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!

You are probably already familiar with the use of billboards, but bulletin billboards may be an unfamiliar term to you. Bulletin billboards are the largest types of billboards used for advertising and display. They are typically found next to busy roadways and highways, and their size makes them easy to read from different distances and angles. The location and placement of the billboard are also vital to maximise visibility.

The first bulletin (or large-format billboard) was created in 1835 in the USA to advertise the arrival of a circus. The visibility that it created was so successful that bulletin billboards became quite commonly used practically anywhere around the world by the late 1860s. Until then, there were no standard sizes when it came to billboards, and advertisers leased and sized billboards according to the client specifications. Later they realised that it is a lot easier and cheaper to build standard sized frames and to display posters sized to these frameworks, instead of creating new posters and frameworks for every billboard.

In the beginning, bulletin billboards were hand painted. Nowadays they are created with computer graphics and printed on large PVC sheets that are pulled over the existing billboard frames. Advertisers will usually charge the clients for the location and the billboard, and the prices of bulletin billboards vary according to these factors. A smaller billboard in a prominent location with a lot of traffic may often cost more than a bulletin billboard in a less conspicuous spot.

One of the fun things that can create extra impact when using bulletin billboards is that an image can be extended over the top of the board. This means that the image, for instance, the front end of an aeroplane going upwards, can stick out above the billboard to make look as if it is taking off. These extensions usually must be built by hand, however, and there are limits in terms of the sizes one can use. They are usually expensive to put together, but they create highly effective visual displays.

The benefits that bulletin billboards offer include the following:

• Their sizes make them highly visible, so they get noticed.
• A marketing message, promotion, product or brand can effectively be promoted by choosing the correct locations for the brand.
• The return on investment is higher than most other forms of advertising.
• The initial capital layout is relatively cheap, and the billboard can be leased/hired on a flexible basis (depending on the contract with the agency).
• You can have your message moved to another bulletin billboard to capture a new audience.

For more information about bulletin billboards or outdoor advertising, contact our team at Face First Media!

We have all grown up with billboards and they have become a part of life for most of us, so you probably already know quite a lot about them, such as how important location is, how cost effective billboards are, and how billboard design can affect its effectiveness. But did you know that the first billboard was used 3,000 years ago? This was when an obelisk was set up in Cairo to advertise an award for a runaway slave. Soon the Egyptians realised how effective these obelisks were at distributing information, and they began posting laws and notices to the public in obelisk (or billboard) form!

Here are some other fun things you may not know about billboards:

1. Electric billboards have been around for a century.

We tend to think of electric billboards as relevantly modern inventions. But in 1904, the owners of Trimble Whiskey increased the visibility of their billboard by lighting it up at night. Since then, electrically lit billboards have become the order of the day, and technology has now developed to the point where we use electronic billboards.

2. The largest billboard in the world can be found in Spain.

Most of us would think that the USA would have the biggest billboards, but there is now a billboard in Madrid that spans almost 5300 square meters! This is around the size of a football field and weighs around the same as an elephant. It is recorded in the Guinness book of records as the biggest billboard in the world.

3. Some billboards can be seen from space.

The glow of the billboards in central New York, and in particular around Times Square, can be seen on photographs taken from space during a space mission in 2013. It is even possible to identify Central Park as the dark rectangle in the middle of all the lit-up billboards.

4. Billboards can now be scented.

If you are walking somewhere and pass a billboard that smells like freshly ground coffee or a burger, you are more likely to develop a need for a cup of coffee or to order some food. In 2010, a store in North Carolina built a billboard that wafted the smell of grilled steak! It is quite expensive to manage though, but ‘smellvertising’ billboards are still being developed.

5. The most expensive billboard costs two and a half million dollars.

As expected, it is in New York where Google paid this massive amount to rent this well-located billboard. It is so costly because of the location and traffic – around 9 million people will see this billboard every month!

People spend more time than ever before in their cars and stuck in traffic. This offers marketers and advertisers an enormous opportunity to target and reach their audience effectively and consistently. We’ve collated six reasons why you should consider billboards for your next advertising campaign.

1. Billboards Can’t Be Avoided

Billboards are usually placed in high traffic areas, such as highways or busy places. This means that billboard advertising can’t be escaped as people always want something to look at. Unlike other forms of advertising where people can ignore advertisements by turning the page or closing a pop-up ad, billboards can’t be removed, shut down or ignored.

2. People Will See Your Message

People usually drive the same routes every day or visit the same place regularly. This means that people are bound to see your advertisement if they missed it the first time. Regular exposure to your brand will keep you top of mind when the consumer is looking for services or products such as yours.

3. Location, Location, Location

Billboards can be placed on a specific location that will have the highest impact. Market research will enable you to target your brand message to the correct audience, in the right location and at the perfect time. Specific locations will help you reach the most desired demographics according to age, income, location and gender.

