30-31 Blow Up Spread Bc Def

Giants helping giants… T-Mobile, AOL, BMW, London 2012, the Sheikh of Dubai. Berlin, Manchester, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, Amsterdam, etc, etc. Everyone’s seen them – hey, you can’t miss them - the giant posters adorning the scaffolding of buildings, tens of meters high, tens of meters wide. No longer a novelty, they remain impressive nevertheless.

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Coolbrands: Martyn in discussion with Ernst Vos

Matters were different some years back, though, and when blowUP media, part of German outdoor advertising giant STRÖER, imported the medium from the States to Europe in the mid-1980s, they faced an outdoor media market that was dull, static and unsexy. Media buyers and agencies had computer applications that meticulously calculated the number of GRPs (Gross Rating Points or the percentage of the target audience reached by an advertisement) to be spread over trusted media such as TV, print and advertising columns, focussing heavily on the level of media contact – reach – instead of the qualitative impact. Outdoor advertising suffered from a serious amount of clutter, with no distinction and next-to-no positive effect on the advertisers’ brands. A tough market to enter, therefore. Yet, in untrodden territory, the rewards can be great, with opportunities for inventive companies capable of learning and adjusting and willing to take a calculated risk. blowUP was one of the organisations willing to jump in the deep end, and since the paddling days of old, they now enjoy 55% of a hugely lucrative market. This is how they did it… Location, location, location To overcome advertisers’ scepticism, blowUP’s first concern was to ensure the giant poster was accepted as a serious medium. Since the first giant posters were no bigger than 100 square meters and mounting techniques were still in the kindergarten stage, this was blowUP’s first point of focus. At the same time, they addressed another crucial point of developing good relations with real estate companies and municipalities. Numerous lobbying visits were made to pave the way. Real estate companies were happy to join due to the considerable profits to be made when taking part in a giant poster project, while at the same time increasing the value of their properties. In blowUP’s business model, all three parties involved in a giant poster project – the real estate owner, the municipality and blowUP itself – divide equally the profit of any given project, after deducting costs. Municipalities were also positive towards the new medium, in part thanks to the money involved, and secondly because this temporary commercial activity had a positive effect on the looks of their cities as well as adding a new, metropolitan vibe. All they had to do in return was to issue rules and regulations, grant permits and make sure they were observed. Thank you very much.

In the meantime, the company has perfected the mounting techniques required for the posters, making the posters resemble giant billiard cloths that can be illuminated at night and simply look impeccable. Enforcement of the regulations by municipalities over time helped mature the medium. The giant posters are hugely effective. They have been shown to have a proven recall rate of over 50% and a leverage effect for other campaign media. They also offer a perfect opportunity to target specific target groups, such as corporate, students, or advertisers can simply take over an entire city, blanketing it in a particular slogan or colour, unheard of before their arrival. With three-dimensional printing and the arrival of interactive features such as Bluetooth at a poster site, they have truly entered the 21st century. blowUP media is now the market leader in Europe, and has started to create its own demand. To develop the medium further, the company has entered into partnerships with outdoor media specialists. It has also developed a strategy to maintain and expand its position, based on the following points: • Strict selection of locations - offering only class-A locations • Selection of clients - serving only top clients • Highest level of creativity - generating high impact and free publicity • Best problem solution ability • Greatest flexibility and highest speed • Customer service excellence • Added value for advertisers through the blowUP Europeannetwork - making blowUP the only competitor that offers a pan-European campaign to advertisers • Unsold positions for blowUP Benelux are given to charities such as War Child and UNICEF for free Since its foundation seven years ago, the company has enjoyed an annual growth rate of 35% and has market shares topping 50% in many European countries. The customer service focus and huge impact of their medium means client retention levels are very high. In general terms, the medium has a market share of 5% of media market expenditure and, through companies like blowUP, has become a standard ingredient in almost all major advertising campaigns. This market share is expected to increase to 7% soon, with the final objective being 10% in the long run. blowUP media is determined to further its market leader strategy and operational excellence, while keeping a keen eye on new trends and developments such as increased interactivity and the use of moving images. Keep an eye out for them. As if you have to…

CEO/Managing Director Group: H.L. Leuters, D. Gehring, K. Robertson, Werner Döker, Udo Müller; Benelux: Ernst Vos, Wouter van Beek | Number of employees 110 | Company turnover w55m (2006) | Brand values international, vibrant, innovation, integrity | Brand promise Partnership | Mission statement ´If your advertising goes unnoticed, everything else is academic´ | Target group Top 250 advertisers

blowUP media - Size matters!

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