MSA Audience Growth continues into summer months

The MSA audience continues to grow across 2022. Latest vehicle turn-in and audience data shows visits were up +12% vs May last year whilst remaining above 2019 levels and already +3% above the annual average weekly audience level, at 6.44 million.

The four weeks to May 29th – not including the school half term or the Platinum Jubilee – recorded 25.7 million visits to MSAs in what we believe to be record May audience levels.

The period included discernible audience increases on various routes to Wembley around the FA Cup Final and Football League playoffs, seeing audience uplifts at already busy weekends of up to +8% on routes from supporters of clubs including Liverpool, Sunderland, Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield.

As warmer weather starts to materialise, staycation bookings thrive and a number of events including festivals, the Women’s Euros and Commonwealth Games sold out, we expect to see a continuation of audience growth at MSAs across the Summer as audiences take the opportunity to refuel and recharge on longer journeys.

Summer is our time

The staycation is well and truly back as many Britons are deciding to pack their suitcases for coastal and rural destinations.

The population is also buzzing for the upcoming and highly anticipated sporting events; Commonwealth Games and Women’s Euros both being held in the UK. Along with music festival events like Glastonbury, we can expect our audiences will take full advantage of the summer period travelling across the breadth country to long awaited events.

Staycations are becoming even more important again as the current cost of living crisis and airport disruptions are deterring people from taking holidays abroad. ‘Spending on hotels, resorts and accommodation rose +17% compared with April 2019.’ Tourism chiefs have reported a surge in reservations in recent weeks as travellers turn to the beaches of Dorset, and industry expert’s advisors say staycationers book sooner rather than later. As one tourism chief says; ‘Staycations are still very popular, but the cost of living crisis means holidaymakers are increasingly looking to save money wherever they can.‘

The summer is a Key Moment with an average weekly MSA audience of 7 million & an average of 7.4 million during our summer peak August bank holiday. We can expect to see an MSA uplift during this the summer with people continuing to ‘staycate’ and take trips closer to home.

We have already seen the Platinum Jubilee weekend kick-start the summer. Our Early audience data indicates we have seen double the effect what we normally see (+19%). We expect this level will continue and get even higher during summer.

Micro Moments like sporting events and festivals create significant regional audience bubbles to MSAs. The importance of popular events like Glastonbury and the Commonwealth Games have a huge impact on our MSA audience uplift.

MSAs are a key refuel moment for festival audiences, ensuring a stock up on brands and products for the six-day event. Data shows us that sales across MSAs ahead of previous Glastonbury were up +22% with hygiene brands. Including dry shampoo +30%, travel size toiletries +84% & antibacterial wipes +262%.

Research shows us that a third of ticket-holders will travel using public transport. With the recent announcement of train strikes during the Glastonbury period, coach ticket packages sold out in 18 minutes and the high demand for car-shares, we can expect a huge audience uplift with people using local MSAs as a vital hub to recharge and refresh.

The anticipation and excitement for the Women’s Euros and Commonwealth Games is extremely high as tickets for both major sporting events are expected to sell out. The Women’s FA Cup Final had a record attendance, so we can expect this high level of interest and participation for both this summer.

From real audience data we know there is an increase in MSA visitors from travelling sports fans on specific routes.  With the Commonwealth Games geographically spread across 14 venues, we can expect an MSA audience increase as many people will be travelling from all over the country to attend games.

This comes at a time when MSA audiences are thriving. Our May data shows we were up +12% on 2021 still above 2019 levels and already +3% above our annual average audience. This reflects the MSA audiences going from strength to strength and looks promising for continuing over the summer as staycations, festivals and events thrive.

These stats contrast with the country’s current experiences and the current audience trends across transport and city centre environments.

Hybrid working still seems to remain popular as 24% of the population are still working between home and the office. 38% of people are no longer working full time at their working place. Returning to the office is seeming less popular in the UK than in Europe as UK commutes are at 78% of pre-pandemic levels. This is having effect on the number of passengers on public transport.  Tube passengers remains at 70% of pre-Covid levels, according to TFL figures.  

