Billboards, TSAs (transit shelter ads), and other outdoor advertising can still play a viable role in your marketing mix. According to a recent study by Arbitron, 3 in 4 American adults report having noticed billboard (static or digital), transit or street-level advertising in the past month. But wait…
That number rises to 84% among those who have driven or ridden in a vehicle!
So, now the big question is – they see the ads and then what?
People who view out-of-home (OOH) ads have an impressive list of responses, according to MarketingCharts.
- 40% visited an advertised restaurant;
- 39% visited an advertised store;
- 29% visited a store that week after seeing a sale or special advertised;
- 26% immediately visited a store, business or restaurant;
- 26% visited an advertised website;
- 28% visited a website that week after seeing a sale or special advertised;
- 12% accessed a coupon or other information on a mobile device;
- 39% talked about the ad or product advertised;
- 8% posted on a blog or social network about an ad or product advertised;
- 24% recommended the product or brand to others;
- 40% watched a TV program that was advertised;
- 23% listened to a radio station that was advertised;
- 18% called a phone number for the advertised product or store; and
- 33% attended a public event or performance that was advertised.
I’ve worked on billboard and TSA advertising years ago when I worked for a large nonprofit organization. Its annual fundraising campaign, which was localized to one city, also had a large inventory of lawn signs added to the mix. All were very effective, targeting the neighborhoods where many of its donors lived.
Bottom line? If your small business or nonprofit has a target audience in one geographic location, it may be advantageous to test outdoor advertising. It can be more cost effective than you think, especially when tying it into digital channels.