It’s been awhile since we’ve had a chance to weigh in here, and a lot’s been happening. Not just for Wrapify — we’ve launched in Chicago via a major campaign with GhostBed, made a bunch of new hires, moved into a larger HQ — but there have also been a few noteworthy news and trend pieces that deserve closer attention.
These developments speak to both the larger advertising picture and how Wrapify’s success is the result of the demands of the current marketing marketplace.
First, Advertising Age this month reported that revenues for U.S. ad agencies are better than ever — an increase of 6.5% to a record $46.8 billion in 2015. For the first time, digital’s share of agency revenue surpassed 40%. We’ll get back to that in a minute.
Similarly and correspondingly, outdoor advertising also saw its best year ever, accounting for $7.3 billion in revenue. According to our friends at the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, outdoor advertising spending rose 4.6% in 2015 from the previous year. The category has now seen 23 consecutive quarters of growth since the recession.
The two biggest outdoor advertisers were McDonald's and Apple, who held the same spots in 2014 as well. The top ten list rounds out with Verizon, Warner Brothers Pictures, Metro PCS, Coca-Cola, Geico, Universal Pictures, Chase, and Samsung. All great brands.
These facts endorse Wrapify’s ongoing faith in the “Feel the Real” marketing movement….while the other trend is just waiting for reality to catch up to virtual fantasy.
We remain confident that outdoor advertising is going to continue to blossom and expand, while digital may have reached its peak and will plateau. If not in 2016, then next year, as more and more marketers come to terms with the fact that at least half their digital spend is wasted.
Again, let’s go through the list:
- Google confirmed — in a neat infographic, no less — that 56% of all publishers’ ads are never “in view”
- Comscore says that 46% of all online advertising is never seen
- Hacked PCs are faking literally billions of ad clicks
- The use of ad blockers is growing fast, and the biggest number of users corresponds to the key demos of high earners and millennials.
Wrapify has already seen digital dollars flow our way. It’s happening more and more each month, as brands wake up to the fact that half their digital ad spend is wasted. We expect the deluge to hit just about the time reality catches up with this ad-tech bubble (did any of you read Disrupted?).
Wrapify’s not based on technology simply for its own sake, or to create bots to replace people, Wrapify relies on both technology and people, and embraces each to make a proven idea work better in this new age. Car wraps have been around for a long time, but it’s taken Wrapify’s proprietary technology to create an “Uber for advertisers” that delivers a clear understanding of ROI and the ability to track your campaigns. Not to mention our popular SWARM option, which brings advertisers the power to dominate an event or small area with a fleet of Wrapify cars.
But we also involve the human element. Wrapify would be nowhere without our drivers. We’re proud to be helping everyday Americans supplement their income with hundreds of dollars each month. And there’s no shortage of interested Wrapify drivers!