Small or medium enterprises often do not have large marketing budgets and every penny must be carefully applied for maximum impact. Exposure is critical to get the brand noticed and to persuade customers to invest in the brand, and often the budget does not stretch far enough to cover television, radio or print advertising costs. There are cheaper ways to advertise such as delivering brochures, but these are very localised. One of the most cost-effective ways that maximise marketing impact is the use of billboards. Because their vantage points tend to tower over cities and buildings, they are easy to notice. The impact of the billboard can easily be lost by poor design, and therefore a great design concept is critical.

• Know your strategy: The advertising needs of a small business are just as important as those of a large corporate. The primary objectives of the advertising campaign must be carefully considered. Priorities must be identified and focus on the most vital points only to get the results you need.
• Count your words: People cannot read a lot of text while driving, which is why the fewer words you use, the better. You can still create impact with a good image and a few words. Do include the name of the business and perhaps a memorable hashtag or message in less than ten words.
• Text and font: The font must be clear and easy to read from a distance. Ensure there is enough contrast between the font and the background to make the text jump out more. Use different fonts for your text and for the company logo or contact details.
• Impress with images: A picture can sell a concept in one glance. High resolution, bold images have an immediate impact in seconds, so you must choose the images well to get the right message across.
• Be daring with content: Utilise the surprise element to catch attention. Humour can also be used very effectively. People love to be entertained and using images that display the benefits of the product often results in better recall. Often people will also tell others about a funny or impactful billboard they saw, and this helps to market your brand even more effectively.

If you have a small business and would like to increase your advertising impact, billboards yield great results. Contact our team at Face First Media for more information.

Over time there have been many theories about what makes people tick in order to discover what makes them choose one product over another. Advertising has a lot to do with this – while some advertisements hit exactly the right note with a target audience, another will be a dismal failure. The trick is to get to know your target market, their needs, their lifestyles, tastes and trends, and in modern times this is easier to track than before. It is now possible to do data analysis by gathering information on consumer behaviours on social media and online shops, and this provides very clear indications on how advertisement and marketing should be formulated in order to appeal to a much narrower demographic on a more intensive level.

When it comes to billboards, it does help to analyse online media, but it can be tricky to apply the correct measures to billboard advertising strategies. Most billboards in South Africa still consist of the old-school static billboards that use a shotgun impact to get noticed and to drive sales. Two things are crucial here: (1) the message on the billboard, and (2) the location of the billboard. If a broad demographic is to be targeted, billboards are hugely capable of conveying a more general message (such as most fast-food chains with recognisable logos – these will appeal to anyone who is hungry). For smaller demographics, however, the billboard must be in the correct place and send out a very specific message to that group of people to yield results (for instance, a young clothing line for students can be positioned near a campus).

Digital billboards yield great results because they can convey a story more effectively than a static billboard. They are also very noticeable and provide entertainment in a variety of frames. This can be very useful at places where the desired demographic usually spend time – such as at a bus stop or a busy intersection where vehicles must stop and wait during a daily commute. Digital billboards can show mini-movies that entice people to try the product and can be used very effectively to tell a story using a series of stories.

Modern smart billboards take it a step further. Recognition software can now be used to target drivers of specific vehicles – the recognition software identifies the type of vehicle and an advertisement is then activated to target that driver. Digital billboards can also measure traffic density and speed, and slow images down or speed them up depending on how much screen time a driver gets. In a world where driverless vehicles are becoming a reality, billboards have the potential to play an invaluable role, providing drivers or passengers with entertainment while passing. Impulse purchases can be made on a smartphone or another online gadget in the vehicle. The most important question here is how people will behave in driverless vehicles. Will they take the time to see outside the windows or will they be engrossed in their smartphones? Only time will tell, but it goes without saying that technology will be developed where billboards still get noticed and remain effective despite the changes in human behaviour.

Over time there have been many theories about what makes people tick. These theories have been proven repeatedly and influence a lot of factors in people’s lives. The way they live, what they drive, what they eat, their norms and values, and their view of themselves and others are all related in one way or another to certain classic theories. Advertising is no different, and these theories, no matter how old, can improve the quality and effectiveness of your billboard advertising. Here are three of the most popular theories that are routinely applied to advertising.

