It used to be when you heard the term “out-of-home (OOH) advertising,” you would immediately think of billboards. And while billboards still hold a special place top of mind when it comes to OOH advertising, the availability of so many other options now make this least-considered form of advertising rife with endless possibilities.
Why choose OOH? Generally, the theory has been that OOH has some unique characteristics that make it the best choice for advertising in certain circumstances. First, OOH is a reminder message, reminding people on their way to shop about a particular product or service. Second, OOH is directional, in that it directs people to your venue to make their purchase. Finally, it is local, reaching people in a specific geographic area with your message.
Billboards are the most common form of OOH. Billboards come in many sizes: from the “junior poster” generally at 6’ x 12’ to the “spectacular bulletin,” which can be 20’ x 60.’ You’ll find the smaller boards in town lining the streets, and you’ll find the largest boards bordering major highways. Many are lighted, but some are not and will therefore lose any audience after dark. Digital billboards offer your message, usually along with several others, on a rotating basis, but they have the advantage of being able to have the message changed quickly, if necessary. Boards with artwork on vinyl cannot be altered without creating completely new artwork.
As with any OOH advertising, the message must fit the medium. Billboards are only seen in a flash, usually as someone is driving by. You have 3-5 seconds to get your message across, so simple signage is usually best, with fewer, larger words, high contrast, and legible type.
OOH does not end with billboards. Street furniture is another option for advertising, including park benches, bus shelters, building banners, projection media, fence wraps, trash cans, street graphics in vinyl or chalk, even seasonal snow or sand sculptures. If you can find a place to put signage, someone will come up with the idea to use it for advertising.
Mobile advertising is becoming more popular these days. It used to be called guerilla marketing, where advertisers would come up with unconventional and unique ways to promote a message. Now it is becoming more the convention to make innovative advertising choices, just to stand out from the crowd, and especially to get out there and meet with the consumer face to face and perhaps even put a sample of your product in their hands. Mobile billboards in standard or digital, adbikes, bus wraps, promo vans, aerial inflatables, roller boards, segways, human directionals, and brand ambassadors are all options for your mobile advertising efforts.
With more and more advertising opportunities and a greater need to stand out from the crowd, OOH advertising will only be limited by your budget and your imagination.
Let Infinity Concepts help with your out-of-home advertising needs.
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