IdeaCast Out-Of-Home TV Delivers Highly Affluent, Hard-to-Reach Adults According to Arbitron Study

IdeaCast’s health club television audience has 55 percent advertisement recall;
Seventy percent of health club members watch nearly 40 minutes of programming per visit;
Eighty-five percent visit the club 3-7 times per week

According to a new Arbitron Inc. (NYSE:ARB) study, IdeaCast Inc. – provider of popular television programming and advertising to fitness centers and health clubs throughout the United States – shows that 55 percent of IdeaCast viewers recalled one or more advertisements on a brand aided basis.

“Television commercials need to actively pursue their audience,” said Jason Brown, IdeaCast’s newly-appointed President of Advertising Sales and Marketing. “Media Buyers have to stop relying solely on at-home viewing to reach consumers with TV ad spots. Commercials need to move beyond the house and be put in the path of the consumer.

“More and more, young, affluent adults are turning to ad avoidance technology,” Brown continued. “If advertisers want to reach these consumers, television ads need to be placed in an environment not equipped with DVRs. Place-based television provides that environment"

According to the study, three-quarters of health club members are between the ages 25-54 with 61 percent living in a household with an annual income above $100K. Twenty-one percent live in homes with an annual income above $200K.

“Destination out-of-home television viewing is a growing platform for advertisers,” said Diane Williams, Senior Analyst, Custom Research, Arbitron Inc. “The results of this study demonstrate the unique opportunity advertisers have with IdeaCast’s networks to connect with targeted and coveted consumers when they are highly engaged with the medium. Watching TV is the most popular activity health club members do while working out and members look to health club television to keep them up to date on news and current events.”

More key findings of the Arbitron study include:

• 7 of 10 health club members watch TV while working out. Seventy percent of health club members watch television while at the gym and spend an average of 40 minutes actively watching per visit.

• IdeaCast offers frequent and consistent exposure. Ninety-five percent of health club members visit the fitness center at least once per week, close to half (48 percent) go 3-4 times per week and over one-third (37 percent) are exposed to television in the health club nearly every day (5-7 times per week). Average time spent at the gym per visit is 1 hour and 38 minutes.

• Nearly half of health club TV viewers watch IdeaCast networks. IdeaCast’s partner networks – CNN, CNBC, and MSNBC – combine to reach 45 percent of health club TV viewers. CNN was the most watched network in the club that day of any cable or broadcast station with 35 percent of viewers tuning in.

• IdeaCast viewers have positive feelings toward television content. Ninety-six percent of IdeaCast viewers agree watching TV helps pass time while working out. Seventy-six percent of IdeaCast viewers agree they get a lot of their news and current affairs information from the TV they watch while at the health club.