1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Maslow stated human needs in priority in a triangular format with five layers. The most important are the physical needs (food, water, sleep, warmth), second is safety needs, third is the needs that relate to love and belonging, fourth is the needs of the esteem, and fifth is the need for self-actualisation. No matter which product or service your company advertises, it will inevitably fall into one of these categories. The way the advertising is presented therefore must create a need and then fulfil that need with the brand. Even though the most important need is the basic physical need, advertising is more effective if it appeals to more than one category in the hierarchy. For instance, if you sell a food product, which is a basic need, you can also appeal to the need for esteem by creating a product that looks and tastes exclusive. Security companies, for instance, can appeal to the need for effective security and safety while also building on the need for self-actualisation.
2. Game Theory: Probably the theory that is most present in business and advertising today, Game Theory involves being “in the game” and getting ahead of the competition. While it is hard to guess what the competition is thinking and doing, it is vital that the business makes educated guesses regarding the next move of the competitor, and then get there before the competition does. This theory also dictates that no actions of one company should harm the competitor, in order to keep a level playing field and to keep advertising and business fair.
3. Planned Behaviour Theory: On the opposite side of Game Theory is Planned Behaviour Theory, which states that it is indeed possible to anticipate the next move of the competition with relative accuracy. If the target market is understood properly, their past behaviour can be indicative of future behaviour, and their norms, values, belief systems must all be considered in any effort to advertise in order to be effective. Today we have market research and trend analysis, and even social media and customer data can be analysed in order to gain a better picture of what the customer needs are and how best to appeal to them.

There are many other theories that drive advertising and it helps to understand these before starting an advertising campaign. All of these should be kept in mind to make your billboard advertising more effective!

In any type of advertising, there are certain components that just cannot be ignored. Omitting to focus on certain components can mean the difference between a wildly successful billboard campaign and a total waste of a marketing budget. Here are some of the vital components that must be considered when putting together a billboard campaign:

1. Brand positioning: It must be clear what the image of the brand and its target customer should be. The positioning is used to influence how the audience views or feels about a brand. It must represent the character of the brand and advertise in a manner that appeals to specific demographics.
2. Execution of the campaign: The advertisement must deliver a message that is memorable and persuasive, and it has to say something profound about the brand. The approach should be quick, clear, and penetrating to gain the attention of passers-by or motorists because they only have a few seconds to observe the billboard. The ad should be different from others in order to stand out above the competition.
3. Drama: Billboard advertising does not always need to be dramatic, but if drama is used it can be enormously effective. The drama of the product or service can display why people should invest in the brand. Ideally, the drama should be presented in a realistic and welcoming manner in order to appeal to a target audience.
4. Emotion: The billboard should evoke emotion in the audience. It should tell a story about the brand that makes the audience feel attracted to the product or service being displayed. Hard-hitting advertisements are memorable and endear people to the brand, and therefore they will be more invested in the brand. Emotions such as disgust, pleasure, accomplishment, relief and many others are all used very effectively to market brands.
5. Entertainment: People love to be entertained, especially during a boring commute. Offering them something entertaining to look at can have a huge impact, and if the billboard is entertaining enough, they will even tell others about the brand or the story or share it on social media, and thereby acting as social marketers of the brand.
6. Sentimentality: This includes mainly the “mom & pop” store, historic or small-town warmth in the advertising campaign. Typically, people view these types of environments as warm and welcoming, and it associates it with family and love. It also brings back old school sentimentality which makes the advertisement more memorable.

It goes without saying that all these elements should be kept in mind during the design of visual and textual elements of the billboard. For more information about important components that should feature in your billboard campaign, contact our specialists at Face First Media.

Marketing and advertising rely heavily on proven strategies. It is essential that the correct demographic is targeted in a way that the people who form this category can relate to the advertisement and be enticed by it. Masses of research studies have been conducted on the science of different media and the strategies to employ in order to increase effectiveness. When it comes to billboard advertising, a variety of popular strategies are employed. These include the following:

• Comparative advertising: Typically used to compare specific characteristics of a brand to the competition (without using names of brands), this type of advertising shows how a brand performs against others. It is usually employed by follower brands wanting to gain a bigger market share.
• Inoculate advertising: The goal here is to introduce the potential customer to a campaign in small doses over time so that when the full campaign is launched the audience is much more receptive to the brand and its message.
• Refutational advertising: This type of advertising is not used very often because it presents possible legislative issues. It states claims made by the competition and then refutes these claims, and redirect focus to the benefits of the advertising brand. When legislation doesn’t apply, this can be a very effective billboard advertising strategy.
• Endorsed advertising: Endorsements are very popular and effective. A famous or well-liked celebrity, expert or public figure act as a brand ambassador and testifies publicly to the effectiveness of the brand and the reasons others should choose to use this product or service. It lends credibility to the brand and can quite effectively increase market share.
• Distraction advertising: This approach aims to distract the attention of the audience with clever design, music, artwork, colour, moving imagery or text. This distraction makes the billboard hard to ignore and therefore gains a larger audience. This strategy works particularly well with digital billboards.
• Unique selling point: The brand shows the audience what makes it different (and more effective) than competitive brands on the market and emphasises the benefits of the brand. This means that the brand must have a unique characteristic that other brands do not possess, and the focus is shifted specifically to this unique selling point. The aim is to increase sales, and the unique selling point must be persuasive or important enough to entice the desired audience to invest in the brand.

For more information about effective billboard advertising, contact our team at Face First Media!

Choosing suppliers or vendors always must be done with utmost care and attention. Different businesses have different needs, and it is important that the chosen suppliers can understand the specific requirements of their clients and be able to provide what the business needs. Choosing a billboard supplier is no different. It is vital that the specific objectives of the outdoor campaign are understood and that the right product is delivered. Here we provide you with some steps when choosing an outdoor advertising company for your billboard campaign.

1. Understand your needs and budget: Any company embarking on a marketing campaign need to draw as much value as possible from the money it is spending. This means that the company leaders need to have a firm grip on what the objectives of the campaign are, what they hope to achieve, and how much money they have available for the campaign. Once this is understood, it narrows down the list of suitable outdoor advertising suppliers.
2. Conduct thorough research: There are a lot of billboard suppliers out there, and it is not as easy as just choosing the top five listings on Google. More in-depth knowledge is required. For instance, check out their websites and client lists, the areas they have billboards, the type of advertising they typically do, and whether they can show return on the investment. Keep it local as far as possible because this will make it a lot easier to have meetings and communicate better. Look out for billboards that are similar to what is needed for the campaign and target those companies first.
3. Shortlist and meet: Choose at least three companies that look suitable for the campaign. Make a checklist of what is needed, and in order of priority. This will make it easier to compare the companies for suitability. Organise meetings with the shortlisted companies and discuss your needs and ask for a pitch or a follow-up discussion about the campaign. This meeting should indicate location, design, size and cost.
4. Choose the most suitable: Once all the shortlisted companies have been briefed and given feedback or completed their pitches, compare them on the checklist. Ensure that there are no extra costs included in their quotes. If unsure, ask for another meeting to discuss the project in more detail. It will make it a lot easier to make a more informed decision about which supplier will suit the company needs the best.
5. Sign a contract or service level agreement: Ensure that all relevant paperwork is in place before going ahead with the campaign. This agreement should include all the aspects of the campaign such as location, duration, design, printing and cost. Once this has been done you can carry on with your campaign.

If you need any further information about billboard advertising in Gauteng and Durban, give the professional team at Face First Media a call!

If you are looking for highly effective ways of advertising for your business or embarking on an advertising campaign, you will need to decide which types of advertising media to use. Of course, your budget will also be a factor and you will have to spend it as wisely as possible. Outdoor advertising has always been popular, and it comes in a variety of forms – there are flags, gazebos, banners, and posters. But the medium that most people are familiar with is billboard advertising. While billboards are popular and familiar, marketing managers or business owners do tend to wonder if they are as effective as they seem.

Of course, the answer will depend on the objectives and budget of the advertising campaign. Billboards are typically a lot cheaper than television or print advertising, but they are localised and tend to be better at creating brand awareness or showing a promotion or a location nearby. They can be used to target a specific demographic, for instance, if you have a restaurant in Pretoria, there is no point in spending valuable revenue in advertising to people in Durban via the television. Billboards in the vicinity of the general area of the restaurant are much more likely to draw a crowd and to create awareness that the restaurant exists.