Passenger numbers at City stations such as Bank have lagged behind the general recovery, at 55%-60% of 2019 levels. Workers in London have been slower to return and South Western Railway says that rush-hour arrivals into London Waterloo have only recovered to 50% of the number pre-pandemic

City centres are at 81% of pre-Covid audience levels. Meanwhile at weekends people are travelling further to enjoy buzzing city centres. Retail footfall is now less than 10% off pre-Covid levels, at 90%.

MSAs are good way of augmenting OOH audiences as the summer still promises some broader travel uncertainty.

Have a great summer!

The upcoming Platinum Jubilee and impact on MSAs during a Key Moment

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is a significant historic event celebrating the Queen being the longest-reigning British monarch in history. The commemoration will mark the 70^th anniversary of her accession to the throne.

There will be an extra bank holiday moved from the traditional spring bank holiday at the end of May to the start of June, creating two holidays on June 3rd/4th. This monumental weekend will provide an opportunity for communities and people throughout the UK to celebrate a historic landmark event.

Previously, the double bank holiday Diamond Jubilee 2012 saw spending and travel rocket. The Diamond Jubilee Impact Assessment estimated for the additional retail sales revenue generated from Royal holidays to range from £515m to £620m. CEBR have also calculated that retail sales are boosted by 15% per day for a bank holiday. The previous Jubilee celebrations brought an estimated £120m of sales to London businesses and 1.2 million people to the capital.

The MSA audience is boosted by audience lifts at Key Moments across the year. The spring bank holiday / half term week traditionally attracts a +10% MSA audience uplift. However, we expect to see double the effect this Platinum Jubilee as 1/5 of the UK population are expected to take an overnight trip somewhere in the UK. Half are planning to take a holiday; half plan to visit friends and relatives. Over 10 million people across the country are expected to participate in the celebrations with many travelling to events.

The scale of celebration is expected to be significantly larger than the Diamond Jubilee. With elaborate events taking place in London, the Platinum party is anticipated to have 22,000 people attending and many more attending other events. From this we can expect a spike in audience for this popular event with people taking advantage of the extended time off and using MSAs as part of their trips away or to London to join the celebrations.

i-media commences D6 Roll out of 520 screens plus D48 Nexus upgrade and expansion to 130 locations

i-media, the leaders in motorway services advertising, has started its build programme of Digital 6 sheet (D6) screens, with 520 screens (on 260 double-sided units) to be installed across its entire network of Motorway Service Areas (MSAs).

20 initial screens have been positioned at five locations, with another 12 screens to be installed (on Monday) by the end of February. This means going into March, i-media will have built 32 D6 screens at eight MSA locations; on track for its Q1 target of 136 screens at 35 locations.

A further 204 screens will have been installed by the end of June, with the full roll out of 520 screens completed by the end of Q3.

In addition, i-media will add to its 50-screen D48 Nexus network, by installing a screen at each of its 130 MSA locations. The Nexus build will also be completed by the end of September and will include a full screen upgrade of each existing and new location. Screens will be upgraded to a pitch of 6.25mm and this process has also began in February.

i-media CEO Jonathan Lewis comments: “This ambitious digital installation and upgrade typifies the rapid transformation and recharge we are bringing to the changing MSA environment. Our commitment to improving and enhancing the advertising environment for our clients through this extensive screen roll out endorses our commitment to technology, data and quality of impact that defines outdoor advertising’s role in the ever-changing media mix. This digital overhaul brings advertisers the best opportunity to reach a growing audience in an ever-improving environment in the most intelligent and accountable way.”

The digitisation comes on the back of audience growth vs 2019 across the Summer and the second half of 2021, combined with infrastructure improvements such as Electric Vehicle charging points and a broad repertoire of retail brands that make MSAs a destination for all motorway users.

