Using Billboards Effectively in Advertising

How to Use Billboards in Strategic Local Ad Campaigns

Sep 25, 2009

In today's marketplace, people in business and industry consider all forms of cost effective advertising, including non-traditional marketing such as outdoor billboards.

In a typical week, Canadians spend about 35% of their time away from home, according to the Toronto-based Out-of-Home Marketing Association of Canada (OMAC). People may be involved in activities such as shopping, attending fitness clubs, or driving to and from school or work.

Billboard ads can help spread the message of local business and industry. Ben Tingley, founder of Bravo Tango Advertising Firm in Regina, Saskatchewan, says a main goal of billboard ads is to catch the eye of a passing motorist. Drivers in vehicles only have about three seconds of time to see the information presented.

Choosing High-Traffic Locations Makes Effective Use of Billboards

“Picking the locations is key,” Tingley says. First the business has to identify the target audience for any message or ad campaign. “We choose high traffic locations, where we determine the target market will be traveling.”

In a recent campaign to represent the non-profit Saskatchewan Motion Picture Industry Association (SMPIA), for instance, busy avenues in Regina and Saskatoon were chosen as strategic spots for billboard ads. “One strong, appealing fact was presented on each one,” he says.

Other forms of advertising, such as a website, would be more appropriate for presenting longer information including company histories and biographies, he adds. Billboards are one part of a larger campaign.

“The message needs to be succinct,” Tingley says. “We want to make sure we have a strong visual presentation for a solid month, so people will give it a second look when they drive by the next day. It has to be intriguing enough to get people talking.”

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Billboard and Out-of-Home Marketing

The Canadian Media Director’s Council (CMDC) Media Digest shows that ad revenue for out-of-home marketing rose from three percent in 2004, to nine percent in 2007. Entertainment industries are among the top ten advertisers in Canada using billboards and similar marketing forms, according to Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) research.

Like Americans, some 40% of Canadians decide to shop on their way home from work, according to OMAC studies. The goal of striking and effective billboards and other out-of-home marketing efforts is to direct public attention to specific messages or markets.

Evaluating costs and effectiveness of billboard campaigns is done in several ways. According to CDMC Media Digest, evaluating out-of-home reach and frequency is based on circulation counts and potential exposure data. Also, for a fee, an independent media measurement firm called the Canadian Outdoor Measurement Bureau (COMB) will provide a proof-of-performance report.

Out-of-Home Marketing Association of Canada (OMAC) website, “A Day in the Life of Urban Canadians."

Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA), Nielsen Media Research. “Top 10 OOH Categories – 2008.”

The copyright of the article Using Billboards Effectively in Advertising in Advertising is owned by Marie Powell Mendenhall. Permission to republish Using Billboards Effectively in Advertising in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.