Branded Cities Canada (formerly Clear Channel Canada) is one of the nation’s premier out-of-home (OOH) media providers. Its exclusive, coast-to-coast network enables advertisers to place media in sought-after Canadian markets, including high-end shopping centers that collectively accommodate more than 86 million customers annually.
"We used to sell boards manually, but now we can profile our boards using a data-based system. Our whole approach shifted to where we tell our clients, ‘it’s not about where you want to be but who you want to reach.'"
OOH advertising is an increasingly popular and cost-effective channel that connects brands with millions of consumers. But how can advertisers know that ads placed in certain locations will reach their target audience? Branded Cities sought a better way to help its clients use OOH media—not as a mass-marketing medium, but as a targeted advertising channel capable of reaching specific consumers in the right environment and state of mind.
After analyzing all 1,782 transit shelters in its network, Branded Cities created a comprehensive database of shelters and their associated street personalities. Now when Branded Cities gets a client brief, analysts simply identify the client’s target audiences and the tool generates a list of all the shelters with the corresponding street personalities. Since its deployment, the Street Furniture Planning Tool has been called a “game changer” at Branded Cities.
At a time when the OOH market has been flat, Branded Cities has seen year-over-year revenue from its street furniture segment rise by 32 percent. By offering clients a new, data-driven perspective on OOH advertising—it’s not about where you want to be but who you want to reach—the company has firmly established its reputation as an industry innovator.
