FT takes ‘digital first’ strategy outdoor
The Financial Times (FT) has launched the first campaign in its “digital first” strategy by streaming editorial content to outdoor display screens targeting the London offices of blue chip companies such as IBM and Google.
FT headlines will be displayed on screens across the city with the content tailored to specific audiences depending on the companies based in the area.
For instance, display screens near the Google offices will receive updates on the technology and media sectors, whereas buildings with companies from other sectors, such as finance, will see a different blend of content.
The campaign kicks off today and comes as part of a tie-up with outdoor advertising firm ECNlive whose digital display network reaches 500,000 executives across the city, including areas such as Canada Square, CityPoint, and Tower 42.
Caspar de Bono, managing director, B2B, at the FT, says having the title’s content streamed to such highly visible locations will help professionals maintain awareness of the brand and issues affecting them throughout the day.
The campaign is the first since FT editor Lionel Barber announced the company’s “digital first” strategy in January this year and follows the title’s 125 year anniversary last month when the title attempted to bolster its appeal to younger audiences.
Speaking last month, Catherine Jacklin, FT director of global brand and B2B marketing, said: “We have been perceived in the past as perhaps just a content provider for the global c-suite but we think good business is everyone’s business.
“But we’re also looking to increase our audience reach to new people and broadening out or demographics – to 18 to 24-year-olds or markets in which we haven’t grown as quickly.”