4. Creating Visual References

People create visual references so by using a specific image or having a catchy logo will increase brand awareness for your product. Billboards provide a large space to be creative. You can create eye-catching billboards by using smart graphic design to immediately grab attention. This can be done by creating a billboard that ties in with its surroundings, adding lights or using 3D effects. You have the opportunity to stir emotions and to ensure that your company’s message stays in the mind of your audience.

5. Billboard Advertising Starts Conversations

An eye-catching billboard can go a long way in getting consumers to start talking about your brand. It creates immediate awareness of the products or services you offer. Regular exposure to your message entrenches your brand into the minds of consumers which leads to engagement.

The goal is to get people to trust your message and to have authority in the minds of your audience. This will, in turn, mean that when a decision needs to be made about a purchase or service people will be more likely to remember you.

6. It’s A Cost-Effective Solution

Billboard marketing is seen as one of the most cost-effective marketing options in the industry. Billboards increase brand awareness and have been proven to provide a higher return on your investment.

Outdoor advertising may be seen by some as a totally separate world to digital advertising but this is not the case as it has become a social channel.

Digital advertising has grown exponentially over the last decade causing a shift in attention and budget allocation from outdoor advertising. It however soon became clear that consumers’ attention isn’t focused on one form of advertising.

Marketing Is Entering A New Era

Social media has taken advertising by storm and everybody wants a piece of the cake. Advertising has evolved so much over the past decades and the Internet opened new frontiers for advertising.

Social media ensures that people spend a huge amount of their time online. Advertising on social media also has its challenges. This includes:

• Facebook algorithm changes
• Rising ad costs
• Getting noticed in overcrowded feeds
• Too many trends to keep up with
• Authentic connection with the audience
• A dramatic drop in organic reach
• Tracking results

Marketers get unique insights on how to reach consumers if they know were consumers are going, what they pay attention to, what they need, and where they shop.

Using Outdoor Advertising As A Social Channel

Billboards have become more eye-catching seeing that people spend so much time in front of screens and have become pros in ignoring or blocking pop-up ads and banners. Outdoor advertising can, however, be greatly amplified when consumers share ads on social media.

A photo of an eye-catching billboard on social media can travel the globe in an instant. Marketers are in the position to effectively create advertising campaigns that complements itself across different platforms.

If an advertisement is creative and eye-catching enough consumers will amplify the product or service on behalf of advertisers. Research has shown that consumers are posting photos of interesting outdoor advertisements on social media platforms such as Instagram which leads to a specific advertisement being seen by three times as many people.

With social media in the mix outdoor advertising has become more about creating a culture and less about creating ads. Another study has shown that consumers are more likely to buy, to engage with a brand on social media or download an app after seeing an outdoor advertisement.

Seeing that the use of social media occurs primarily on mobile devices consumers always have their devices on the ready when they are out and about. This means that campaigns that can integrate both can influence the impact of both mediums.

Billboards Are Here To Stay

Traditional outdoor advertising is thriving by adapting to the times by staying effective, relevant and desirable.

Other traditional advertising mediums are floundering in the digital age and although ten years ago billboards were seen as outdated and irrelevant it is now seen as the rising star of traditional media.

Billboards fall under the larger category of “out of home” (OOH) ads. These types of ads have seen phenomenal growth and an increase in ad spend. The proof comes in the form of data from several countries.

The Proof Is In The Stats

A study by Nielsen found that OOH delivers more online activity per ad dollar spent than any other traditional media. New figures in released in March 2019 show that the revenue of out of home advertising in America rose 4.5 per cent in 2018 compared to the previous year, accounting for $8 billion.

According to the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA), the revenue total marks a record high for OOH, with 35 consecutive quarters of growth.

“In today’s new era of media, OOH has become a force for consumer connection, offering engaging and informational experiences,” said OAAA President & CEO Nancy Fletcher.

Another interesting aspect is that technology giants have become big users of the OOH medium. According to the OAAA the top 15 advertisers in 2018, ranked in order of OOH spending, include Apple, Netflix, Google, Amazon and Facebook.

Of the top 100 OOH advertisers in 2018, one-quarter were from the technology sector, according to the OAAA. According to reports, there are more than 370 000 billboards across the US that are in active operation and with thousands added each year.

“OOH is as relevant as ever because it offers high impact and amplifies all other media investments, including today’s largest ad channel – digital,” said Stephen Freitas, OAAA chief marketing officer.

Why The Change?

There are many reasons why outdoor advertising is thriving. It seems people are spending more time outside the home and billboards have become part of consumers’ daily lives.

Traditional outdoor advertising does not face the same pressure from technology as other forms of advertising with technology rather being an ally thanks to digital footprints. Billboards also don’t have to worry about ad-skipping or ad blocking as they still have the power to grab attention.

A smart billboard campaign will most likely go online after getting snapped by smartphone cameras and shared on social networks or lead to debate if thought-provoking.

Billboards aren’t just surviving, they’re thriving.