You’ve been hearing it for a while – outdoor advertising today isn’t your father’s billboard media any longer, even though billboards still represent two-thirds of total OOH revenue investment. Outdoor encompasses a whole lot more, including the ways billboards can be used, often meshing with other media to create a formidable marketing combination. It’s an advantage to have so many OOH media choices, however the options can seem overwhelming.
So I thought I’d start off the new year with a tour, helping to demystify the landscape and perhaps introducing a few new tricks:
Traditional outdoor advertising
There are nearly 160,000 billboards in the US today, 5200 of which are digital, then there are another 160,000 or so posters, and another 4000+ spectaculars and walls. That’s a whole lot of space and these grand canvasses provide infinite opportunity to announce, engage, promote and surprise, especially given technological advances that have enabled eye-popping out of home solutions.
Billboards are a great place to start, creating the marquee for your campaign… but why stop there when there’s so much more?!
Transit media
According to Metropolis.org, more than fifty percent of the world’s population is concentrated in urban areas. It’s where people go to work, shop and play, and it’s an excellent way of meeting consumers at eye level. With options on buses, subways and taxis, you can layer messaging or devise a story. Versus other OOH media seen while passing through, transit often is in front of a prospect for several minutes or longer as they wait on station platforms or ride the bus or rails. Use it to both remind and reinforce.
Non-traditional OOH
In a nutshell, non-traditional OOH is where both the medium and the message takes the viewer by surprise and includes venues such as gas stations or sailboats, aerial advertising or truckside, even wild postings. Once you’ve gotten their attention, make them laugh, make them curious, play some games with them.
Lifestyle media
What advertiser doesn’t want a captive audience? Well when you choose lifestyle out of home, you get just that: an up close and personal experience with prospects in the ideal frame of mind for your product. Got a business proposition? Try elevator advertising. A wellness service? Put it in fitness centers. Want to talk with elusive teenagers? What better place than in malls? Fresh options pop up regularly and working with an expert helps keep you in the know.
Mobile media
This vibrant OOH arena moves brand messages around town, bringing it to where consumers live, work and ultimately buy a given product or service. And what’s more, advances in technology enable advertisers to add video displays or project larger than life imagery onto walls, lighting up the night!
Event activation
Industry conferences are big business today, gathering together thousands of professionals with a similar mindset for an intensive learning experience. Thus it’s the ideal time to give it all you’ve got and leave a lasting impression. Set up branded event stations, create custom inflatables, deploy bikes or segways in concert with street teams to raise awareness and place offers directly in the hands of your prospect. It’s pure theater and when done right, incredibly effective!
No conference planned? No problem. Experiential media works on the same premise by creating branded events that allow consumers to interact with a product or service. It’s highly effective and can be targeted geographically and demographically to custom suit marketing goals.
Digital interactive
Finally, an area that is growing rapidly is the infusion of existing channels as well as the creation of new ones with digital components. Immediacy, impact and interaction all rolled into each consumer touchpoint!
Want to see more, know more, DO more OOH advertising? Visit us at www.emcoutdoor.com to view the immense range of options and how they can be used.
Happy trails!
