New Year, New Plan

As 2024 is winding down, it is time to learn from the past and craft smart media plans for the year ahead. Businesses and marketers are gearing up for a new year of media planning. The past year has brought an array of shifts in consumer behavior, technological advancements, and evolving trends across platforms. With these changes, it is smart to consider agile, innovative media strategies now more than ever. 

As we head into 2025, Place-based media continues to evolve, driven by digital innovations, increased personalization, and the desire for brands to connect with consumers in more immersive and relevant ways. Place-based media is highly effective because it taps into the context of where people are, when they are, and the behaviors associated with those environments. 

Here are four segments targeting niche audiences that businesses could benefit from reaching. Consider combining these various segments as your are exploring new plans now that a new year is around the corner. 

Retail Advertising 

Retail media networks are advertising platforms owned and operated by retailers that allow brands to place targeted ads on the retailer’s owned and operated digital properties. These networks allow brands to advertise directly to consumers at the point of purchase, both in-store and online. Key players in this space include large retailers like Walmart, Target, and Amazon, as well as smaller, niche retail chains. 

Hospital and Healthcare Advertising 

Healthcare environments like hospitals, medical offices, and wellness centers are becoming important venues for place-based media. Hospital Placed Media is quickly becoming a powerhouse that offers brands the opportunity to engage with a highly targeted, captive, and attractive audience. Along with the opportunity to directly reach patients and visitors in a healthcare setting, the ability to reach healthcare professionals that fit a high-value criteria (high household income and attractive education and age demographic) have become important for businesses. 

Airport and Transit Advertising 

Airports, train stations, and bus terminals along with bus stops and subway stations are high-traffic opportunities which reaches travelers and commuters including tourists, residents, travelers, etc. While the cost of advertising in airports can be high, the ability to target upscale consumers with highly relevant and timely messages, often in a captive and immersive environment, makes it an attractive option for marketers. 

Venue-Based Advertising (Sports, Events, and Entertainment) 

Venue-based advertising involves placing ads in sports arenas, concert venues, theaters, and event spaces. Venue-based advertising allows brands to engage with people during specific, often high-energy or emotionally charged moments, making it a good tool for creating lasting impressions. 

As place-based media continues to evolve, it will be driven by technology, data, and the increasing demand for personalization. The most successful brands in 2025 will be those that can seamlessly integrate their advertising strategies across multiple physical and digital touchpoints, offering relevant, engaging, and timely messages that resonate with consumers in the right place and at the right moment. 

By staying ahead of these trends and embracing new innovations in place-based media, businesses will be able to unlock deeper connections with their audiences and deliver more impactful advertising experiences. 

 Author: 

Michael Ricciardi

Co-Founder/Managing Partner, Innovare Media