Billboards are everywhere. Whether you are driving your morning commute to work or taking the trolly into town, you will see at least a few billboards on the way. In today’s day and age, are billboards effective when it comes to advertising? That is the question we will be answering today.
Advantages of Billboard Advertising
What is Billboard Advertising?
Billboard advertising is a type of traditional OOH (out-of-home) advertising that uses a large-scale print advertisement to market a product, service, company, brand, or campaign. Billboards are effective for building brand awareness and broadcasting a business, product, or service to a high number of people. Because they are typically placed in high-traffic areas, such as highways and cities, billboard advertising also gains a large number of views and impressions, as compared to other forms of marketing.
Are Billboards Effective?
According to the Arbitron In-Car Study, 71% of people look at billboards while driving. More than 50% said that they actively pay attention to the messages of those same billboards. On average, Americans spend about 300 hours total in the car every year. (Source) That is a lot of time. Knowing this, it is safe to say that billboards catch the majority of people’s attention, specifically while in the car. Even though display ads are an advantageous advertising tool, you can block them, whereas you cannot turn off billboards. Even if you choose to ignore what the billboards say, they will be there regardless. You simply cannot escape billboards.
Second, billboards are strategically placed based on your geographic location. This allows you to target a specific location by strengthening your existing marketing or reaching out to a new area. If you are looking to target a specific store location, billboard advertising would be a great place to start!
To truly be effective, billboards need to leave a lasting impression. Each billboard should follow the 8-Second Rule. This means that a person driving by your billboard should be able to understand its message in 8 seconds or less. Also, think about whether or not your product is relevant to a mass audience. If not, billboard advertising might not be the best option. A smartly-designed billboard will evoke many emotions–hunger, happiness, awareness, and more! Who hasn’t seen a huge hamburger on a sign and suddenly felt hungry? Evoking emotion is one of the ways billboards are effective.
Finally, one must consider the costs that come along with billboard advertising. There is more to paying for billboards than just the rental fees. Each company must think about a budget for design, material, and installation costs, depending on the billboard itself and the location.
Billboards ARE Effective!
Depending on your own target market and what you are advertising, billboard advertising is an effective way to market yourself. Always keep in mind the factors that go into creating an effective billboard/OOH campaign.
If you are looking for help with outdoor advertising in Pittsburgh, you’ve come to the right place! Nartak Media Group is here to help you utilize billboard advertising within your campaign. Reach out to us today to get started!