Since I am now officially a resident of the southern state I've decided to record my observations about the differences between the cities.
This is NOT a ploy to start a Sydney V Melbourne debate (afterall I am a lover of both). It is more to demonstrate that without immersing oneself in a market, it is difficult to truly understand the nuances and as such make sound media buying decisions.
So onto my first observation.
Melbournians wait at the traffic lights.
I have garnered a number of strange looks on the street since last Tuesday when I started working in Melbourne and I'm pretty sure that its not the result of having my skirt tucked into my undies.
Its because at a set of traffic lights, where the little green and red men reside, I generally just wait for a break in traffic and scoot across the road.
Locals however don't. They stand and wait politely.
Jaywalking it seems, is a no-no.
The implications on media
Aside from this being the 'right' thing to do and also taking me back to Berlin where jaywalking is a fineable offence and thus never done, it also made me realise that outdoor, particularly transit outdoor, has much greater value here in Melbourne than in Sydney.
Dwell times are longer because people actually stop and look around rather than whip their head from side to side like a teenage shoplifter about to be caught.
In addition, the trams, whilst a faster mode of transport than buses due to less congestion, actually seem to run a bit slower or maybe its that they drive in a straight line. Either way, the advertising on them is much clearer and easier to read that that on a moving bus. Yet another point to increase the value of outdoor in this market.
So that's it fro observation #1.... await with baited breath (which actually is a disgusting term and I think would smell quite fishy) for installation #2 of The Tale of Two Cities.
