After sharing some concerns about digital billboards, let's look at some of the positive aspects and unique capabilities that you could make use of.  There are no production or installation costs associated with digital billboard advertising since it is just a matter of uploading a new .jpg file.  Here are some ways to use that capability:

Daypart Selection:  You can change the ad depending on the time of day.  For example, a restaurant can advertise breakfast in the morning, lunch during mid-day, and dinner during afternoon drive time and throughout the evening.

Changing Offers:  Any type of business can change their offer whenever they want, without additional cost.  A business can offer a different special each week.  A bank or other financial institution can advertise their interest rates, changing them as frequently as necessary.

Social Media:  Your customers can interact with you on social media such as Facebook or Twitter and their responses can be displayed on the digital billboard.

Feature Your Own Customers:  Another way to feature your own customers is simply to use them in your ads.  We have been talking with an orthodontist about having post-treatment photos of his own customers.   The "cool" factor of having your own customers photos on a billboard would generate a lot of excitement and social media sharing on it's own!

Community Updates:  A business could "sponsor" traffic updates that can be taken directly from the web.  In fact, almost any type of internet content can be inserted into your ad as long as it makes sense and some safeguards are built into the process.

So, think outside the box and see if any of these ideas might work for your buisness! 

 

As an advertising agency and media buyer, Billboard Connection has a responsibility to provide the best value to our clients for their advertising budget.  A big concern I have with digital billboards is the possibility they will drive up the cost of billboard advertising, possibly even to the point where it becomes unaffordable for local small and mid-size businesses.

Many local governments require that several standard billboards be removed for every digital billboard installed.  In the city of Orlando, four standard billboards must be removed for every digital billboard installed.  An article in the Orlando Sentinel stated that the agreement could lead to the installatin of 30 new digital billboards, meaning 120 standard billboards would have to be removed.

We all know that prices are driven by the balance between supply and demand.  Removal of this many standard billboards would significantly reduce the supply, increase the demand for the remaining space, and therefore lead to higher prices that small and mid-size businesses may not be able to afford.

 

Last week I may have surprised some people by saying I am not always a fan of digital billboards.  One of the legitimate concerns raised by our clients and prospects is that you share space on digital billboards with up to seven other advertisers, even though digital billboards are usually about the same price as static vinyl billboards where you do not have to share the space with anyone.

This is particularly a concern in markets like Orlando where a lot of the digital billboards are located on highways, or on surface streets that are not near a traffic light.  This is an example of how Billboard Connection’s local market knowledge is a big advantage, knowing which billboards have good placement and extended dwell time, and also which markets tend to place a larger percentage of their digital billboards in the best locations to be seen by stopped traffic.  As an example, in Los Angeles a majority of the digital billboards are on very busy surface streets within a few hundred feet of a traffic light, giving many viewers an opportunity to see all eight advertisers.

Of course, the ability to change the message quickly at no cost is one huge advantage of digital billboards.  We will look at that in more detail next week.  But first, later this week I will share another concern I have with digital billboards.

A recent study conducted by Strategy One confirms that the public has an extremely favorable view of digital billboards.  Some of the findings include:

- 87% agree that digital billboards help keep communities safer by allowing law enforcement to communicate with the public, collect tips about criminals, and help find missing children.

- 79% say digital billboards provide useful information.

- 79% do not think the government should be allowed to ban digital billboards, while only 16% though that the government should have the ability to ban them.

Digital billboards can be a great way to advertise if used correctly, however I do have some concerns about their installation and use that I will share in another blog post next week. 

Look at all the traffic driving by these three billboards!  Your ad could be seen over 500,000 times each month for less than $17 a day!  Click here for more info...or call Billboard Connection at 407-620-0101

The mommy market is a highly lucrative market overall.  But most mothers say ads do not do a good job of speaking to them.  Only 25 percent of mothers think television advertising is doing a good job connecting with moms, and only 20 percent think print advertising does.

Seventy five percent of moms say ads which feature children in them rank high on effectiveness, and the majority of moms notice the product first, rather than the ad's message.

Outdoor advertising can reach these moms when they are on the go, and influence purchase decisions they make for their families.  The visual nature of outdoor media can also focus on what resonates with this market segment-kids and the product itself.

Source: Outdoor Advertising Association of America 

A recent article in Media Sales Today confirms that advertising spending increased so far in 2011 and is expected to grow even more over the rest of the year.  As a result, there are multiple implications for you as a business owner or manager.

First, you are likely to see increased advertising by your competitors.  As a result, you may need to increase your own advertising or modify your current advertising to differentiate yourself from the competition, or risk losing business.

Second, as available ad space is bought up, media owners will increase rates.  You may be able to lock in a lower price now than you can get a few months from now. 
 
Third, if your advertising leans heavily toward the more expensive formats such as TV, newspaper, and magazines, you may be able to increase the efficiency of your campaign by moving just some of your budget to less expensive media such as billboards, transit, and truckside advertising. 

Keeping  a close eye on your competitors and making informed, logical decisions about your own advertising can go a long way toward improving your profitability!

Winter-Spring 2011 
- Do People Pay Attention To Billboards? 
- How To Get People To Notice Your Advertising
- The Cost of Super Bowl Advertising
- Outdoor Advertising Looks Strong for 2011 

Summer-Fall 2010

- Differentiate or Die!
- Digital Billboards Not Linked to Accidents
- Another Advertiser Finds Success During Recession
- Attract Attention: Make Fun of The Competition
- Let Someone Else Pay For Your Advertising
- Have Billboards Been Banned in Your Area?