What is the cost-performance ratio of World Trade Center (Sky幕)? A comprehensive evaluation from price, foot traffic to effectiveness

The slogan 'Look up all over Beijing' once made World Trade Center the trendiest check-in spot in Beijing. The giant canopy, 250 meters long and 30 meters wide, was built at a cost of 250 million yuan and was the largest LED display screen in Asia when it was completed in 2006. For a brand, being able to appear on this canvas is itself a symbol of strength.

However, with the continuous emergence of emerging commercial entities in Beijing, the visitor flow of the World Trade Center has declined in recent years, and the vacancy rate of shops has increased. This has raised questions for many advertisers: What is the cost-effectiveness of the World Trade Center Sky Tower? Is it worth investing in this sky canopy?

This article will provide you with an objective cost performance evaluation guide from multiple dimensions such as price, traffic, audience quality, and interaction potential.

1、 Basic information of the World Trade Sky Tower canopy
Before discussing cost-effectiveness, it is necessary to first understand the basic parameters of this canopy.

The World Trade Center Sky Tower is located in the core area of Beijing CBD, adjacent to multiple international corporate headquarters and high-end office buildings. The core specifications are as follows:

Size: 250 meters long, 30 meters wide, with a total area of approximately 7500 square meters

Location: World Trade Tower, Dongdaqiao Road, Chaoyang District

Features: Designed by Hollywood stage master Jeremy Layton, the visuals are clear and smooth, with a strong visual impact

2、 Price range: Differences in quotes from different channels
According to market research, the advertising prices of World Trade Sky Tower vary greatly depending on the placement channel, duration, and cycle.

Channel 1: Professional media placement platform
A certain outdoor advertising platform shows that the market price of the World Trade Center's large screen advertisements ranges from 45000 to 90000 yuan per week. This price range is suitable for brands with medium budgets to conduct short-term trials or node marketing.

Channel 2: Professional LED Screen Placement Platform
Another platform offered a price of 350000 yuan per week, with dimensions of 26.88 meters by 15.36 meters and a daily playback frequency of 60 times, each time lasting 15 seconds. This price may correspond to the core area of the sky canopy or prime time.

Channel 3: Interactive gameplay revenue estimation
According to a report in 2018, World Trade Center once launched a "screen domination" game where consumers scan codes to upload photos, with a single charge of 6 yuan. With a high utilization rate of the sky canopy, the daily income can exceed 40000 yuan. This indicates that the sky canopy has flexible interactive monetization capabilities.

It should be noted that the above prices are for media release fees and do not include advertising image production costs. In actual advertising, costs such as creative design and video production also need to be considered.

3、 Traffic value: How many people are covered per day?
One of the core indicators of advertising cost-effectiveness is the "cost per thousand people" - how much fee is required to reach 1000 people.

Traffic data: According to data from a certain LED advertising platform, the average daily traffic of the World Trade Center's large screen is about 1 million people. This number is at a relatively high level in the core business district, especially on weekends and holidays, where the flow of people is more dense.

Traffic authenticity: It should be noted that this part of traffic includes passing pedestrians, tourists, surrounding office workers, etc. Although the overall passenger flow of the World Trade Center has declined in recent years, as a landmark building, its tourist check-in attribute still exists. Field visits before the 2026 Spring Festival showed that there were still tourists taking photos under the sky, but the passenger flow in the square area was not as high as during its peak period.

4、 Crowd quality: Who is watching this sky canopy?
Evaluating cost-effectiveness should not only focus on traffic numbers, but also on demographic profiles.

Surrounding population: World Trade Center is located in the core area of Beijing CBD, adjacent to multiple international corporate headquarters and high-end office buildings. This means that there are a large number of business people and white-collar workers in the surrounding area with high purchasing power.

Tourist population: As a well-known landmark in Beijing, the World Trade Center attracts a large number of domestic and foreign tourists. Although the consumption conversion of this group of people may not be immediate, it has a significant effect on enhancing brand awareness.

Surrounding residents: There are some old residential areas around the World Trade Center, and their consumption power is relatively limited. But overall, the core audience of Tianmu is still business people and tourists.

