Chris Brogan is Wrong About Urinals (but right about advertising)

Social media maven Chris Brogan finally broke the taboo every blogger fears: he blogged about urinals. He writes about advertisements placed at the urinal and how they miss the point, as they aren’t speaking to their audience at a “point of need.”

What would I want to buy while peeing? Tide to Go sticks? (stain removal) Underpants? Viagra? (if I were older)

See my point on this one? It’s “interesting” (cough cough) that someone came up with the idea to advertise while I’m peeing, insofar as someone thought that’d be a captive audience moment for someone else to convey their message.

I think Chris is being too literal here. This type of advertising isn’t based on the activity in the bathroom, but rather the location of the bathroom. If you are in an airport, you may need to buy a book or magazine before you get on the plane. If you’re in a bar, you are most likely going to buy a beer or drink immediately after you leave the restroom. If you’re at the ballpark, you may want to pick up a t-shirt or tickets for a future game.

So while I don’t think Chris nailed it with his example, his point is important. When advertising is part of your marketing mix, it’s crucial to not just get in front of your audience, but to think about their mindset. Where are they, what are they doing, and what needs are they going to need fulfilled. You have to understand their need and anticipate how you can help them with their decision.

Advertising on a small budget isn’t easy, so when/if you decide to buy an ad, it has to count. When you talk to the Urinal Ad Sales Rep, don’t listen as they rattle off projected number of impressions or demographic profiles or average household incomes for the neighborhood. Try to think about what will be going through someone’s head at the time they view your ad and if your message will help them fulfill a need at that moment. Otherwise, you’re throwing your money away. (Of course, this works for all advertising mediums, not just urinals!)