Public Restroom Advertising Tips

Yes, The Public Accepts Restroom Advertising

Data from interviews conducted in 14 locations in New York City, Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia showed that 75% of interviewees said they thought restroom advertising was "a good idea." Only 2% said they thought restroom advertising was a "very poor" idea, and 43% said it was a "very good." Additional data from the same study revealed that 24% of those interviewed reported a more positive response toward a brand after seeing it advertised in a public restroom, compared with just 5% who reported a negative response to a brand. The remainder of the interviewees said that they were not affected either positively or negatively about the brand after viewing the restroom advertising.

People Remember Bathroom Advertising

Choose bathroom advertising for a uniquely captive audience. Research shows that most people spend several minutes in public restrooms, on average, and that they are receptive to reading, and therefore advertising, during this time. And, they remember what they read. A study by Audits & Surveys Worldwide showed that 76% of public restroom users interviewed said that they remembered at least one ad from a restroom.

Choose Bathroom Ads To Get Customers' Undivided Attention

Indoor advertising in a public restroom is a relatively new trend in the U.S. Consequently, people pay more attention to it when they see it. One study conducted by Rice University showed that public restroom users who viewed restroom advertising had, on average, a 40 percent stronger impression of the ad in the restroom compared with ads from other media. Part of the reason for the strong impression is that customers have few other distractions while standing in line for a public restroom. Another reason is simply that restroom ads are unexpected, and thus make a strong impression.

Restroom Advertising Guarantees Gender-Specific Audience

Use of restroom advertising means that businesses can target specifically men or women by placing different ads in men's and women's bathrooms. For example, an acne medication from Proctor & Gamble was placed in restrooms in the New York Subway system several years ago; the ad lettering was printed backwards so women could read it while looking in the public restroom mirrors. In addition, ads designed for either gender can be placed in unisex or family restrooms.

Go High-Tech With Flat Screens For Indoor Advertising

Flat screen technology provides a new form of indoor advertising that can be used in public restrooms. Flat screens are becoming popular in large venues, such as stadiums and upscale shopping areas, where money is no object. Data from the advertising company Media Life indicate that New York's John F. Kennedy Airport has at least 50 flat screens in men's and women's restrooms that run still frames of individual ads in 30-second loops. Each ad shows for three seconds, two times per loop. In some high-tech venues, ads are beamed to flat screen TVs in restrooms.

Use Portable Restrooms As Ad Vehicles

If you are considering freestanding automatic toilets for a public venue, consider using restroom advertising to help defray the cost. Most freestanding automatic toilets cost more than one hundred thousand dollars per unit, and advertising on the outside of these units can help pay for them.

Restroom Advertising Finds Niche Markets

Restroom advertising can go beyond gender-specific ads. Depending on the restroom venue, ads can be targeted to specific groups such as sports fans, ethnic groups, or frequenters of jazz clubs, to name a few. For instance, data from an Audits & Surveys study found that 35% of customers who used restrooms in a particular nightclub were aged 18-24 years, 67% accessed the Internet at home or work, and 26% visited bars or nightclubs twice a week. These data allow businesses to target ads to their customers.

Use One Ad For Impact, Or Several Ads In A Collage

Depending on your needs and budget, companies such as Portland, Oregon-based Water Closet Media specialize in indoor advertising and will design framed ads to suit any demographic group. Research has shown that restroom advertising makes an impact on the coveted 21-35-year-old demographic in particular.
As an example, Water Closet Media sells indoor advertising for public restrooms at 3-, 6-, and 12-month rates of $300, $250, and $225 per month per ad, respectively, for a 17-inch by 22-inch full-color poster. Most ad companies can do collages of several smaller ads as well.

Bathroom Advertising Costs Less Than Print Or TV

Compared with other advertising venues, restroom advertising is a bargain. Advertising value is compared using a measure called CPM (cost per thousand) that represents the cost of a thousand so-called "impressions" that the ad makes on the public. The measure is based on how many thousands of people view and remember the ad relative to the cost of the ad placement.

Prime time television (8-11 p.m.) has a CPM of $23-$44, and a quarter-page ad in a weekly newspaper has a CPM of $1-$7, compared with an average of $1.13 for restroom advertising, according to one study by Audits & Surveys worldwide.