Business Focus: Tabletalk Media

Tabletalk (tabletalkmedia.co.uk) is an ambient media specialist in the Out of Home (OOH) sector in the UK.  Essentially OOH media encompasses any form of advertising that reaches consumers while they’re outside their home.  Traditionally this has been in the form of billboards and posters on the roadside, on buses and bus shelters, on taxis, trains and the underground, in shopping malls and airports, pretty much anywhere people actively spend their time away from home. 
As the industry has evolved and consumers have become more savvy about they way the consume information, billboards and posters have transformed into digital screens and a lot of non-traditional OOH media has emerged.  Today’s brands are focused on immersing themselves into the everyday consumer journey and ensuring that they are front of mind at a multitude of touchpoints across the day.  A TV ad is no longer enough.  Consumers expect to see brands across a diverse array of media, whether it’s online, at home, or out and about.  We live in an era of instant gratification where consumers no longer go looking for brands, they expect brands to be wherever they are.  It’s literally a case of out of sight out of mind.  And with so many brands competing for share of voice, it can be incredibly difficult to stand out and genuinely grab the right kind of attention without doing things a little differently.
Doing things differently is where Tabletalk sits in the market.  Our Managing Director, Lloyd Keisner had spent many years in the taxi advertising industry and had been mulling over going out on his own for quite some time.  One day, whilst having a coffee in one of the many Coffee Republic outlets that seemed to have taken London by storm 16 years ago, he looked around at the masses of people doing just as he was and had a thought, “If you can wrap a taxi with advertising, why not wrap a coffee table?”  Before long, Tabletalk’s unique, iconic Tablewrap format was brought to life and Tabletalk Media opened its doors to a world of advertisers looking for creative ways to reach a captive audience.
The company’s portfolio has diversified over the years.  Coffee Shops still offer Tablewrap, but advertisers can now put their message on takeaway formats like Coffee Cups, Sandwich Bags and Deli Bags to reach consumers on the move.  50% of takeaway coffee and 91% of takeaway sandwiches end up on a desk in the office so these formats are a really cost effective way to extend the reach of brands beyond the cafe environment, onto the street and into the workplace.  Tablewrap advertising is also available in Universities, specifically in Student Unions where advertisers can reach groups of students seated together socialising or studying where the message is delivered in the centre of conversation.  Today, Tablewrap can act as a portal connecting the online and offline worlds through the integration of QR or NFC technology, a simple scan or tap of your mobile phone direct to content online.  Brands like eBay, Aldi, Very and Universal Pictures have all invested in an integrated Tablewrap campaign using technology to drive consumers online.  There is even the opportunity to go beyond this and into the realm of augmented reality.  The combination of lengthy dwell time, a captive audience and mobile devices naturally on the table when people are sitting down makes a format like Tablewrap especially well suited to the integration of technology like this.
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It’s not always necessary to go above and beyond with advertising though.  Often simple things work best.  Take Pharmacies for example.  In this space, Tabletalk offers advertisers the opportunity to deliver their message to consumers using branded Pharmacy Bags.  It’s an incredibly cost effective format that benefits from the fact that the branded bags are delivered directly into the hands of consumers by the pharmacist at a time when their minds are naturally on health.  60% of pharmacy bags end up at home where medication is often kept in the bag and reused time and again.  The additional opportunity for impact at home when consumers are relaxed, with time on their hands and in the privacy of their own homes works to drive calls and website visits.  Pharmacies tend to be a particularly well suited environment for advertisers looking to reach the 60+ as our bodies generally need more looking after as we age.  We’re also more likely to need prescription medication on a regular basis when we get older.  Public Health England, Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Care are all regular users of pharmacy bag advertising. 
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While much of the industry seems to be veering towards digital, when it comes to health and wellbeing, people are a lot more traditional in the way they consume information.  We like information packs and printed pamphlets that give us insights into health concerns.  When we’re handed prescription medication, we’re likely to read the information on how to take that medication thoroughly.  So advertising on prescription medication bags like this means that messages are far more likely to be read and genuinely considered, as opposed to a leaflet that might come through our door, or be handed to us as we’re wandering down the street.  This is why Pharmacy Bags, albeit simple, continue to be an incredibly effective form of advertising.
While Coffee Shops and Cafes, Universities and Pharmacies are the three most popular ambient environments at Tabletalk, there are a number of other facets to the business too.  We can reach city workers in Offices using branded Water Cooler Cups.  In fact, Pfizer did some sampling alongside the branded water cooler cups for their Emergen-C brand nationwide. 
When we’re not in the office, there are a number of places we might be found, one of which is usually the Pub.  In this environment, Tabletalk offers brands the opportunity to reach consumers with Beer Mats.  This is another format that lends itself well to the integration of technology.  In fact, Uber integrated NFC to launch their app in new cities across the UK offering consumers who downloaded the app a free journey.  And many a brand has integrated QR as phones are naturally on the table in close proximity to the message when we’re out having a drink with friends or colleagues.  It’s a great way to inspire conversation around a brand when consumers are naturally open to conversation and in a relaxed frame of mind.
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As an extension of the takeaway formats offered in Coffee Shops, Tabletalk also offers advertising in a number of other takeaway environments, with formats such as Pizza Boxes or Fish and Chip Bags.  Pizza Boxes tend to be a great choice for film and DVD brands wanting to deliver their message into people’s homes in a creative and fun way.  Universal Pictures and UKTV have both invested in the format, running additional PR alongside the campaigns where pizza was delivered in branded boxes to key newsrooms and media agencies across London on launch day.  It’s a unique way to create cut through and inspire engagement.  While Fish and Chip Bags are an excellent choice for brands looking to reach families.  Sarsons Vinegar regularly run advertising alongside sampling in Fish and Chip Shops nationwide to support National Chip Week, knowing that the majority of takeaway fish and chips ends up inside people’s homes where they’re hoping that Sarsons Vinegar remains their condiment of choice.
There are so many interesting ways to engage with consumers.  At Tabletalk, our focus has always been on harnessing the power behind everyday moments and activating messaging around natural habits, like our addiction to coffee, our inclination towards sandwiches for lunch, the draw of a pint at the pub, or spaces we can’t do without, like the student union or our local pharmacy. 
For enquiries, email: [email protected]