Picture this: You’re in the middle of an exciting yet long road trip to Las Vegas. Your phone dies and conveniently, your charger isn’t working. You know it’s a straight shot so you’re not concerned about GPS. You’re good on gas but you feel your stomach rumbling with fury because in a rush to make good timing, you failed to grab snacks for the trip. You notice you’re coming up on a small, unfamiliar town that you assume would have restaurant choices but how do you know for sure? You look up and see, “OldTimers Café – Voted the Best Brunch in Town, Exit 26 and turn right.”
Perhaps at this moment you let out a sigh of relief but do you stop to acknowledge the significance of this marketing communication channel? Probably not, but since you’re not currently in that position, let’s take a moment to show gratitude. One of the oldest forms of marketing has saved you from wandering hungrily in a foreign town. Thank Goodness!
Ok, so that was a very specific scenario that probably wouldn’t happen to most but for the traveling consumer, where would we be without billboards? They not only add some color to the mundane road ahead but they necessarily advertise the things we might be interested in on our journey.
Traditional methods of marketing like print advertisements, newspapers, flyers, and billboards don’t get as much attention as they have in the past. As technology continues to grow smarter, the valuable role that billboards play isn’t acknowledged as much as it should be. As a one-way form of advertising, many businesses have opted out of using billboards altogether as they assume them to be a thing of the past and would rather invest in more online and social advertisements as a means of connecting with and influencing their audience.
Billboard advertisements provide a unique way for businesses to market to their audience. These ads are unique in that they can be direct or share a thought provoking message. Primary Media shares why billboard advertising is and will always be an important form of marketing. For one, billboards are guaranteed to be seen. Depending on the image or words, the information on the billboard is immediately taken in by its audience. Billboards also help the target audience find the business because they generally incorporate some sort of quick instructions to their destination. “People are more likely to make their buying decisions in the car…” (Primary Media, n,d.). With that being said, as a business owner why not influence those who are already in motion and most likely to take their business to you?
Since smartphones are keeping people connected while away from home, consumers are spending more time traveling (Imagine Express, 2017). Everything from restaurants to medications and cars to toothpaste are advertised on billboards. Billboards are there to influence the traveling consumer and can do so in engaging ways. What would Times Square look like without all of those beautifully placed digital billboards? I never shop at American Eagle Outfitters but I have to admit that their bright billboard was intriguing enough to make me want to at least stop in to see what they had to offer.
The presentation of your billboard and where it is placed is going to get you the ultimate bang for your buck. Like most, I don’t pay attention to the billboards while in the city unless they incorporate some flashing lights or as my 7-year-old nephew would say, “something hanging off of it.” However, after driving for hours in the desert, I’m looking for any nearby signs of civilization. Billboards are indeed a current and effective method of marketing to those in need.
Billboards have definitely stepped their game up in terms of creativity and their ability to get their audience engaged and active. Not to mention the somewhat controversial billboards that have small cameras and collect data from those who pass by… but I digress.
So what do you think? Are billboards a dying breed of marketing or are they still worth the costly investment? Does it really matter where the billboard is placed (Interstate vs city freeways) or does the content of the billboard have the most influence?
References
Ember, S. (2016). See that billboard? It may see you, too. New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/29/business/media/see-that-billboard-it-may-see-you-too.html
Imagine Express. (2017). How effective is billboard advertising? Retrieved from http://imagine-express.com/billboard-advertising-effective/
Morrissey, J. (2016). Look up: In the digital age, Billboards are far from dead. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/05/business/media/look-up-in-the-digital-age-billboards-are-far-from-dead.html
“Why Billboard Advertising is Important.” (n,d). Primary Media. Retrieved from https://www.primarymedia.com/about/why-billboard-advertising-is-important/
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