Outdoor advertising typically refers to ads that are outside of the home. This includes billboards, transit ads (inside and outside of the transit vehicle), street signs and other exterior advertising. It is a practice that began as early as the 1850s, when exterior signage was first used to advertise on railway streets.
In today’s world of seemingly endless options for advertising, many may wonder if outdoor still makes sense in today’s marketing strategies. Read on to learn about the pros and cons of outdoor advertising and determine if outdoor is something you should make room for in your marketing budget.
Pros of Outdoor Advertising
A big advantage of outdoor advertising is high visibility. Large billboards are typically placed in high traffic areas and can be hard to miss. They have the potential to gain the attention of thousands of people every day. Even ads placed on public transit or on the street are exposed to broad audiences and can communicate message and brand to the masses.
Because outdoor media is often seen by commuters who travel the same daily routes, it has the potential to gain frequency with audiences. Whether they commute in their car, walk the same route or utilize public transit, they can view the same billboard, bench sign or transit ad multiple times each week, lending to a lasting impression.
Outdoor advertising can be strategically placed to target specific audiences. For instance, a billboard for a restaurant can be placed at the highway exit for hungry travelers. A billboard near a university might advertise laptops or tablets, while a luxury brand may choose a location near a high-end automotive dealership.
Finally, outdoor advertising has been proven to enhance brand awareness and recall when used in conjunction with other media channels, to the tune of 20 – 30 percent, depending on the medium and billboard placement. They can also direct viewers to a website or social media page, further enhancing those efforts.
Cons of Outdoor Advertising
Space on outdoor media is minimal. Whereas a strong (and brief) headline can make an impact, ads that try to communicate too much risk having a majority of their message missed or may be overlooked entirely. Therefore, complex messages should not be communicated through this media.
Time in front of the audience is limited with outdoor advertising, as most people are in passing when they view the ads. Effective ads must be brief yet impactful in order to gain audience attention, and this can be a hard balance to strike.
Some see billboards as an afront to the natural environment and resent their presence when they obstruct the natural view. Boards that are poorly maintained or that have not been refreshed when worn and faded can be an eye soar. And the energy and resources consumed to produce and light billboards contribute to a larger environmental footprint.
Billboards have been around a long time and in some areas, saturate the market. In fact, there are some areas that prevent new billboard structures from going up, which can make obtaining the right location difficult. Messages that are not strong can be lost among the throngs.
Finally, it is important to note that although outdoor advertising can be cost effective for reaching large audiences, they are still a significant expense and can be cost-prohibitive for small budgets. And like all traditional media, impact can be hard to measure.
What Makes Outdoor a Good Fit
For businesses just off the highway, a well-positioned billboard can direct traffic directly to your business. This is especially effective for restaurants, gas stations and hotels, as well as specialty shops that are unique to visit.
For businesses that serve large markets, billboards placed throughout the market can provide frequency of message. For businesses that need to increase brand awareness, well-placed outdoor advertising can gain repeat and multiple impressions with commuters.
Because outdoor advertising is hard to ignore, advertisers can be assured that their message is being seen. Advertisers that need to reach broad audiences can accomplish this with a single, well-placed billboard or other outdoor signage.
And because outdoor is an effective compliment to other forms of media, advertisers with healthy budgets may choose to utilize billboards to enhance other marketing efforts.
If you’re still unsure if billboards make sense as part of your media mix, talk with us! We are adept at analyzing audiences and building strategic media plans that maximize budgets and position you for growth.
