SAN FRANCISCO, July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Geico is bringing its beloved Cavemen to a bar near you on the Ecast touchscreen network.

The "Geico Dancing Caveman" promotion began this month in hundreds of bars and nightclubs throughout New Jersey and Connecticut. When consumers touch on any of the campaign promotional banners, Geico plays to individual listening tastes by offering the choice between the disco-dancing or the rock-n-roller Geico Cavemen. After a brief performance, consumers are invited to take a survey and are presented with access to a music playlist that correlates to the genre of caveman they selected earlier.

The campaign incorporates notable features that are unique to an Ecast promotion. For example, the user-interface actually morphs into part of the insurance company's integrated marketing campaign, meaning that the advertiser has completely branded the jukebox controls. There are few advertising vehicles that can offer such a feature. Geico is the first insurance company to recognize the value of the Ecast network and its reach to the elusive 21-34 demographic.

"Our Cavemen represent the ease of signing up with Geico and are now synonymous with the brand," said Ted Ward, vice president, marketing, Geico. "The Ecast audience values speed, efficiency and ease of use. Like Geico's other Caveman promotions, this one combines humor with the 'ease' message to reach and poll an audience that is not at home in front of their TVs or PCs."

Ecast's survey capability provides advertisers with a unique capability not found in traditional out-of-home advertising. Similar to online surveys, Ecast's interactive touchscreens allow users to respond to questions, provide feedback and opt-in for more information. Geico is leveraging Ecast surveys to better understand how people, especially those aged 21 - 34, make decisions about their car insurance.

The Ecast network offers advertisers the ability to target individual markets or the entire nation. Arbitron found in a 2007 study that one-third of patrons in bars with Ecast interacted with the touchscreen. Further, more than three-quarters of those patrons took notice of the touchscreens and looked at the content. Other findings from the study showed that Ecast's audience is also comprised of young adults with more discretionary income compared to the general population.

"The Geico campaign is a great example of how brands who are targeting young adults can leverage the Ecast network," said Jim Pothier, director of national sales, Ecast. "Taking advantage of an out-of-home delivery channel that combines Internet-style targeted ad serving and reporting capabilities is a smart and highly effective way to beef up your marketing arsenal. It's terrific to have a strong brand like Geico recognize the potential of the medium."

Please enable Javascript

About Geico

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is the third-largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States. It provides auto insurance coverage for more than 8 million policyholders and insures more than 13 million vehicles. In addition to auto insurance, GEICO offers customers insurance products for their motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), boats, homes, apartments and mobile homes. Personal umbrella protection and life insurance are also available. As a member of the Berkshire Hathaway group of companies, GEICO is rated A++ for financial stability by A.M. Best Company and ranks at the top of several national customer satisfaction surveys. For more information, go to http://www.geico.com.

About Ecast

Ecast operates the largest broadband touchscreen media network in the United States, providing digital music to over 10,000 bars and nightclubs across the country. The unique touchscreen music service allows locations to put the power of choice where it should be: with the consumer. Utilizing the speed and scalability of broadband, Ecast delivers music, advertising and other forms of entertainment to the young-adults most responsible for affecting purchasing decisions and consumer trends. Ecast is changing the way people listen to music in public places and revolutionizing out-of-home advertising. Ecast's investment partners include Crosslink Capital, DCM, El Dorado Ventures, Focus Ventures and Mobius Venture Capital. For more information, please visit www.ecastnetwork.com.

This release is available on the KCSA Strategic Communications Web site at www.kcsa.com.

    CONTACT INFO:
    Christa Conte / Charlotte Maumus
    KCSA Strategic Communications
    (212) 896-1238 / (212) 896-1269
    cconte@kcsa.com  / cmaumus@kcsa.com

SOURCE Ecast

CONTACT: Christa Conte, +1-212-896-1238, cconte@kcsa.com, or Charlotte Maumus, +1-212-896-1269, cmaumus@kcsa.com, both of KCSA Strategic Communications

This is a news service of Thomson Business Intelligence Service ©2006. This content is for your personal use only, subject to Terms and Conditions. No redistribution allowed.