When presenting a package of billboards to a client, we will from time to time hear the response, “That board is in a bad neighborhood. Why would we want our message there?” Our answer is nearly always the same, “It’s not the neighborhood; it’s the traffic.

The nature of outdoor advertising measurement is the vehicle traffic that passes your board. The location can be in a ‘bad’ neighborhood, but if the traffic that drives by the unit comprises a desirable audience, then your investment is well-made.

When you buy radio or TV you buy it based on the audience that you’re trying to reach.  You look at the audience demo; you look at the audience size; you look at where that audience is.  Oftentimes that message reach is half an hour to an hour away from your location.  Outdoor Advertising is one of the best reinforcement media out there.  Billboards serve a twofold purpose:  they can act on their own to get your message to the masses and at the same time serve as back up for your other media.  By increasing the recall value of that media, billboards can drive home your message. 

Do you have questions about the effectiveness of digital billboard advertising or are you skeptical about its return on your investment?  Your concerns will be alleviated by a May 2015 study* conducted by Nielson for this particular Outdoor medium.

Last week a New York Post article by Claire Atkinson reported:

February was another heartbreaker for the $65 billion television ad business.

Commercial ratings — the viewing “currency” that determines what advertisers pay for TV time — cratered across broadcast and cable networks, marking the fifth straight month of double-digit declines for the industry.

“It’s clear the downward spiral in TV ratings continues with no end in sight,” media analyst Michael Nathanson wrote in a research note on Friday.

What’s better, a right-hand read or a left-hand read, top panel or bottom panel, field side or road side? The answer is simple: it depends.

Although in general TAB places a higher number on right-read, road-side panels in its valuation for outdoor ratings, that should never prevent you from buying a left read or field side panel location. Sometimes these supposedly less-valuable boards are your best option, for both pricing and marketing purposes.

Historically, billboard advertising was considered only a directional medium with the occasional awareness promotion splashed in. While directional promotions continue to be an excellent application for this OOH resource, over the years billboards have evolved into much more: they have become a necessary medium for all forms of promotion. You have the opportunity to specifically target high traffic areas with iconic locations, you have the ability to blanket an entire region with your message or you can change the message multiple times each day with digital advertising.

Content is such an important factor in any media campaign. You want to attract customers and keep them interested. What you say can be almost as important as how you say it. Outdoor Advertising is no different.

Outdoor has its obvious limitations as well as tremendous benefits. The greatest limitation is that you have only a brief amount of time to convey your message to drivers as they maneuver through traffic. The greatest benefit is the ability to reach that same captive audience day after day at a strategic position in the market. How do we marry the two together? How do we reach our audience with an effective design using Outdoor Advertising? As the old saying goes…’Content is King’.

When the subject of billboards comes up is your first thought that they need to be located at or near your location targeting only traffic driving toward your business? Additionally, do you limit yourself to coverage only in pockets of the market where you already have customers? Either approach can limit the effectiveness of your campaign.  In many sectors Outdoor Advertising still has the stigma of directional or point of purchase only advertising. Outdoor can be so much more. 

How much does a billboard cost? What is the availability of billboards in my market? Who do I work with to buy billboards in my town? Is there a company that our agency can use to buy billboards for us? We’re looking to outsource our Outdoor media buying; who can we work with?

If you find yourself asking any of these questions, we can help. Phase III was started in 1998 and focuses strictly on Out of Home advertising. We work with advertisers and agencies to negotiate, place, produce and manage their Out of Home Advertising campaigns.