The Skinny on Billboards
Several years back the billboard people put a big
picture of "Sharlene Wells, Miss America" on
billboards all over town. She was everywhere. The
clever use of the girl had two purposes; the first
was to cover up all the unsold boards. The second
was to show the effectiveness of billboard
advertising. Surveys were conducted before and after the one
month showing of Sharlene's pretty mug. Before,
only 1.5% of people surveyed could recall her name
when asked "Who is Miss America". After, the
number jumped to an amazing 12%. The billboard people pointed to this example as
proof of the power of outdoor advertising. It gave
them the open door to pitch hundreds of potential
new customers. If you bought 50 billboards in your town and used
the Miss America approach, people would surely
know your name, too. Here's the skinny on outdoor advertising;
billboards. You MUST Plan Ahead
First, outdoor is not a "quick fix". If sales are
down, you can't quickly put up a few boards to
boost the numbers. You must plan ahead. Lead time
is not short when using outdoor. The best use of
boards is for image building and brand awareness.
They are not cost effective for one time only
sales or non-repeating special events. Billboards
are image builders. Using billboards is akin to
TV, it can mean you have "arrived" as a formidable
business. Most are sold for a minimum of one month. You pay
twice. First for the board location and second for
the media used to put your ad on the board, paint,
paper or plastic. Paints
Painted billboards are the oldest form of outdoor
advertising. They are painted with special
outdoor paint that is weather resistant. Some
outdoor paints are specially formulated to resist
fading. Painted billboards are also known as
"painted bulletins" but most commonly as "paints". Papers
Poster Boards may be the best known. We have all
seen the billboard guy hanging off the ladder with
the swirling wallpaper-like panels being pushed
into place with the big glue broom. Poster Boards are printed on 8 to 30 sheets of
heavy paper, depending on the size. Posters with 8
sheets (6 x 12 feet) are called juniors. Regular
boards use 30 sheets and make a 12 x 25 foot sign,
counting the heavy metal frame. They are
called 30-sheets. Some old timers refer to poster boards as "papers"
and "paper bulletins". Papers look good for about
a month, depending on the weather. Nothing looks
worse than an old paper board, unattended for long
periods where the wind and weather has ripped and
torn the panels torn away revealing layers of old
signs. Plastic
All the rage now is the use of vinyl on boards.
This allows for better color, longer life and very
fine graphics. If vinyl boards had been available
when they did the Miss America test, people would
still be in love with the lady on the board. Vinyls are printed with a special printer, not
unlike your computer printer. Once sprayed with
the ultra-violet finish coat, vinyls can last for
years. Vinyls are easy to spot. They look brighter
and better than traditional paper boards, Wind has
a tendency to get under them can make them ripple,
as they are normally not glued to the surface, but
attached at the edges. These are called "flex
vinyls" and can be moved from board to board
without damage. Some vinyls are slipped over old
paper boards like a sack and you can see the
outline of the paper board's metal boarder under
the vinyl. Bulletins are the giant boards you often see along
Interstates. They can be as big as 20 x 60 feet or
as small as 10 1/2 x 36 feet. Many of these large
boards are supported by one huge metal pipe in the
middle. Rotary bulletins are the same as bulletins
but are moved every 60 days (hence the term
rotary).Some bulletins are painted, most use
plastic. Showings
Boards have ratings like TV shows, called Gross
Rating Points (GRP). Each board has a traffic
count, and when divided by the population, the
result is a GRP. Billboard sales are usually made
in GRPs. Meaning you buy a 25 showing or a 50 or
75 or 100 showing. A 25 showing would mean that at
least 25% of the population would see one of your
boards at least once a day. A 25 showing could
take one board, three or many, depending on the
traffic count and the population. It is possible
to buy only one board, but not cost effective.
After you decide to use outdoor, you have to pay
for printing the paper or vinyls and they usually
come in units of 10. The best goal is to get a 100 showing. Studies
have shown that in a 100 showing, advertisers can
reach 88% of the adults 28 times a month. In a 50
showing, advertisers can reach 83% of adults 15
times a month. Cost
For example, a recent 50 showing in Salt lake City
included 84 boards and cost $22,512 for one month
(the 1- Month Rate). Buying that many boards
brought the cost per board to under $275. Don't
expect a rate this low for smaller markets or a
one or two board buy. In most cities the average
billboard costs $400 to $600 a month. Some board locations are stacked. Opinions vary as
to whether top or bottom position is better. Some
boards are "tri-vision" mechanically turning small
panels to reveal 3 different ads every 30 seconds. There are other forms of outdoor. The giant single
pole super boards along the Interstates are best
used for spur of the moment sales "next exit" and
"clean restrooms". Small 4x8 painted boards stuck on a post in a
farmer's yard must be fixed and redone by you
regularly. Let it sag or fall over just once and
you image can go with it. Here are BIG Mike's Tips for Better Billboard
Advertising. + Buy at least a 50 showing and do it every other month. Many times if the board is not sold after your time runs out,it will remain up for free until replaced. + Be sure some if not most are lighted locations. + Choose stand alone rather than stacked if you have a choice. + Don't let the board salesperson select the locations for you. + Buy vinyls instead of paper or paint and bleed the graphic off the edge (so it wraps around the back of the board). Makes you ad look even bigger + Keep the concept short and clever. Offer a solution to their problem, entice them with something new. Avoid same ol' same ol'. + Use the rule of never more than 8 words and one picture. Remember, most readers will be zooming by in a car or truck. + Don't put your picture on the board. Remember the cardinal rule of sales. It's not all about YOU,it's all about THEM. + Make outdoor a budget item and plan in advance. Spend most of your time working on the concept and design, 'cause once it's up there, it can't be changed and will been seen by everybody. Final Thought
FYI - Miss America 2004 is Ericka Dunlap. For more about advertising, get my article
"What the Newspaper Won't Tell You"
MailTo:NewspaperAds@BigIdeasgroup.com ©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights Reserved
Mike@BIGIdeasGroup.com
BIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and Small
Business Consultant with over 30 years experience,
http://BIGIdeasGroup.com Subscribe to "BIG Mike's BIG Ideas" Newsletter
MailTo:subscribe-956603364@ezinedirector.net
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Does Your Brochure Pass the Test - Or is It Headed for the Trash? Part One
The decision on whether or not someone will read your brochure is usually decided in the first 5 seconds they look at it. What kind of message are you communicating in that five seconds? Will you make a favorable impression with your prospect? Will you move your prospect closer to the sale?
