed by IMMI, found that combined cinema and TV ad campaigns more than doubled the conversion rate and lift compared to a TV-only campaign. Tracking the results of three ad campaigns for cable TV shows, IMMI found that only 10.1% of subjects exposed to a TV-only campaign watched the show's premiere, versus 22.7% for combined TV and cinema campaigns. Later, 24.7% of the former group went on to watch any episode of the show, versus 49.5% of the latter.

Cinema advertising contributed to this rise, in part, by reaching a higher proportion of "ad-avoiding" and multitasking consumers. Twenty-eight percent of moviegoers are classified as "ad avoiders," meaning that overall moviegoers are 157% more likely to see ads at the movie theater than on TV.

In addition, movie ads are 64% more likely to reach people who use their phone to send text messages while watching TV, and 25% more likely to reach those who are online while watching TV.

Separately, the Posterscope study provides a market-specific analysis of consumer behavior in the top 20 DMAs, tracking the population's movement and exposure to out-of-home advertising. According to Posterscope's poll of 9,000 adults, 41% of New Yorkers can be reached via public transportation venues, while 50% of San Franciscans can be reached in coffee shops.

Posterscope further breaks down behavior patterns by demographic attributes, noting that men ages 18-34 in Atlanta frequent movie theaters, while their counterparts in Chicago can be reached at public transportation venues.