Just How Distracted Are Consumers?

Whether you open your phone, turn on the TV, browse Facebook, or go outside, you’re bombarded with media and ads — and while it wasn’t always this way, advertising has been around for centuries. 

The first newspaper advertisement was published well over a hundred years ago, and by the 20th century, brands were leveraging radio, television, billboards, and even cereal boxes. Then the digital era hit. 

To put things into perspective, in the 1970s, people saw an average of 500 or so ads per day. Today, most adults see an average of two million ads a year — well over 5,000 daily. This influx of ads has led to distracted consumers and the need for creative solutions.

So, how do you stand out in a sea of ads when you’re in the out of home advertising industry?

Hint: You go where your prospective customers are — their homes. More specifically, their front doors. 

The fight for consumers’ attention

Reaching distracted consumers isn’t easy in 2023, and it will only get more challenging. 

Consumers may not be immune to persuasion efforts in the digital age, but many are tired of overused marketing techniques. When considering the history of digital marketing strategies, it’s clear that companies need to adapt and innovate to stay ahead of competitors. 

For example, when digital advertising first debuted, pop-ups were everywhere. Once consumers grew tired of this approach, pop-up blockers stepped in. As modern-day marketing evolved, data-driven opportunities began to fuel the era of highly targeted ads. This strategy led to a new can of worms — privacy concerns, among other issues. Plus, the constant stream of online ads is causing consumers’ attention and patience to wear thin. 

Out of Home advertisers have the luxury of a greater permanence compared to digital, but overwhelmed consumers are getting better and better at tuning out the distractions — and not just online. 

Related: Statistics Reveal Distraction Levels of Consumers on Each Media Platform

Navigating the distracted consumers epidemic 

Even when consumers are open to ads, they are often too distracted to notice. In addition to constant brand messaging, consumers are interrupted by modern technology and their daily routines. Print ads are seen, by the majority of people, for only a few seconds. Digital? Half of that. 

If they’re watching television, they’re still glancing at their phone — bouncing from web pages to social media posts. They’re pulled away by whatever is happening in the background — dinner on the stove, incoming texts, or a social media notification.  

Radio listeners switch stations, continue with in-person conversations, get distracted with their drive (the majority of radio listeners only listen in their car) or simply tune out. 

Billboards, signage, bus wraps… we all agree these work. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be in the industry. If we’re honest, though, we know eyes are only on our ads for a blink longer than digital. And because of advertising overwhelm, they’re being noticed less often.

Your brand and offerings may be relevant to a consumer, but how will your marketing efforts convert if you can’t get them to notice you?

Successful brands and their agencies are pivoting ad spend to command attention from the previously, “unreachable.” Earning the attention of distracted consumers isn’t easy, but when you begin to see the power of undistracted advertising, new doors open up — literally.

Introducing front-door marketing

Front-door marketing is a highly specialized and measurable approach that leverages creative, precisely targeted media to reach consumers in one of the last uncluttered environments — their front doors. 

Whether it be samples, door hangers, or something else, these tangible marketing materials can help boost engagement levels and improve response rates. This creative, exclusive, and uncluttered environment is helping organizations:

• Boost brand awareness while enhancing the customer experience.
• Increase sales and customer loyalty, drive customer acquisition, and improve retention rates.
• More effectively launch new products and promote trials, etc., resulting in eye-popping ROI. 

This approach is not random, either. You can use incredibly complex data to pinpoint which consumers will most likely convert, sending creative messaging exclusively to the homes of top prospects.

The advantages of front-door marketing

Instead of distracted consumers exiting a webpage or forgetting about an ad before they get to the next red light, front-door marketing material is tangible. It’s brought into the targeted consumer’s home, where it has a much higher chance of being further considered. 

The ability to drive response and engagement is everything in today’s distracted world, and front-door marketing is a high-converting solution. Depending on where consumers are in the customer journey, this engagement could improve conversions within your acquisition strategy, or re-engage a previous customer or client to improve retention, etc. Front-door marketing can apply to any of the customer lifecycle stages. 

Front-door marketing is also a vital component of any omnichannel marketing strategy, as it’s a way to connect with distracted consumers who disengage with other channels, like social media or email marketing. 

You can even do address-specific door hanger distributions on a large scale. So previous customer lists, warm leads, or other data can be used to reach consumers. This is similar, in a sense, to direct mail marketing, but is much more effective than direct mail as door hangers don’t simply become part of the cluttered mail. Plus, deliveries are more trackable, can be timed more specifically, feel more personal, and don’t get the same negative association as with bills that come in the mail. 

This channel yields proven results in highly competitive industries, including retail, food service, telecommunications, banking, packaged goods, energy companies, etc. 

Ready to unlock the potential of front-door marketing?

Interested in front-door marketing and want a turnkey solution? Power Direct has 20+ years of experience and proven results, helping companies leverage unique media options that are guaranteed to be seen. 

To learn more, request a free media kit and sample campaign.  

Power Direct is an advertiser with OOH Today