Out of home advertising for new electric vehicles in the first quarter of the year increased the market’s display value by 60 per cent, PML Group reports in its first quarterly Watch bulletin. New EV marques launched included the Opel Mokka, Fiat 500e, Toyota C-HR, and ORA Funky Cat. SIMI said new car registrations for March were up 37 per cent year on year.
Demand for EVs increased by almost half. The data does not include dealer sales. PML also reports that retail remains the biggest OOH category with a 13 per cent share of voice led by supermarkets and convenience stores which comprise over half of activity. Sports shops and opticians recorded major growth. The food category comes in second with a 65 per cent rise.
The growth was driven by dairy and plant-based brands. Biggest percentage year on year increases in display value among the top 10 categories were political and advisory (up 115 per cent), soft drinks (+68 per cent) and energy (+141 per cent). The display value of the top 10 categories on OOH was up 23 per cent in the first quarter on the same period last year.
McDonald’s was the highest investing brand in Q1, followed by Cadbury, ESB and Vodafone. Tesco, Warner Bros and Coca-Cola also featured. When it comes to advertisers, Diageo was the largest outdoor spender with visible activity for brands including Guinness 0.0 and Rockshore. Mondelēz activity for Cadbury included Daymaker, Easter Eggs, Crème Egg and Hot Chocolate.
McDonald’s was active with campaigns including McSpicy, Breakfast range, McPlant and Eurosaver range. Supermarkets make an appearance in the top ten in the form of Musgrave Group (SuperValu and Centra) and Tesco, while telcos Vodafone and Eir were also present. The top ten advertisers increased their OOH display value by 26 per cent in Q1.
James Byrne, marketing manager, PML Group, said the report confirms the appeal of the OOH medium for both FMCG and car brands. “The battle for supermarket sales extends beyond the shelves further up the path of purchase in retail and roadside environments. Billboard visibility continues to be a popular strategy for new car launches,” he added.
