The world’s first integrated online and digital out of home content platform dedicated to supporting Australia’s two million small businesses has been launched by oOh!media as part of its online and offline product strategy.
Shortpress, the fourth content platform launched by oOh! in the past 18 months, publishes small business information and insights to a mobile-first website in addition to the oOh!’s Café network of digital screens in 375 high traffic cafés in major capital cities.
Group director of oOh! Place, Adam Cadwallader, said the idea for ShortPress was born from research of the audience within the oOh! Café environment, which provides digital screen content and free Wi-Fi to an audience of almost a million customers each week.
The research showed around 59 per cent of the café audience own, manage or work in a small business, 90 per cent find the café screen content a welcome distraction, most patrons were time poor and drowning in information, and for many the café had become a key part of their working life.
“There’s an international phenomenon being coined ‘the coffice’, a cross between a café and an office, which provides workers with a place for meetings, a break from the isolation of working from home and time-out,” Cadwallader said.
“While we originally set about looking at what content would be most useful for our Café screens, the insights resulted in oOh! launching ShortPress.com.au, which aims to deliver content that inspires small business, and then amplifying the content via our digital café screens.
“To ensure the content reflects small business’ needs, we’re establishing the ShortPress Insights Community, in conjuction with Vision Critical’s cloud based, customer intelligence platform to drive the editorial direction and content.”
Shortpress will publish editorial, interviews, opinion and expert advice on key issues facing small business including advice about innovation, leadership, marketing, technology and finance, plus free downloadable tools and templates.
Cadwallader said ShortPress has already gained tremendous support and expects continued interest from other corporates targeting small business, as it offers a more personal way to engage with the elusive sector.
“Through ShortPress advertisers gain greater connectivity with small business owners during their daily ritual and position themselves as being a partner for small business,” Cadwallader said.
“The content that advertisers will be associated with is useful and engaging and will inspire owners, leaving them a little bit ahead of where they were yesterday. All fired-up by insights and a shot of caffeine.”
ShortPress is led by oOh!’s experienced in-house editor Lisa Omagari, and backed by an editorial team of business journalists including Kate Jones, Tony Featherstone, Sylvia Pennington, Neha Kale, Lisa Cugnetto and Nina Hendy.
ShortPress is in line with oOh!’s digital strategy to help advertisers gain deeper connection using engaging content and extending their message beyond the screen to mobile, online and social environments as part of a 360 degree approach.