Electric Vans: A huge, missed opportunity for manufacturers as sales and consideration stagnates, despite potential.

In the context of the current Electric Vehicle sales surge, it is diesel that still dominates the van market with only 3% of our comprehensive research sample of van drivers and van fleet owners choosing alternative fuels.

This belies the huge potential for this market and audience right now, as Electric Vehicles continue to rise and lead growth in the car market, even amidst component supply issues. Many “name” delivery businesses have embraced alternative fuels; Amazon and the Post Office have notably submitted huge orders for electric van fleets.

The market also looks incredibly competitive. New van manufacturers including Arrival, LEVC and even the revived Morris Commercial, look set to challenge traditional automotive manufacturers, with range extension beyond 60 miles a key element for the industry to get right.

Our research with YouGov– the 4^th wave of our Connector series into Electric Vehicle trends and the first specifically among a van owner audience – asked 1,000 van owners and drivers in November 2021 questions on perceptions, drivers and barriers around adopting alternative fuel vans.

So, what is the prospect for short and medium term growth and acceptance of electric vans?

The decision-maker audience still needs convincing. It lacks awareness and a real understanding of the benefits that can overcome scepticism around factors, already largely embraced in the EV car market.

There is, however, some appetite for change. 18% expect to switch to an EV van, but only in the next two years (and only 11% in the next 12 months). A further 23% expect to switch after another two years.

But there remains 57% who are either resistors to change (27%) or those who just don’t know (30%). This suggests a need for incentive, education and improvement in the offer – given many users are constantly on the road. 57% of our sample, for example, use motorways regularly.

Clearly there are roadblocks to acceptance, even active consideration. This pattern looks incredibly similar to what we’ve seen with EV cars, only lagging behind. Half of our van driver sample refer to cost as the key barrier, but this number is lower than we saw for EV car resistors. Convenience hygiene factors – range (46%), charge time (43%) and battery longevity concerns (37%) – are key elements and all greater concerns that have now largely been addressed in the car market. Similarly, access to charging points is a barrier to 36%, so key usage and infrastructure elements look like they haven’t addressed the specific van audience to any degree.

A hybrid alternative doesn’t appear to be a short-term solution, summarily rejected by 40% of our sample.

36% do see the environment as a reason to purchase, but most remain stuck behind the traditional roadblocks that are simply not shifting perception and therefore behaviours.

Behind this, awareness of economic and tax benefits remains low, again suggesting a fundamental job to engage the opportunity. 44% expect the cost to be higher, removing any key incentive presented by the environmental upside. 57% are concerned by the cost of routine servicing, with SME audience awareness of grants not really cutting through. Meanwhile van emissions continue to outpace those in cars, with little shift in market penetration that we’ve seen in cars for some time now.

A fundamental lack of understanding of vehicle range and charge time are such dominant factors as to present an opportunity to start a conversation with this audience. Pointedly three quarters would be more likely to consider an electric van if they could charge it in under an hour.

They would particularly consider a vehicle from their trusted manufacturer and 57% would be more likely to consider change once they see more electric vans on the road. This is where 2022 appears a critical point for the van market. Real potential for change exists. Education, awareness and the communication of benefits are critical to kick start the revolution.

Our experience over four waves of Electric Vehicle research highlights that change can happen very quickly. 2022 is the opportunity for this van audience – a chance to shift the Don’t Knows and EV resistors (57% of this community), and to accelerate those clearly happy to embrace the wider sentiment towards Electric Vehicles. With competitor brands emerging fast, the time is right to truly engage a thoroughly neglected audience and start shifting behaviours to benefit the many.

Ian Webber is Sales Consultant, Motors, at i-media

MSA Moments

The MSA audience is boosted by Audience Lifts at Key Moments across the year

Our ability to accurately measure audience mobility at MSAs, thanks to vehicle camera data, not only demonstrates the full recovery in motorway journeys post-pandemic, but also enables us to track the nuances in MSA visits across the year, fundamentally dictated by the UK public’s opportunity and inclination to travel.

