Out-of-Home Advertising
Coming. Going. Commuting. Eye-popping possibilities for reaching customers and prospects again and again. More than just billboards. Consider display advertising on buses and shelters, in malls and transit terminals.
Out-of-home advertising is an important communications medium in an increasingly mobile society. Out-of-home advertising helps businesses communicate with customers. It’s used by candidates to reach voters. And it lets charities advance the greater public good. Since its early days when it was merely called “outdoor advertising” or “billboard,” out-of-home advertising has promoted commerce.
Out-of-home advertising is growing as a marketing tool. Consumers spend increasingly more time away from home. Technology continues to improve the out-of-home advertising medium. And out-of-home complements other media such as print and broadcast.
Out-of-home ads now appear in a variety of places outside the home, including on billboards, bus shelters, buses and taxis, but also extend to the indoors as well with ads in malls, airports, subways, and at sports stadiums and arenas.
Actually, most outdoor advertisements promote local business, and most of those enterprises are considered “small business.” In fact, at least seven out of ten outdoor ads promote local businesses. The proportion of local advertising is even greater in non-urban areas.
While local, so-called small business may dominant the number of locations, its effectiveness is substantiated by the preponderance of its use by National advertisers like McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, Warner Brothers, AT&T, Verizon, General Motors, State Farm Insurance, Cingular, Coca Cola, Apple, Toyota, Comcast, Sprint, Anheuser Busch, Coors, BMW, Cracker Barrel and John Deere.
For decades, public opinion has been consistent with the policy goal of the federal Highway Beautification Act of 1965 which is regulation, not elimination of billboards.
A substantial majority of Americans believe the benefits of billboards outweigh any costs associated with them, according to a comprehensive analysis of 30 years of polling data among the citizenry. The report reveals that:
- 85% believe billboards are useful to travelers (provide directions, prices, and availability of services such as gas, food, and lodging)
- 83% call billboards informative
- 82% say billboards help create jobs and help businesses attract customers
- 79% oppose a ban on billboards
Happy Holidays!
December 09, 2008
Seasons Greetings from Tower Marketing and Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.
