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Most stores have been employing "announcers" to direct customers
to discount offers and new/remote sections of their store. Many
local retail outlets & malls play music on their CCTV monitors.
But when the largest retail chain in the world (Wal-Mart) decided
to bombard shoppers with TV in their aisles, they ended up becoming
U.S.A.'s 5th largest TV network - and still growing!
Wal-Mart TV
Launched in 1998, Wal-Mart TV is controlled from Wal-Mart headquarters
(Arkansas, U.S.A.) and broadcasts different content to almost all
its 2600 stores across America. Wal-Mart offers the nearest to a
'captive audience' in an age of crowded TV neworks with declining
ratings.
Wal-Mart's raison d'etre is clearly to display a constant stream
of brand advertisments from its clients - companies like Kraft,
Unilever, Hallmark, PepsiCo. Of course, these are interspersed with
previews of movies, sports events, rock concerts, et al. Not to
mention the (now mandatory) corporate messages from Wal-Mart!
Dream
Audience
Nielsen
Media Research has measured Wal-Mart TV viewership and concluded
that shoppers watch Wal-Mart TV for an average of 7 minutes per
visit. That sort of captive audience, so close to the point of sale
- in the age of TiVo - is bound to catch the eye of marketers.
Given that Wal-Mart TV lays claims to 130 million eyeballs every
4 weeks, it must come as no surprise that its ad rates reportedly
range from $100,000 to $300,000 for a 4 week burst. And that existing
clients like PepsiCo are planning to increasing their ad spend for
Wal-Mart TV.
Power
of Television
Wal-Mart
plans to tailor its broadcasts to each area of its stores - much
like a multi-channel broadcaster whose different viewers are provided
different channels & programs. For example, a Consumer Durable Section
would have programming as well as commercials specific to these
products. The Food Section could focus on recipes & commercials
for kitchen equipment.
Moreover, stores in different regions broadcast programming tuned
to regional tastes, situations and perhaps even prevailing weather!
Add the captivating effect of huge, high quality TV screens with
ceiling-mounted speakers along the aisles and you have the power
of TV at its distracting best!
Follow the Leader
In 2004, Bob Dylan ('70s youth icon & global artiste) chose to endorse
lingerie products for Victoria's Secret. Commercialization has made
rapid progress since then. Today consumers are bombarded with brand
messages - both blatant & subtle - from 360 degrees! The reading
is clear - if there are areas which are not a part of this bombardment,
they soon will be!
So it should not be long before other retail chains follow Wal-Mart
TV. And although no chain may have the reach of Wal-Mart, today's
digital broadcasting technologies permits the luxury of economical
& scalable broadcasting platforms.
Meanwhile, Wal-Mart shoppers are expected to pick up loads of bananas
while watching Wal-Mart TV. At the very least!
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Banana
Vision*
Somewhat
derogatively nick-named "Banana-Vision", 7 year-old Wal-Mart
TV is the 5th largest TV Network of the U.S.A. Claiming
to capture 130 million eyeballs every 4 weeks (or a phenomenal
4.65 million eyeballs everyday), Wal-Mart TV's viewership
is incredible because these eyeballs are captive, i.e. not
shared with any other medium for the period of engagement.
The nearest comparision would be a portal engaging millions
of surfers every day, with the surfers not tuned to any other
medium or portal during the period of surfing!
In a move which confirms its growing popularity, Wal-Mart
is currently upgrading its broadcasting equipment along with
its TV sets (to 42" HDTV).
* Banana Vision has probably been coined because the most
prominent TV panel is positioned above a pyramid of bananas!
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