Ambient Planet's Promos Connect With Earthlings
Nov 2, 2007
While some may think women are from Venus, Ambient Planet knows how to reach them where they congregate here on Earth. The experiential marketing agency operates its media network at thousands of beauty salons nationwide.
"Salons tend to be breeding grounds for buzz and information," said Perry Kirk, president and CEO of the New York-based agency, which is 80% female. "Women are talking about what they've read in magazines and what they saw on TV. Having your brand be a part of that clutter-free environment is an unparalleled media experience and since salons are primarily female, there are few wasted impressions."
While it might sound like a niche business, keep in mind that each of the 4,000 salons in Ambient Planet's network averages 1,500 customers each month, comprising a rather astounding combined tally of 7.5 million consumers, more than 90% of whom are female. That's why such clients as Clairol, Playtex, GlaxoSmithKline, ABC and Wrigley are flocking there.
Clairol, for instance, chose to target Hispanic consumers with its Balsam brand lasting hair color treatment. At salons in areas that indexed high for Hispanic consumers, Ambient Planet ran Clairol ads on billboards, featured brand information on manicure mats, and placed $2-off coupons in high-traffic areas, such as nail-drying stations. The program is currently running for two months. "All of these components together allow for a kind of brand domination," Kirk said. "There's no way someone can sit in the salon for an hour and not notice the Clairol brand." In November, Glaxo will use the salon network to target African-American women and promote its Alli weight loss pills.
Since everyone likes to get something for nothing, free goodies are always a hot ticket. For its client ABC, the agency created Desperate Housewives-branded emery boards with tune-in information for the soapy series. And when Wrigley bought salon media to market its Orbit brand, nail technicians handed out gum samples to their customers. Wrigley was so thrilled with the campaign's results that it came back and bought space on Ambient Planet's dry cleaning bags. "That's the litmus test we use to see if an advertiser was successful," Kirk said. "If they come back and renew with us, that's a sure sign they're happy."
Aside from salons and dry cleaner bags, Ambient Planet trades in other unique out-of-home media. While beauty salons are its bread and butter–it intends to expand to 7,000 outlets next year–it also gets brands impressions in such novel places as on pharmacy bags (Quaker Oats, CBS, Kraft Sugar-Free Lifesavers), in barber shops (Nike, UPN), and at hotels (General Mills, HBO, Comedy Central).
The latter is a growing marketing medium. Catering to business travelers who are attending conferences and conventions, Ambient Planet clients can reach guests through such items as branded key cards, slippers, mirrors and pillowcases and treat them to complimentary products. For Comedy Central's roast of William Shatner, the agency stuck ad clings on hotel TV sets so that consumers had to peel them off in order to watch the tube. "We've even been asked to brand the ironing boards," Kirk said.
Her main goal for Ambient Planet is to create opportunities for consumers to feel the brand–literally. "Our motto is: 'It has to be experiential,'" Kirk said. "It has to touch the consumer's hands."
For more information please visit www.ambient-planet.com.
