London’s most attention-grabbing bus shelters
Screens at London bus shelters garner an average of 4.4 seconds of attention, ahead of other digital channels including social media, according to new research.
JCDecaux worked with Lumen Research and used Transport for London (TfL) data in the Attention! London Calling study to link time spent at bus shelters and the amount of attention on screen.
Using TfL tap-in data, JCDecaux found the top five bus shelters in the capital that would give advertisers the most impressions: Barking Station, Seven Sisters Station, Wood Green, Ealing Town Hall and Bexleyheath Market Place.
After bus shelters, the next highest attention levels on digital channels, according to the study, were Instagram and Facebook in-feeds (at three seconds each), YouTube skippable that is less than 15 seconds (2.9 seconds) and non-skippable six-second ads (2.4 seconds).
The study, which used videos, eye-tracking technology and surveys to monitor the attention levels of 450 people driving, walking and waiting at London bus shelters, also found that three-quarters (75%) of people who were exposed to a brand twice at a bus shelter screen recalled that brand.
A two-screen future
Chris Felton, director of data and insight at JCDecaux UK, said the study revealed why bus shelters should be included on “any omnichannel plan” that was “designed to target attention metrics” in London.
He explained: “That’s because using TfL data, we can now deliver campaigns on bus shelters that deliver the highest attention, plus prompt action via mobile as passengers travel by bus or connect to the wider transport network. Last year, only three ad channels grew, showing the two-screen future of OOH and online has arrived. And for brands planning for attention, this insight will be key.”
JCDecaux highlighted that bus shelter screens reach 70% of the London audience.
Mike Follett, founder and CEO of Lumen Research, said: “In a world of competing messages, attention is a finite resource and brands can now use this insight to plan for attention on London’s bus shelters.
“Our research with JCDecaux UK shows that, at over four seconds, the high attention delivered by posters inside bus shelters drives other metrics including consideration, brand recall and message outtake, showing how attention turns into action.”
Out of a total of 10,000 London bus shelters which have ads, 441 are digital screens on the inside of the shelter, described by JCDecaux as “high-attention advertising sites”.
Tap into bus ‘me time’
JCDecaux also conducted research with measurement company On Device into passenger activity on buses. It found that brands can prompt action online during valuable bus “me time”.
The study found people spent an average of 58 minutes on their phones out of average journeys of one hour and 29 minutes.
Within that 58 minutes, on average 12 minutes was spent on social media, 13 minutes on streamed games and five minutes streaming content.