In the age of the internet and social media, is outdoor advertising still effective? To truly appreciate this form of advertising, let’s address a more important question: ‘What is outdoor advertising?’ Read on and learn more about its different forms and advantages.
Outdoor Advertising Definition
This type of advertising entails using any form of ad that catches people’s attention when they are outdoors. While the most popular form of this kind of advertising is the billboard, there are other formats that fall under it.
Because of the definition of outdoor advertising, it can encompass a wide variety of formats like:
- Cars that come with logos and pictures of products
- Public spaces covered with images of products
- Advertising on blimps during sporting events
Outdoor Advertising Pros
At least before the pandemic, people spend a great deal of time outside. This means that potential customers will be more likely to notice an ad found in areas where a lot of people will pass.
Surely, the pandemic and the lockdowns have affected the amount of time people spent traveling and staying outside their homes. Those are about to bounce back, however, once things go back to normal again.
Billboards work because they attract the attention of people. According to research, 71% of people who pass by a billboard actually pay attention to it. Imagine an ad placed right beside a busy highway where thousands of vehicles pass each day.
The problem with some ads like those placed on online videos is they appear intrusive. How many times have you clicked on the “Skip Ad” button on a Youtube video that you are watching? How many times were you annoyed by the fact that you can’t skip an ad on a Facebook video?
If it’s designed and made in the right way, an outdoor ad campaign has the potential of not being rejected by the viewer. That’s because it feels more natural. It feels as if it belongs to the environment, so they won’t look away because it won’t feel intrusive.
Another advantage of a witty and creative ad campaign is that it can catch people's attention just when they have nothing else to do like when they are stuck in traffic or are waiting for the bus. Charter bus are a popular means of outdoor advertising because of their size and ability to reach a wide audience on the go
Familiarity Breeds Revenue
Another important effect of outdoor ads is that they generate familiarity. Imagine a commuter who passes by a billboard every morning when going to work. That billboard becomes part of the landscape, and it becomes familiar.
Even if a person has never bought your product or has availed of your service, your brand or service becomes familiar to him because he sees your ads every morning. Why is familiarity so important? Well, based on research, 80% of consumers choose to purchase a familiar brand.
Triggering an Emotional Response
Another interesting statistic that you should remember regarding outdoor advertisements is that they can trigger emotional responses. According to research, 50% of all purchases are borne out of emotional responses.
Now, that would depend on how you design the ad and write the copy. Remember, a well-crafted ad can create the right sort of emotional response from a person.
For instance, you can use outdoor ads like billboards to tell stories that aim to trigger the right emotional response. You may consult Delesign to help you craft an ad that will appeal to public emotions.
Take a closer look at some outdoor ad campaigns that resonate with its audience. Chances are marketing professionals positioned them as experiences that can trigger more emotional responses than just straight ads.
Main Forms of Outdoor Advertising
After asking the question, ‘what is outdoor advertising?’, you’re probably interested in knowing its various forms.
Based on the statistics from the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, these are the main formats of outdoor advertising:
- Billboards which include traditional billboards and digital ones.
- Transit ads or those placed on buses, cabs, and other vehicles.
- Street furniture ads or those placed on benches and public bathrooms.
- Cinema advertising or the ads you see before the start of films in the cinema.
Now, marketing experts also mix outdoor advertising with digital platforms to create an interesting and potentially powerful means of influencing your audience. There are several ways that digital tech and outdoor ads can be combined. The most popular, of course, is the incorporation of social media into a campaign.
Other digital-outdoor ads combination include:
- Pinging people’s devices through Bluetooth
- Giving out dynamic QR codes for instant access to sites and offers
- Letting people play interactive games on billboards or ads displays
Digital ads constitute the fastest growing section of outdoor ads. Based on estimates by PricewaterhouseCoopers, it is growing by as much as 9.4% each year. It was supposed to make up 46% of all outdoor ads. Although that percentage might be lower now because of the pandemic, it is still a significant aspect of out-of-home ads that you cannot ignore.
People Spend Time Outside
Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, Americans spend more than 8.7 hours each day outside of their homes. That’s another number that has been seriously affected by the pandemic. However, as things start going back to normal, Americans will be spending more than a third of their time outside of their homes or offices.
Outdoor ads allow you to connect with your audience when they are most receptive to what you have to say and offer. People’s minds are not really occupied when they are waiting for a bus or stuck in traffic.
Outdoor ads are very accessible and non-intrusive, especially when you compare with other forms of advertising. It’s also measurable, although to a lesser degree, when compared to digital ads.
Here are some stats to provide just how effective outdoor ads are:
- Around 3 quarters of all Americans notice the digital billboards that they pass by.
- About 60% of Americans say that billboards are excellent for learning more about a new company.
- A survey found nearly a third of the respondents claim that they went to a business after learning about it on a billboard.
Then there is the cost. Although digital ads claim to be the cheapest form of advertising, outdoor ads can deliver a cost per thousand compared to other forms of media.
Outdoor ads are also versatile. You can use them for various purposes, ranging from crafting a brand image to promoting a specific event.
Crafting the Right Ads
While outdoor ads can be effective, it would all depend on the quality of the actual advertisement. You have to craft it in the right way to trigger the response that you need from clients. There are some basic ideas that you need to follow when crafting ads.
For example, you should not fill it with too much information. An average person can only store 7 things within his or her short-term memory. Moreover, a person would normally scan something in a Z pattern. Thus, your ad's important messages should be on the top, middle, and bottom parts of the ad.
Check out this link for free sample designs to inspire you in crafting your ads.
Outdoor advertising works. It may be undergoing changes right now, but it is still an effective means of reaching your audience at the end of the day.
Back in 2018 alone, the revenue generated from it amounted to $8.56 billion. The numbers have been steadily increasing since 2009 which only proves that most businesses consider it a worthy investment.
Maria is a Content Writer with keen interest in eCommerce and Internet Marketing. She is a Communications graduate and understands what it takes to write persuasive copy and blog posts. Outside of work, you can find her mini-blogging about her life on social media.
