Billboards
Billboard advertising can be very effective and a smart way to spend your marketing dollars but you must
ask yourself a couple of questions:
1. Am I trying to boost sales immediately or is my goal image building and/or brand awareness?
2. Am I ready to commit to a 3, 6 or 12 month contract?
If the purpose of advertising your business is to build your brand,
it's definitely something to consider. If you're trying to promote an
event that is coming up to increase sales: you may want to consider
another means of advertising.
If you're not ready to commit to a contract, you should
certainly consider another form of advertising such as print or radio.
Billboard companies typically require at least a 6 month contract and
most often prefer a 12 month or longer commitment. It is not easy to
decide this isn't working and cancel the advertising. Radio, print
and TV advertising is a little more flexible when it comes to
cancellations.
Another factor to consider is the cost of the artwork.
After the billboard advertising is designed, you will be responsible
for the cost to produce the ad. This should be averaged into the
monthly cost of the billboard to properly calculate your return on
investment.
The cost to produce the artwork for the billboard will
vary. The different types of
artwork that can be produced for billboards include painted, posters
and vinyl.
While painted billboards are the oldest form of outdoor
advertising, they are becoming less common and almost extinct. They are
painted with special outdoor paint that is weather resistant specially
formulated to resist fading.
Poster Boards are fairly common and used for short term
contracts such as those used to advertise a fair, concert or similar
event. They only look good for about a month. 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.
Today, the most common covering of billboards is vinyl.
This allows for better color, longer life and very fine graphics. Vinyl
board coverings are printed with a special 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 and 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.
Typical billboards are 14 by 48 feet, 12 by 24 feet
(30-sheet) and 5 by 11 feet (a-sheet). The largest sign is the one you
most often notice along the freeway. With this sign you get the maximum
exposure. Because of the different placenlent requirements for smaller
signs, as the sign decreases in size, the market exposed to the message
becomes smaller and more centralized.
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.
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.
The most important aspect to advertising on a billboard is the design. Here are a few tips:
1. Keep your message short and simple. Don't advertise 500 Four Color
Full Bleed Business Cards on Gloss Paper for $29.00 - Setup fee $35....
Simply say 500 Business Cards $29. If someone is interested, they will
seek the details.
2. Make sure your phone number or address is easy to
read. Why advertise if the potential customer can't read your phone
number.
3. Avoid detailed pictures. Only use a photo (one photo) when it sends a message loud and clear.
Billboard advertising can be very effective but make sure the design is
great, the message is strong and you are ready to commit to the
campaign.
|