The weekly audience to MSAs making the most of the opportunity to recharge and refuel and to take that all-important break from motorway driving, is an average of 6.3 million across the year. This significantly fluctuates seasonally, creating visual peaks that mirror key travel times for family audiences.

MSA audience peaks

The first Key Moment of the year comes in the February Half Term when audience numbers leap to around 6.2 million a week, up +15% on Q1 MSA audience levels before remaining at levels around 6 million for the remainder of the quarter.

Q2 sees a significant spike vs Q1, a +20% shift as MSAs become busier around the Easter period, school holidays and then accelerating towards the Spring Half Term week. In 2022, this week is being extended into early June. With the Staycations boom predicted to remain in place, this will create an extended audience spike into the June festival season (where a +10% audience spike is expected at local MSAs for the Glastonbury Festival).

The Summer sees MSA weekly audiences reach 7 million, rising to 7.4 million and a +25% uplift around August Bank Holiday. A sustained uplift of around +20% from June-September reflects the importance of motorway travel as we utilise the leisure opportunities at our disposal and maximise our visits to friends and family and short breaks away. October Half Term provides a further uplift in audiences, peaking at 6.6 million and +11% on Q4 travel.

Each period provides significant value in reaching an audience with a positive and leisure-focused mindset. People spend time and money at the MSA locations – the average dwell time is 20 minutes (and considerably longer for families) – and record 94% visitor satisfaction levels as we stop for rest, recovery and recharge.

In terms of the relevance of the MSA Moment to audiences, we see a +12% uplift for the average Moment – much higher in the Summer – and a Half Term audience gain of +6% (again, higher when considering the seasonal effect). Granular analysis can further identify peak travel days.

Importantly these Moments – and micro Moments like sporting events and festivals creating significant regional audience bubbles to MSAs – generate a more active audience and have become an important part of the leisure experience on journeys. As Staycations continue to thrive, and destinations become more varied, the national MSA network (i-media has screens and advertising opportunities and digital screens in 136 locations) is an important location to reach audiences as other travel destinations struggle to fully recover post-pandemic.

MSA audiences 2021 – a return to growth

MSA audiences fully recover across second half of 2021

In line with widely available mobility statistics that show car transport to have fully recovered – and to exceed – pre-Covid levels, i-media has been able to analyse Motorway Service Area (MSA) vehicle turn-in statistics that demonstrate a full recovery of audiences using this environment and that all-important break from motorway driving.

Turn-in data from the MSA owners – plus some customer footfall measurement – allows us to extrapolate audience numbers by location on a weekly basis, demonstrating both seasonality and how audiences use the environment.

The effects of both lockdowns and mobility restrictions are clear to see across accurate real-time data for the past three years. Volumes have particularly picked up from Q2 2021 in the most recent spike, recovering to record a spike over the May Spring Bank Holiday period, before going on to reach record levels last Summer, peaking at 7.4 million weekly visitors to our MSAs over the August Bank Holiday weeks that signalled an end to Summer.

This enabled Summer audiences to peak above 2019 levels (up 2.5%), whilst reaching even greater heights in September (up 9%) and October (up 4%). Performance for H2 reached a 3.2% improvement (double that if you remove restricted travel weeks) on 2019, with Q4 audiences settling up 2%, despite further government restrictions being imposed across the regions in December.

This is an encouraging reflection of the continued growth of MSA audiences vs 2019, particularly whilst other transport and some OOH environments remained at levels as much as below half. Our audiences have been above 2019 levels consistently since May.

