Outdoor Media—Billboards and Beyond

Remember the days when outdoor media was all about the huge billboard that hit the consumer in the face as they drove out of a tunnel, or sat in traffic on a major traffic-jammed thoroughfare? That is so 1990's!

Advertisers rejoiced when billboards got "cool" and allowed, through rotating panels, for two advertisers to share the expense (and yes, impressions) of one major board. Even cooler was when they went digital, allowing the consumer to be hit with three to five messages as they zoomed by.

How very "Internet" of them.

No more! Outdoor advertising—or out of home (OOH) advertising—has extended well beyond the billboard (which, bought and placed appropriately is STILL a great way to build brand awareness). Now, OOH advertising encompasses more than 100 formats and delivers over $7 billion in annual revenues (source: Wikipedia).

100 formats, you ask? Yes—consider these, just a handful of the 100… surely, you've seen them all:

Billboards
Buses—on the bus, in the bus, at the bus stop
Commuter rail advertising—in the car, at the stop
Lamp post advertising—been to a baseball game lately?
Mobile billboards—a must-have for major trade show advertisers!
Street advertising—literally, chalk on the pavement…
Taxis—on the top, in the car, on screens in the car
Wallscapes on buildings
Airport advertising—posters, on the baggage claim, etc.

How then, does a savvy advertiser choose what is right for their brand with all of these options?

Easily—target locally, and target appropriately.

Consider EGC client Storage Deluxe. A top provider of storage space in the New York metropolitan area, Storage Deluxe's locations are all located outside Manhattan—within easy commuting distance for city-dwellers…and those willing to make the trek will find cost-savings in comparison to storage facilities located in NYC. To reach the NYC apartment-dweller, Storage Deluxe has advertised on NYC buses and subways for several years with great success. This year's campaign, due to launch in April, features core brand differentiators and will provide special offers to those who text in. Space can be rented online, via Smartphone—which has become a key piece of the customer-capture strategy. They see, they think, they book. Done.

Optimum Lightpath also adhered to the "target locally, target appropriately" model when trying to reach the New Jersey business customer. High impact placements were secured that ensured the average NY/NJ commuter would see Optimum at least three times during their daily commute, hammering home the message that Optimum was the Network Behind NJ Business. The result—big campaign buzz and increased leads.

So, who said outdoor is so 1990's?