Wait Marketing and Contextual Advertising

The passengers, waiting at the Stansten Airport (London), had an unexpected theater representation!*
This Wait Marketing campaign started in May 2008 is intended to promote theater.
Not only the show was for free but the - amazed - travellers could purchase theater tickets with a 50
% discount on Lastminute.com.



This is a great example of Wait Marketing. Although the sleeping and busy passengers would probably have appreciated a less disruptive solution.

Wait Marketing quick-win for your company: always give consumers the choice to interact with you ;)

Prof. Diana Derval, MBA
Author of the book Wait Marketing
President, Research Director of DervalResearch

* thanks to Louis Malo for reporting this video!

Leading Dutch mobile phone services provider, KPN is massively promoting television on mobile phone with an appealing offer for less than 10 euros per month. Nokia N96 device, to be released soon, should be proposed as the ideal phone for multimedia entertainment.

KPN used a very effective wait marketing campaign to launch the TV service with the catchline "Wachten woord leuk met mobielTV van KPN"* on multiple billboards at strategic waiting places, in train stations - very close to the free newspapers :)

If the communication campaign is a success, we can question the service in itself. As reported in my book 'Wait Marketing', studies show that even in waiting situation, half of the consumers will rather do nothing - in appearance (they are probably thinking or dreaming, which is also very useful) - and are not really willing to pay for services while they are waiting (they feel like they pay for the wait!).

So far, TV on mobile is successful in Japan. This is because families live together in a small apartment and the mobile phone is the only way for younger users to see interesting content. In Europe where you find more TVs than rooms in our houses, users watch TV on their mobile mainly to access 'adult' content.
Let's see how many users KPN manages to convert :)

Prof. Diana Derval, Author of the book 'Wait Marketing'
President of DervalResearch

* in English: 'Waiting becomes nice with KPN's MobileTV'

The Dutch insurance company Reaal Verzekering uses Amsterdam's canals to practice Wait Marketing. The striking and amusing sight of a large bath with the company name on the side, complete with a pair of legs pointing into the air, drifting down the gracht is effective and entertaining, provided the company name is easily visible and it doesn’t mask the picturesque canal view.

With adapted visual and colors, it is a consumer-friendly and very easy to implement guerrilla marketing coup — could this open up a new communications ‘canal’ for others as well?

Prof. Diana Derval, Author of the book 'Wait Marketing', President of DervalResearch
& Stephen McMullin, Research Assistant

How do you make a shop stand out in an airport? The Dutch airline, KLM, are soaring above the competition with their novel Schiphol storefront, which is modelled on the engine and partial landing-gear of one of their passenger planes.

Whether you are a busy commuter rushing for a flight or you have a little more time to look around, there can be no missing this striking structure. Add to the store’s appearance that it only sells KLM promotional goods — model planes, branded stationary, etc — and you have the Wait Marketing way to increase your market reach :)

Prof. Diana Derval, Author of the book 'Wait Marketing', President of DervalResearch
& Stephen McMullin, Research Assistant

French news vendors Relais H are on the right track with their Wait Marketing concept of mobile newspaper stands in Paris. With all the major French newspapers available to commuters on the Thalys platforms, Relais H are not only providing a useful service, but actively promoting themselves in the process and converting customers on-the-go!

If the idea spreads, it could mean light at the end of the tunnel for bored train travellers worldwide :)

Prof. Diana Derval, Author of the book 'Wait Marketing', President of DervalResearch
& Stephen McMullin, Research Assistant