Socialite – Clear Channel’s new urban social network goes live

It is the first nationwide in-bar digital portrait network in the UK, delivering high dwell-time for advertisers seeking to engage with a young, affluent audience in their chosen environment. So far, major advertisers including 20th Century Fox, Diageo, EMI, HTC and Sky have signed up to run campaigns across the network.

Socialite, Clear Channel’s new urban social network of digital screens in pubs and bars across the UK, is open for business. It is the first nationwide in-bar digital portrait network in the UK, delivering high dwell-time for advertisers seeking to engage with a young, affluent audience in their chosen environment. So far, major advertisers including 20^th Century Fox, Diageo, EMI, HTC and Sky have signed up to run campaigns across the network.

Clear Channel has worked with partners Revolution and Walkabout to create a growing network of 180 screens across the UK. The network also includes premium independent pubs and bars located in large towns and cities with populations of over 150,000 across the country including London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Leeds.

“Our new Socialite network combines high dwell time with the context, creativity and immediacy offered by digital technology.”

Socialite already has a weekly audience of 650,000 and delivers engagement opportunities with sought-after and traditionally hard-to reach consumers including pub and bar goers, the youth market and men. With these audiences spending an average of 1 hour 45 minutes in the pub or bar environment, advertisers are capitalize on very high dwell time while they are in a relaxed mindset.

The 40” LCD digital portrait Socialite screens are capable of streaming static, full motion and dynamic video. Creative ideas are amplified and brands are brought to life on the high-definition screens with the flexibility of digital allowing clients to book by time of day, location or special events.

According to Rob Atkinson, COO of Clear Channel UK: “Our new Socialite network combines high dwell time with the context, creativity and immediacy offered by digital technology. Advertisers will be able to plan campaigns by location, time of day or special events. In 2010, 690m people had the opportunity to see a screen within our digital network and we are committed to significantly growing our networks and audiences into 2011 and beyond.”