To demonstrate how effective billboards really are, we refer to the Arbitron National Study conducted in 2009 for the latest statistics. This study shows that:

• 71% of drivers will look at a billboard even when they pass it quickly, and as a result, visit the advertised establishment
• 37% will repeatedly see the same billboard during the week (usually commuters driving the same route to and from work)
• 58% of passers-by have learnt about an event or promotion that they were interested in attending from a billboard, and most of these did attend these events or promotions.
• 56% of people have mentioned or discuss a funny or impressive billboard with others
• 26% have noted down a telephone number or web address from a billboard
• 46% have taken pictures of a billboard and shared with others on social media

The effectiveness of the billboard also depends on the location and the design. If either of these is wrong, it will greatly influence or reduce the impact of your outdoor advertising campaign. Therefore, it is so important to get professionals involved when you are considering advertising by a billboard. Your design must be impeccable, and the location must be correctly targeted in the correct area. Of course, the cost of the advertising campaign will vary according to size and location, but overall, if your main objective is to create brand awareness, you get a lot of bang for your buck!

By now we are all used to outdoor advertising such as billboards, umbrellas, flags and banners, but a billboard remains one of the most effective ways to advertise a large event. They build awareness in a way that no other outdoor advertising media can manage and increases the chances of success of any large event. Say, for instance, that you are organising an exhibition or sports day, specifically targeted at the general public; one of the best, and most cost-effective ways to do this is to display a billboard in the same area as the event. Not only does the billboard announce the presence of the event, but it also appeals to the people in the area that will most likely be interested in attending this event.

Three additional reasons why you should use billboards to advertise large events:

1. Cost-effective: Using traditional media can be costly. Large events usually target a specific group of people in a specific area. Using television, radio or print advertising can blow the marketing budget. Hiring a billboard in a prominent location for a limited period before and during the event will not only provide great value for money but will also get the message out there without the need for additional advertising campaigns. Of course, it is possible to combine traditional advertising media with billboard campaigns to make them more effective, but a billboard will usually be the most cost-effective solution.
2. Large audience: If the billboard is located correctly it will be seen by a large audience and it will also be noticed by the right people. One strength of billboards is that they are large and hard to miss, and great design will draw the eye and impart information to the reader in a matter of seconds.
3. High recall: Great design can vastly increase the recall rate. Therefore, it is very important to get a professional billboard company to do the design. They understand the dynamics of billboard design, and if the creative process is done correctly, the recall is especially high. Humorous or unusual billboards will often be discussed by people, and they will then carry over that recall to another audience member, which will boost your advertising power. It will also increase interest in the event when it is needed most.

If you would like to find out more about how you can use billboards to advertise large events such as exhibitions, trade shows, sports days, product launches or concerts, contact a professional at Face First Media. We are specialists in the design and location of billboards and will help you to promote your event at a very cost-effective rate.

While it is a common sight to see billboards next to high traffic highways and stops, we tend to remember some billboards and hardly notice others. Because there are so many billboards on display in certain areas it is important to follow best practice to ensure that yours is the one that gets noticed over the others. Your billboard must make a bigger impact in order to be memorable, and there are some best practices that you can apply to ensure that this happens.

1. Effective messaging: Remember that a billboard is only seen for a few seconds in high traffic areas, and this means that the message must be highly visual and impactful. There is only so much information a person can take in with one glance, and effective billboards keep content short and to the point. Catchy but short slogans can make all the difference!
2. Use colour wisely: Traffic light colours tend to work well. Yellow or orange in a traffic light usually warn people to be cautious, and as a result, people are conditioned to take notice of this colour. Text set in red against a yellow backdrop also draws the eye. The contrast between the background and the text also must make the message stand out better.
3. Choose suitable locations: Often billboards can be obscured by trees or other buildings and can only be viewed from a specific angle. Ideally, you should go and view a few billboard locations before deciding on the final placement. It is also possible to target specific markets with the location – for instance, where there are lots of college students, it may be an idea to advertise stationery, clothing for young people and other products that are relevant to their lives. The billboard provider you use should be able to provide information regarding traffic and types of markets for their different locations, so choose well to ensure that your message gets noticed by the right people!
4. Using images: While it is quite possible for a billboard that only contains text to get noticed, a picture can tell a story in a very short space of time. The image should relate to the brand and have lots of visual appeal. Don’t be afraid to be unconventional or different when choosing an image. Often drastic images draw more attention than others with less impact.
5. Announce sales and promotions boldly: If you are planning a sale or a vast reduction in price, billboards are very useful tools. With this, you only need to use the word “SALE” and provide minimal information about the company. The word itself will draw attention and draw customers to your sale.

For more information on best practices when it comes to placing and designing billboards, speak to our team of professionals at Face First Media!