Advertising Primer for Fast Learners
Advertising, when done well is a very effective way to increase your customer base and ultimately grow your bottom line.
Understanding The Basics Of Advertising
I get the L.A. Times delivered to my door every day, but I don't read it for the articles. It is a Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper, but the articles just don't interest me. Unlike most people, I read the paper for the advertisements because there is a lot to learn from them.
Cable Ads 5 Bucks!
Cable has grown from 13 houses connected together
in 1948 to coverage of nearly 70% of all
households in the U.S. With dozens, even hundreds
of channels, Cable is now a major player for local
advertising dollars, some for less than 5 bucks.
Promote yourself on radio for free
Unless you have become extremely popular in your personal or business name, you likely need all of the marketing and promotion you can get. Now, you may say, of course, I'm aware of this, but who has the money? This a good and fair question. It may surprise you, though, when I say, you don't need money for some of the most valuable marketing available -- radio advertising.
Small Cards, Big Ideas: Alternative Uses for Business Cards
Aggressive business card marketing isn't about handing your business cards out to everyone you see.
Three Keys to Crafting Successful Print Ads
Want to create print ads that get results? Below are three
keys to get you started.
Using Flyers to Advertise Your Online Business
Using flyers is one commonly overlooked method of advertising offline. Flyers are extremely easy to create. They also allow you to exhibit some of your creative side, making it just that much more fun to make money.
Moving Message Board
Moving message boards are used in the areas where continuous announcements, or other information are need to be displayed in to either indoor or outdoor. Used most widely in churches, schools, airports, other transport stations, banks, production and administration department of organization as marquee information billboards.
10 Reasons Why Your Company Needs Custom Invitations
I am always amazed when I hear about companies who spend tens of thousands of dollars organizing a make-it-or-break-it company event designed to celebrate a company milestone and/or impress prospective customers. Sometimes these events have big contracts or sales at stake! Yet, often planners will fall short on the most critical aspect of planning the event-the invitations! After all, before a client steps foot into your venue, or even confirms attendance, the invitation sets the tone and leaves the first and most important (and lasting!) impression!
Testimonials Convert Prospects Into Buyers
Big businesses get instant credibility with their well-known company name or brand name. But small companies have to create their own credibility. One of most powerful tools you can use for this is customer testimonials.
Creativity and Getting Outside of the Box
Sitting in front of a blank piece of paper? Wondering where in the world to start? I have a suggestion. Turn the page upside down. Or better yet flip it over onto it's backside. Let it know who's boss. If your first idea is terrible, write it down anyway. If the next one is silly, redundant or stupid, write it down. Who knows, it may end up being a comedy direction and that first terrible line may end up being the punch line. You never know. You are jumping off a precipice into the unknown world of creativity and you need to be a leaf at the mercy of the wind or you will come crashing down with your fears in a ball flames every time.
Advertising Agency In Boston: Tips and Tricks
The big news on Wall Street last year was the initial public offering of Internet search engine Google. If you were a visitor from another planet, you might be asking yourself, What big, sophisticated, high-technology company is behind the success of Google? Could it be IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Apple, Oracle, SAP, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, Dell, Xerox, Sun Microsystems, Philips or Siemens? Of course not. The brains behind Google are two Stanford students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who launched the Web site in 1998. Some six years later, the two founders are worth billions.
When Advertising Wears Out
One of the challenges facing marketers is determining the most effective level of advertising exposure for a brand, while maintaining a given budget. Conceptually, the media planner could choose continuous advertising (even exposures spread over a period of time) or follow a strategy of pulsing ("on" for some months and "off" for others). The decision is important because the wrong one will considerably affect customer response. When advertisements are run at a low frequency (very few times), they run a risk of going unnoticed. The first time customers view an advertisement, a majority of the time, the message doesn't even process in their minds. On the other hand, when an advertisement is run at a high frequency, advertising wearout may occur. Therefore, the task at hand is finding just the right frequency for a positive response.
Advertising Basics for Beginners
So many of us who have decided to do business online have no background in marketing or advertising. It can be so frustrating without any kind of guide.
In Advertising Bigger isn?t Always Better
If you have been following the recent advertising news you will notice that more and more major advertisers are looking to smaller ad agencies to handle their campaigns.
Dont Put All Your Eggs in The Same Basket
Solution: You can protect yourself by partnering with other lead sources because it is unlikely that they will all have a problem or technical issue at the same time.
Electronic Display Signs
Electronic display signs are used nowadays in great extent to display important information instantly all over the world, which uses LED technology, which stands for light- emitting diodes. These are widely used in the worlds of commerce, government and even non-profit organizations.
The Motivational Triggers That Make People Buy
In order to sell more products and service, you need master customers' mind. Put youself into customers' shoes and think what customers want. You will make more profit by master these skills.
How To Create Instantly Compelling Ads Every Time
Use This Quick 3-Question Evaluation Process, So You Can Be
Sure Your Message Will Sell!
|
