As the warmer weather rolls in, Sydneysiders are embracing the sunshine, turning Sydney Harbour into a lively hub of adventure and fun! With the iconic Sydney Ferries and My Fast Ferries serving as premium transit routes for homegrown audiences and tourists alike, there has never been a better time for brands to make a splash with ferry advertising.
Sydney Ferries and My Fast Ferries provide extensive reach to prime harbourside locations. Ferry routes cover popular destinations including Manly, Watsons Bay, the Lower North Shore, Darling Harbour, Barangaroo, Cockatoo Island, and through the Inner West to Parramatta. This wide network offers targeted opportunities to create meaningful connections with audiences on their journey.
ALL ABOARD IN SUMMER
Summer in Sydney presents brands with a valuable opportunity to engage with a diverse audience. The city attracts upwards of 1 million international visitors1 and 6.3 million domestic travellers1 during Summer.
During this time, TorchMedia’s audience rapidly increases as more people choose public transport for their social and recreational trips. The ferries in particular, are a destination of their own in Summer, with patronage reaching an average of 1.7 million journeys each month! This represents an increase of +46%2 compared to winter, as commuters enjoy the blue skies and iconic Harbour views!
SCORING THE HOTTEST OFFERS
When the warmer weather kicks in, so does the Summer retail rush! With the busiest retail season in sight, commuters are preparing for Christmas and eagerly creating their wish list for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
Last summer, during the popular Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, Aussie consumers spent $8.7 billion3, marking a 23% YoY increase. During this time, Ferries become a useful point of contact for brands to advertise to shoppers and holiday-goers in close proximity to the city’s bustling retail precincts.
Our research confirms that Transit is a highly effective medium. 71% of people take action within 7 days of being exposed to Transit ads, 14% of which go on to directly purchase the goods or services they saw advertised on Transit formats4. With high recall – 42% of commuters recall the advertising seen inside their mode of transport – ferry advertising provides retail brands valuable touchpoints with potential customers who are out and about.
EVENT SEASON IS HEATING UP
Between major sporting events, festivals and the Christmas period, Summer offers abundant reasons to get out of home for travel, socialising and entertainment. Transit Media sees a noticeable increase in commuters heading out on their next adventure during Summer. In fact, more than half of TorchMedia’s ferry commuters look for new experiences every day5. Whether promoting the latest musical production hitting the stage, a popular annual festival, or the next big sporting championship, Ferries effectively amplify key brand messages and offer unparalleled advertising opportunities to commuters in a relaxed leisure seeking mindset.
Over two-thirds of Sydney Ferries and My Fast Ferry commuters are responsible for decision making regarding entertainment and leisure in their household5. Utilising the advertising opportunities available on board will capture the attention of event-goers and commuters planning their social calendars. With a wide variety of events during Spring and Summer, there are endless opportunities to speak to your desired target audience on board.
GROW YOUR CREATIVITY
The creative opportunities available on board Sydney’s iconic ferries remain largely untapped by advertisers. Both Sydney Ferries and My Fast Ferries offer brands innovative ways to engage with audiences; sampling events, photo walls, pop-up activations, and branded on-board experiences are just a few of the exciting options available to amplify campaigns on Sydney Harbour.
With the introduction of the revitalised My Fast Ferry Digital Network, advertisers now have access to a variety of high impact static, ambient, experiential and digital options targeting Harbour-bound audiences.
As Sydney gears up for an exciting summer, make sure your brand is part of the action. Get On Board Sydney Ferries and My Fast Ferries this sunny season!
Sources:
- National and International Visitor Surveys, Tourism Research Australia
- Transport NSW Open Data, Sydney Ferries & My Fast Ferry Winter 2024 vs Summer 2023
- National Australia Bank, NAB News 2023
- En route to Engage, TorchMedia and GfK 2022
- Nielsen Consumer and Media View 2024, People who use Sydney Ferries in a typical week
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