Audiences will likely continue to grow across 2022 as Staycation bookings, events, family visits, the return to business travel and general use of private transportation remains strong into the new year. The MSA delivers an important recharge moment for audiences within environments that increasingly seek to deliver rewarding brand and retail experiences.

i-media Electric Vans survey shows missed opportunity

ELECTRIC VANS represent a huge, missed opportunity for manufacturers as alternative fuel sales and consideration stagnates despite potential, finds i-media latest Connector Research.

The take up of Electric Vans remains behind the curve in terms of sales and consideration, when compared to Electric Cars, according to i-media’s latest wave of its Connector Research – the fourth in recent years covering consumer demand for and perception of Electric Vehicles (EVs).

In particular, the van decision-maker audience still needs convincing of the viability of electrification, fundamentally lacking in awareness and a real understanding of the benefits that can overcome scepticism around factors, already largely embraced in the EV car market.

Whilst there are similar barriers facing owners and decision makers – around cost, range and charge access, the vans audience – especially owners of single vans – remains sceptical. The research highlights that whilst there is an appetite for change, key messages around cost and environmental benefits have failed to land to date.

18% expect to switch to an EV van, but only in the next two years (and only 11% in the next 12 months). A further 23% expect to switch after another two years. But there remains 57% who are either resistors to change (27%) or those who just don’t know (30%).

Roadblocks to active consideration look very similar to the EV cars’ experience, only lagging behind. Half of our van driver sample refer to cost as the key barrier, but convenience hygiene factors – range (46%), charge time (43%) and battery longevity concerns (37%) – are key education considerations for the industry.

Awareness of economic and tax benefits remains low, while 57% are concerned by the cost of routine servicing and 36% see access to charging points as a barrier.

Ian Webber, i-media Consultant behind the Connector series comments: “Our experience over four waves of Electric Vehicle research highlights that change can happen very quickly. 2022 is the opportunity to start a conversation with this audience; a real chance to shift the Don’t Knows and EV resistors (57% of this community), and to accelerate those clearly happy to embrace the wider sentiment towards Electric Vehicles. Pointedly, three quarters of van owners would be more likely to consider an electric van if they could charge it in under an hour; and they would particularly consider a vehicle from their trusted manufacturer. With competitor brands emerging fast, the time is right to truly engage a thoroughly neglected audience and start shifting behaviours to benefit the many.

Research partner Mercedes-Benz adds: Mercedes-Benz Vans UK is committed to helping keep businesses moving efficiently and sustainably, so we are pleased to be able to support i-media with their Connector research. The latest results highlight the key barriers and opportunities customers are facing when switching to Electric Vehicles and provides great insight into how we, and others in the automotive sector, can support them.

The research, conducted by YouGov amongst 1,000 van owners and drivers in November 2021, featured questions on perceptions, drivers and barriers around adopting alternative fuel Vans. It is the 4^th wave of i-media’s Connector series into Electric Vehicle trends and the first specifically among a van owner audience.

Admedia rebrands to i-media

Admedia, the outdoor company that handles ad sales at Motorway Service Areas (MSAs) across the UK, has rebranded to i-media.

The company was bought recently by a consortium led by Jonathan Lewis the former CEO of Outdoor Plus and is also backed by ex-Mediacom Global CEO Stephen Allan.

With the newly-purchased company undertaking significant investment in its digital estate, experiential marketing and a greater use of customer and vehicle data, the rebrand reinforces the Company’s ambition to become a truly immersive and intelligent media opportunity.

Jonathan Lewis, i-media CEO said, “The rebrand to i-media is just the first step in a programme of rapid transformation in the environment and reflects the commitment to digitising and improving screen quality. The renaming ensures we are relevant to the next generation of media opportunity that brings outdoor advertising closer to the media mix. We are now embarking on our programme of rapid transformation to bring advertisers the best opportunity to reach a growing audience in an ever-improving environment in the most intelligent and accountable way.”

i-media has plans to treble its digital estate of large format Nexus screens, as well as to build significant numbers of digital 6 sheets across its portfolio of 136 MSAs.