Reaching Professionals – On Their Way Home…
We have provided a guide to reaching professionals on the way to work, but now it’s time to look at on the way home. So in this page of the Reaching Professional series of guides, we look at targeting professionals before they head home and the subtle differences between the morning and the evening rush hours.
Where to go…
Train, Bus and Tube Stations
When it comes to where to go, it is hard to suggest not looking at the same location as we did in the morning. Although the actual positioning of the promotion may change, the position of the staff is likely to stay the same. With them inside or outside (permissions depending) major commuter links at the evening rush hour. Depending on the location of the commuter link, you are now likely to reach people that are headed home from the local offices or are returning home who live locally or take further transport (drive, taxi, etc.) home.
High Footfall Streets & Supermarkets
As well as the obvious choice of commuter links we also need to think that people are now heading home. This means they will be picking up things that they need for home, saving them heading back out, from nearby stores and supermarkets. This can range from a little bit of late night high street shopping (especially around Christmas and closer to the weekend), to heading to the supermarket to pick up something for dinner. So having staff placed outside the local supermarket or on the high street can open up the opportunity to convert a last-minute buying decision.
What to do…
Now that people are headed home, they have more (not a lot more, but more) time than they did in the morning, and as they are not contracted to arrive home at a certain time are much more relaxed about their journey. This said when standing outside of some London tube stations, ‘relaxed’ is the last thing you would think – but as a brand, you now have more time to discuss your promotional campaign with professionals, they will be more willing to listen and potentially wait a few moments to receive a sample. They also have a journey to take the time to read your material, so can go through a magazine as they wait for the train to arrive or sit at home waiting for dinner to be ready.
When to do it…
EXECUTIONAL would predominantly suggest working an evening rush hour shift from 3 pm to 7 pm. With 3 pm to 4 pm reaching those earlier finishers (picking up children from school, etc.) and 4 pm to 7 pm reaching the peak rush hours of people heading and returning home. We would also think about the days that are selected for this type of activity, Friday is very sporadic for finish times and a lot of people can be home by 4 pm and on both Friday and Thursday, you may want to think about reaching people going for after work drinks (we have a guide for that too).
Handy hint…
“This is the time to provide something for the consumer to think about. Sat on the train or sat at home with a partner. Provide them with the promotion of a service or product that takes a little more consideration than what to have for lunch. Give them something to talk to the family, partner and friends about. Should we go on holiday? Should we try this for dinner?Have you seen this event at the weekend? This is the key.”
