The UAE's first quantitative research into the effectiveness of in-store advertising - including shelf light-boxes, category banners, parking lampposts and What's On Signs - has revealed its powerful ability to catch the attention of consumers as they shop.

The study, conducted jointly by SMG MENA, Procter & Gamble, and in-store media supplier Hypermedia, also showed that Arab shoppers are more influenced by these advertising media than their Asian or Western counterparts and that these four media were present in all the retail outlets surveyed.

Philip Jabbour, SMG MENA Group Director - Marketing and Business Development, said that the study is particularly important given the growing share of marketing budgets being spent on in-store advertising.

'We recognize the need to connect with shoppers, not just consumers. A simple call to action will no longer suffice for today's savvy shoppers. Rather, we need to communicate brand messages, and there's no more powerful way of doing this than reaching them on the ground where they make their purchases,' Jabbour said.

The research is just the latest for SMG MENA, which distinguishes itself by developing new ways of gathering consumer insights and devising innovative contact points, often in cooperation with its partners.

Eyad Zarea, Media Group Manager, P&G, said, 'We developed the idea for this research in discussions with SMG because we believe in-store advertising is pivotal but there had not been any independent data or findings to back up our investment in it. Arab consumers are rapidly changing, and this increased sophistication is affecting their shopping habits. We need to identify the key measurable contact points to ensure successful communication.'

The three partners chose the UAE for the first study because of the significant investment in in-store marketing and rapid evolution of supermarkets and hypermarkets in the country. In Saudi Arabia, volumes still derive from self-service outlets and groceries, although the trend there also is toward large retailers.

Commenting on the rise in shopper marketing, Habib Wehbe, Hypermedia Chief Executive Officer, said, 'The feedback we have had from consumers as well as clients has been overwhelming in the last three years. Their support has enabled us to broaden our services on a vertical and horizontal level and offer our clients a truly unique advertising experience.

'Backing up our claims with in-store research only anchors our role as a key player in this industry, and being invited to take part in research conducted by a third party is instrumental in helping us sustain our position as one of the key players in the media industry.'

The study is particularly revealing because it was based on a Wella Hair Colorant, a loyalty-oriented brand. The results likely would be even more striking for a commodity brand. Other findings revealed that consumers were exposed to each medium an average of three times during a store visit and that all four media generated strong awareness, especially shelf light-boxes, category banners and parking lampposts.

Commenting on the integrated research effort, Jabbour added, 'We base our recommendations on trying to identify the best way to communicate a message to consumers; this can either be ambient, traditional, digital or other, so naturally we were fortunate that P&G took it on board and was willing to measure its effectiveness for future campaigns.'