Outdoor Advertising

Outdoor Advertising 

As more businesses shift to digital marketing channels to meet consumers online, you may be wondering whether traditional outdoor advertising strategies are still relevant. Although outdoor advertising is one of the oldest types of advertising, it is also one of the most cost-effective strategies for audience reach. You need to understand and consider both online and offline advertising to maximise your return on investment (ROI).

Whether you’re a small startup or an established company ready to scale, our goal is to help you understand what outdoor advertising is, how it works and why it’s an effective strategy to build brand awareness and grow your business.

What is outdoor advertising?

Outdoor advertising, also known as out-of-home advertising, is any type of advertising that reaches people outdoors or outside of their homes, e.g. billboards, murals and posters. Outdoor ads can be displayed in shopping centres, bus and rail stations, sports stadiums, retailers, streets, airports and more.

People are spending less time at home than they used to, which makes outdoor advertising a great opportunity to reach people when they are commuting to and from work or on the go. It’s also easier to target and engage a wider audience than traditional media channels like TV, newspapers and radio which have become less popular with mass audiences due to the rise of digital and social media.

How effective is outdoor advertising?

In today’s fast-paced and digitised world, outdoor advertising has become more accepted by consumers who are flooded with advertisements on their social media news feeds and search engines. The inundation of digital content can have a positive impact on consumers’ response to outdoor ads—if an ad is visually pleasing it can even enhance your experience of an outdoor space.

Let’s take a look at the current landscape of outdoor advertising and where it’s headed:

• Outdoor advertising is worth over $8 billion in the U.S and this figure is expected to double by 2023 (OAAA, 2019).
• Outdoor advertising is outperforming other traditional media channels due to its ability to hold an audience. It’s also less vulnerable to digital disruption (Megna and Rapport, 2019).
• People respond well to outdoor ads with 71% of drivers actively looking at billboards while driving (American Driving Survey).

What are the most effective types of outdoor advertising?

There are many different types of outdoor advertising including:

• Shop signage
• Traditional billboards
• Digital billboards
• Transit (e.g. ads on the side buses, trains, trams, airport walkways, etc)
• Rail advertising (e.g. station posters and signage)
• Street furniture (e.g. transit shelters, phone boxes)
• Wallscapes
• Murals

What are the benefits of outdoor advertising for small businesses?

Some of the benefits of outdoor advertising for small businesses include:

• You can tailor your message to engage a specific audience 
• Generate brand awareness and familiarity 
• Outdoor advertising is usually more affordable than print and digital advertising 
• Gain maximum exposure from your target audience

How does outdoor advertising work?

To get started with outdoor advertising there are few important things to consider:

• Identify your objectives: Decide on what you want to advertise (e.g. a new product launch or simply build brand awareness).
• Budget: Determine how much you can afford to spend as this will give you a clearer idea of the options within your budget.
• Location: Consider the type of ad you want and where you want to display it.
• Consider hiring an outdoor advertising company: They specialise in outdoor advertising and can help you find and secure sites, design and copywriting and printing.

As well as the logistical considerations of outdoor advertising such as finding an appropriate public or outdoor site, outdoor advertising companies are experts in creating ads that strike a balance between aesthetics and communicating your key message to your target audience. They can help you maximise your ad spend and gain more brand awareness. You can learn more about hiring outdoor advertising companies here on SavvySME.

You can also check out the latest articles on outdoor advertising or join in the community discussions with other savvy business owners.