A well-planned marketing campaign plays a vital role in the success of the overall firm. It is essential for brand awareness, new startups; make people aware of new product launches and simply advertise one’s products or service.
Businesses have been developing marketing campaigns for a very long time however with the advancements in technology the advertising strategies have evolved over time.
From a greater reliance on digital marketing and social media to better outdoor marketing options, there are many ways to advertise now. It is quite common for a company to ponder over the best marketing campaign for their business.
There are many ways to advertise like in a newspaper, magazine, radio, television, online directories, social media, leaflets, billboards, mobile billboards, etc. It is quite natural for businesses to invest in digital marketing especially due to the rise in the number of people owning devices that connect to the internet like smartphones, laptops, tablets and desktops.
However, it is important to not forget that people spend a great deal of their time outdoors and the advertisements on billboards are on display 24 hours a day offering good exposure. This article goes on to provide tips for your outdoor advertising marketing campaign.
What is outdoor advertising?
As the name suggests any form of advertising done outdoors is basically outdoor advertising. It is the ideal method of targeting customers of a specific demographic at the location of your choice. This involves static billboard advertising but is much more than that.
Mobile billboards like those on trucks and trailers is also an effective technique. This is a method preferred by both large and small businesses to get their message across and market their products.
Digital advertising might be booming however, it has not replaced other forms of advertising. Some of the popular methods include:
- Static billboard: This type of advertising is available in various sizes and is also one of the most cost-effective methods of advertising. It is visible to both pedestrians as well as motorists.
- Scooter advertising: This too assures high exposure by travelling to places that would otherwise not be possible. The scooter can travel to places where there is a more relevant crowd.
- Mobile outdoor advertising: This can be a big billboard that can be placed on a truck and maneuvered through traffic, circulated near shopping centres and major events. It can also be placed in parking lots.
- Trailer advertising: This is similar to mobile advertising, however; it is placed on a trailer and tends to be a bit smaller. It is usually placed at different locations like near high traffic routes, highways and intersections for maximum exposure.
- Walking billboards: For advertising closer to the store that involves a higher level of interaction with the pedestrians; the walking billboard is a good and highly creative option.
- MiniLites: An eco-friendly method of outdoor advertisement that is not very big. This is still bigger than the scooter advertising.
Important facts and statistics
- Outdoor advertising in Australia in 2018 was 1142 Million AUD while that in 2013 was 683 Million AUD.
- The outdoor advertising budget in 2022 is likely to be 1445 Million AUD.
- Outdoor advertising contributes $647 million to the Australian economy every year. It also employs over 3100 people.
Tips for developing a marketing campaign for outdoor advertising
- Attractive colours and well-designed advertisements tend to capture the attention of people passing by.
- A well designed and simple billboard ad that helps get the message across is highly effective.
- Make sure your billboard tells a story, is interactive and is able to convey the desired message.
- It is vital the ad engages the viewers, captures their attention and gets the message across without confusing them; especially since the way people view billboards is usually a quick glance.
- Use only relevant text and images to avoid the viewers from getting distracted. It is also a good practice to use high-quality images.
- Details about the product or store contact information should always be easy to grasp.
- Advertisements that make a statement or shock the customers are usually quite effective.
- Make the best of the 1 or 2 seconds of viewing time by keeping the ad simple, to the point and one with stunning visuals.
- It pays to keep it consistent with any other types of ads you might have like digital ads.
- Businesses can advertise at strategic locations to ensure maximum views.
- Place text and images which the views can relate to like a popular brand name, tag line or product.
- It always pays to analyse your competition first and do some research on their marketing efforts.
- The more interactive and eye-capturing your design the better is the chances of the consumers remembering the ad.
- A good method of scoring a response is to send a strong emotional message. Messages with humour or promotions also tend to provide a good response.
- There are several forms of mobile advertising that can access places that might not be otherwise possible.
- A walking billboard is highly effective in the vicinity of your store.
- Other forms of advertisement like trailers, scooters, etc. can also be placed in vantage locations like in parking lots, major events, shopping centres, high traffic junctions etc.
Benefits of investing in an outdoor marketing campaign
Outdoor advertisements are a good method of communicating with people who spend time outdoors. This type of advertising has been around for a very long time and is quite cost-effective. They tend to have a high impact too. Here are some of the benefits of this form of advertising:
- This is an effective method of getting your brand and products the attention they deserve.
- This is a low-cost yet effective method of getting the message across.
- It tends to have a high percentage of conversion rates.
- The methods in which people shop have changed. Shopping online means there are more spontaneous or instant purchases. A good outdoor advertisement can increase the sales at your eCommerce store as well.
- The amount of time people spend travelling is very high this includes time spent at busy traffic junctions and also by pedestrians. Hence your ads will receive a high level of exposure.
- The response rate of the consumers to outdoor advertisements is quite high.
- It helps boost sales and also conserves your advertising budget at the same time.
Conclusion
Advertising happens to be one of the main aspects of every business. This is one of the most effective methods of educating consumers about the existence of your product. At the same time, it has also evolved a great deal in recent times. Flyers, newspapers and magazines were the main mediums of advertising at one point in time, however, later television and outdoor billboards gained popularity.
Digital marketing has transformed this field for good however it has not eliminated the need for outdoor advertisements. It is in the business’s interest to consult an advertising agency for outdoor marketing.
Engaging in outdoor advertising is a good method of providing exposure to your brand, product and services. Some of the effective methods include billboards, trailers, mobile billboards, scooters, walking billboards and more. Also, there are many advantages and disadvantages of advertising also.
This is a unique method of targeting the relevant people at shopping centres, stuck in traffic, at major events, as well as those in the parking lot. In spite of the digital revolution, outdoor advertising continues to be fruitful for businesses. The key to designing an effective advertisement is to be creative, keep it simple, make it high impact, visually stunning, and get the message across.
(Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/261921/out-of-home-advertising-spending-in-australia/ Outdoor Media Advertising)