BT helps streets and local businesses with DOOH
BT’s new Street Hub 2.0 has gone live in Nottingham, with free gifted advertising to a local business.
Shining a spotlight on the industry
Thursday, 16 Dec 2021 15:32 GMT
The hubs launched in London and intend to roll out to locations such as Cardiff, Birmingham, and Glasgow
The new digital screens have been designed to help build the UK’s digital infrastructure, while also offering rapid mobile charging, ultrafast wi-fi, and an emergency call points.
The initiative was announced back in September with the first official hub going live in the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The launch included a pop-up ‘Design Hub’ that showcased the power of digital street advertising.
The digital out-of-home (DOOH) initiative has been set up by BT in collaboration with DOOH company Global to donate up to £7.5m outdoor advertising space to small businesses looking to expand and recover after the pandemic.
A study by BT found that 60% of small businesses agree local advertising would help awareness of their businesses, with 49% citing cost as the major obstacle to investing in out of home (OOH) advertising.
The Street Hubs feature digital screens for companies to advertise on, as well as local community services like helplines, way-finding, and the previously mentioned connectivity features.
The first of three planned Street Hubs in Nottingham featured vintage and used clothing store 101 Vintage, as part of the free advertising project.
The DOOH screens have been created to help small businesses advertise to their local area
Kirsty Hole, director of 101 Vintage, says: “We’re a small independent shop, founded by two women, that opened our doors in September in the heart of Nottingham. One of our biggest challenges right now is connecting with customers and letting them know that we’re here.
“The power of local advertising is so important for us as a new small business… The opportunity to have our name in lights on the new BT Street Hubs to let the local community know that we’re here, and open, is the perfect solution.”
The digital units are a part of a wider move to improve street furniture and signage, replacing old items such as phone boxes, and replacing them with multipurpose units like Street Hubs.
Each Street Hub 2.0 can be fitted with air quality and CO2 sensors to help with the sustainability goals of local councils, as well as the option to boost 4G and 5G coverage in the area through mini mobile masts.
Director for BT’s Enterprise business in the Midlands, Sarah Walker adds: “BT has been supporting the recovery and growth of small businesses throughout the pandemic, and now we’re moving up a gear as many prepare for one of the busiest times of the year. We hope that, by gifting free digital advertising space via our new Street Hub units we can give small businesses in Nottingham an extra boost as high streets spring back to life.”
BT is continuing to offer small businesses in Nottingham the chance to advertise on their screens for free via the Street Hubs website. With the plan to also roll out around 300 hubs across the UK over the next year.
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