Rea Vaya launched in August 2009 aiming to provide Johannesburg with the beginnings of decent public transport system. A key objective was to connect commuters along 330km of major metropolitan roads in Johannesburg, affording 80% of Johannesburg's urban and peri-urban residents the chance to catch a bus.
Following in close succession, was Cape Town's MyCiti network launch in 2010, just prior to the 2010 World Cup. As with Johannesburg's Rea Vaya, the objective was to offer Capetonians a dependable, affordable, safe transport system.
Long-term benefits for the city include rolling out the MyCiti network to the lowest income areas of Cape Town, including Khayelitsha and Mitchell's Plain, over the next 15 to 25 years. The long-term benefits for both cities are unquantifiable. Not only will an increased number of prospective commuters have a better way of travelling (in terms of speed, safety and affordability), but the more extensive the networks, the further the long-term benefits are experienced, including a reduction in the number of vehicles required to transport more people.
8 June, 2010 signalled the first Gautrain journey open to the public - just in time for South Africa hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The maiden journey was between OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton Station. With the exception of Park Station (due to technical problems), all Gautrain stations are currently operational.
The effects of the Gautrain transport system can already be seen. Over the past five months (September 2011 - Jan 2012) there have been over 700 000 trips averaged per month. Most of these would have been commuting via road pre-Gautrain. A key objective of the Gautrain is to reduce the traffic on the N1 Ben Schoeman alone by 20%. The effects of this will be far reaching.
The Gautrain rail service also includes roll-out of the Gautrain buses, which lift passengers to and from the stations. Although the uptake of this mode of transport is not as successful as planned, any increased usage of the system will have long term benefits in the reduction of road traffic levels in Johannesburg.
The much-spoken about and debated toll roads in Gauteng are still shrouded in mystery. At the time of writing, it is unclear as to when, or if, the implementation of the toll-road charges on the N1 ring road around Johannesburg will commence.
The value of the toll fees will have dramatic impacts on Gauteng's traffic volumes. Many road-users will choose to select routes that avoid the highways, which will put added pressure and strain on the secondary roads. Increased traffic and reduced maintenance (in the form of pot-holes) is clearly expected.
According to the latest OCS study*, a greater number of people are spending more time out of their homes than two years ago. In addition to this, evidence suggests that 73% of people in full-time employment actually spend more time at work than they were two years ago. Understanding when and where to connect with these consumers - and what message to deliver (needs state) has become even more important.
A similar study in the UK found that the average person is spending 33% more time out of home than they were 10 years ago, making this a global phenomenon. As cities expand, and traffic intensifies, the amount of time required to reach your destination increases too. The current economic climate has seen that people are prepared to travel even further if it means that they can secure a steady job - an ideal opportunity to capture audience attention.
One of the major reasons that people are spending more time out of home is predominantly because of the increased time travelling between home and work, and between home and retail stores. According to the OCS 2011 forecast, the typical South African spent 2 hours and 21 minutes travelling. This is made up of a combination of car, bus, taxi, metered-taxi or train travel.
Although initiatives like the Rea Vaya, MyCiti and the Gautrain are improving travel times and travel experiences in those particular cities, they are still some years away from full deployment. As South Africa's population rises and urbanisation continues (by over 1 million people per year on average over the past decade), the infrastructure comes under increased pressure, and road networks get congested, causing traffic and delays. Urban sprawl adds further time to the typical journey, as the average worker is travelling further to get to work now than they did previously (currently the average driver drives 16.5km per day in South Africa - obviously more certain areas than in other.
Historically township travel has been heavily focused on inter-township and city travel - i.e. much of the traffic into and out of the township and the CBD. Other than commuters getting to work, a large reason for this travel was for retail. Township-dwellers travelled far distances to do their weekly or monthly shopping.
However, this is changing, and rapidly. As has been seen with Maponya Mall in Soweto (and soon to be Diepkloof Mall, too), the large shopping malls are being built within the township environments. This is having major effects on the travel patterns. The intra-township taxi traffic is now far more important, as it is taking township-dwellers directly to the point of purchase. This is affecting out-of-home advertising in a big way, as reaching the township market via a few highway billboards is no longer as effective as it once was.
As consumers are spending more time in traffic, the optimum opportunity for brands exists in the successful deployment of integrated campaigns across multiple out-of-home touch points. Brand awareness is driven predominantly through use of the primary OOH medium - namely that of billboards, while targeted conversation (product and service promise) is delivered through a closer, more personable medium in the form of Citilites, and price, product features and benefits is delivered through the 'up front and personal' medium of street poles. The variable messages are consumed in direct relationship to the proximity and relevance of the medium to the audience in the daily journey - as well as pause time at the various touch points during the day-part journeys. Self-drive increases awareness and brand /product recall - more 'pause' time to recall brands.
The increased use of Gautrain, specifically by higher LSM groups and business and international travellers will have a long-term impact on OOH medium placement in and around OR Tambo airport. This, coupled with heightened pressure on travellers (state of mind in the consumer journey) could result in a decreased awareness of traditional OOH medium on approach and exit routes to airports. Placement of media at specific (measured) approach and exit points to airports needs to address customer needs' state in the transient mindset -possibly just brand awareness purpose and not specific sales drive.
Make it highly interactive. Capture attention at the 'pause' moments. Deliver a clue, a price, a promise, a prize! Capture information in the promise of an entry into a highly valued competition etc. ALL of this is possible in a transient / mobile state. Increase the 'pause moment' at traffic lights for the day at a major intersection. Increase the interaction momentum en-transit in public transport systems etc. Present the brand, explain the proposition and set the context for trial.
Consumers do not want to be left waiting 'on/in' their journey of brand experience. They want to be fed with brand information, and are entitled to make decisions on brand take-up (buy-in) during the journey.
Let's break down some facts about commuters themselves.
Primary modes of transport (total sample) during the week:
Did you know that the commute to and from work has the following statistics?
And what about during their lunch hours?
Apart from travellers commuting to and from work, we identified another form of commuter, namely the housewife (or in some cases, the househusband). This commuter spends her/his time running the home and carting their children to and from school, as well as to their various extra-mural activities.
Where are consumers noticing out-of-home media and which forms do they trust?
What are commuters looking out for on billboards?
The stats are vast and varied. People often view commuting to and from work as wasted time, but outdoor allows this very passive activity to be potentially very active. There are increasing numbers of interactive outdoor options that can reach consumers when they are most susceptible to messaging. In this day and age, where budgets are under scrutiny, it's important to gain as many insights as possible when making a purchase, be it in a traditional media format or in out-of-home. The more facts one has when making a decision around advertising spend, the greater the peace of mind that that decision is the correct one and has been made with strategic insights that will ultimately benefit the bottom line of the company. Commuters are a captive audience and their time on the road is the biggest opportunity to get their attention. Out-of-Home advertising, provided it is done using strategic insights, is most likely the best method of reaching them.
Car market:
Entertainment:
Health & beauty:
Banking:
Cellular:
*About OCS
Posterscope's OOH Consumer Survey (OCS) is the world's most in-depth study of consumer behaviour in relation to OOH communications. Audiences can be segmented attitudinally, behaviourally, or demographically and analysed by environment, with a level of detail unavailable through other syndicated research systems. OCS contains data regarding technology use, direct benchmarking against other above-the-line media such as TV and print, more industry specific data (including automotive, financial, alcohol, snacks, soft drink, communication, electronic and travel) and how media actually influences buying decisions.