5、 Major positive news for 2026: Upgrade and renovation launched
In January 2026, during the "Two Sessions" in Chaoyang District, it was announced that the World Trade Center will be upgraded and revitalized this year!

Key information:

The giant sky canopy and the slogan 'Look Up All Beijing' will be retained

Tianmu will be revitalized from a technological perspective, and in the future, it will be able to play more and higher quality video works

Longfor Commercial has signed a contract to take over operations and will transform into a "commercial aesthetic landmark of Beijing CBD"

This means that the display effect of the sky canopy will be greatly improved, and the passenger flow of the entire business district is expected to rebound with the renovation. For brands planning to advertise under the sky, this is a positive signal - investing now may catch up with the dividend period of traffic recovery after renovation.

6、 Cost effectiveness evaluation framework: four dimensions to help you make decisions
Dimension 1: Price vs Budget
If your budget is in the range of 50000 to 100000 per week, you can consider short-term advertising through professional platforms. If the budget is at the level of 300000+/week, it is possible to lock in the prime time for core positions. It is recommended to start testing from a small cycle and verify the effectiveness before scaling up.

Dimension 2: Traffic vs Target Audience
If your target audience is business people and white-collar workers, the CBD location advantage of World Trade Center is obvious. If your target is mass consumers and tourists, the landmark attributes of the sky canopy can also be effectively reached. But if you need to accurately reach a certain vertical crowd, you may need to evaluate whether the "wide net" mode of the sky canopy matches.

Dimension Three: Creativity vs. Interactive Potential
Tianmu supports various interactive gameplay, such as real-time barrage, photo screen mirroring, social media sharing, etc. If your brand creativity is suitable for interactive communication, the cost-effectiveness of Tianmu will be greatly improved. If only playing traditional TVC, the effect may be compromised.

Dimension 4: Short term vs Long term Value
Short term advertising is suitable for new product launches and milestone marketing; Long term advertising can accumulate brand awareness. Considering the upcoming renovation and upgrade in 2026, choosing to invest before and after the renovation may result in an additional dividend of "traffic recovery".

7、 Common Misconceptions and Avoiding Pits Guide
Misconception 1: Only focus on price, ignore channel differences
There is a huge difference in quotes from different channels, with 45000/week and 350000/week possibly corresponding to different locations, time periods, and frequencies. Be sure to ask clearly: What is included in the price? Is it the core location or the edge area? Is it prime time or all day rotation?

Misconception 2: Neglecting the cost of creative production
The sky canopy has a huge area and requires high image clarity. Creating a high-quality sky video may cost tens of thousands of yuan. Be sure to reserve this expense in the budget.

Misconception 3: Traffic data ensures effectiveness
One million people are 'people who pass by', not 'people who see and remember advertisements'. The effect depends on multiple factors such as creative quality, advertising duration, and target audience matching.

Misconception 4: Ignoring Contract Details
Clearly define terms such as publication time, playback frequency, fault compensation, and cost including items. As an outdoor media, the sky canopy may be affected by factors such as weather and activities, and should have a clear response mechanism.

8、 Conclusion: Is the value of the World Trade Sky Tower worth investing in?
Overall, the cost-effectiveness of the World Trade Sky Tower (Tianmu) depends on your specific needs and expectations.

If you are pursuing high-end brand image endorsement, landmark exposure, creative interactive space, and a budget of tens of thousands, then a sky canopy is an option worth considering. Its CBD location, giant graphics, and interactive potential are irreplaceable by other media.

If your budget is limited (within 100000 yuan), you can consider short-term advertising or non prime time, test the results before deciding whether to add.

Special opportunity in 2026: Tianmu is about to undergo technological upgrades, and the commercial district will be taken over and renovated by Longfor Commercial. This means that the future passenger flow is expected to rebound, and the current layout may gain a first mover advantage.

Let professionals do professional things: Sky screen advertising involves multiple aspects such as site selection, price negotiation, creative production, and publication execution. Tianci Media is a professional outdoor advertising platform with rich experience in Beijing landmark media placement, providing you with one-stop services from evaluation to execution.

Under the starry sky of CBD, let the brand shine with the sky.