Cunningly Good Guide to……Using Posters and Billboards

Using billboards and posters as part of your marketing campaign is an effective way to get your message out to potential customers and clients.

In a nutshell: 

–        Billboards and posters are strategically placed advertising
–        They are about repetitive messaging for people who see them regularly
–        Billboards can be a highly effective marketing tool in reaching, reinforcing, and sustaining advertising messages.

What are Billboards and Posters?
The Billboard, or a ’48 page’ as it is known in the industry, is a huge visual strategically placed in spots most likely to get the traffic. It is targeted mainly at those in passing vehicles. Posters can vary in size and can also be placed in similar spots; however, they are usually to be found where there is a high level of footfall so they are in the line of sight of potential clients and customers. Like every marketing tool, you need to be clear about what option would be most impactful for you.

How do billboards and posters help?
This kind of advertising is about repetitive messaging. In theory, you drive or walk past the same place most days and the messaging becomes very familiar to those who view and read it. Potential customers may not realise but your brand is becoming imprinted in their minds. When they make a decision about what estate agent to use, or which broadband to choose, or what to do this weekend, they will pull that from their more familiar and current memories. Bingo, you are there in that discussion. What local billboards can you think of? Why did they stand out?

Billboards can be an excellent directional medium. In other words, the billboard is literally telling your customers where to go to find you. For example, turn next left and check out your local Costa or McDonalds who are slightly off the main road.

You can use billboards to support a wider marketing plan. Perhaps you have decided on a radio campaign or TV campaign, billboards would be used to reiterate and remind your audience of that messaging. It is a great way to promote a product you may well sell through other retailers. You would need to ask those retailers for a response to take up.

What are the benefits of using billboards and posters?

·        The impact can be HUGE if done correctly

·        You can create more advertising from it if you can find a way for the customers to engage / share / take a picture

·        Billboards can be a highly effective marketing tool in reaching, reinforcing, and sustaining advertising messages.

What are the things to consider?

·        There is no point in having a billboard if the messaging is not impactful.

·        Take the key message and give it meaning. It could solve a problem, or evoke an emotion, or fulfil a need (even one they did not know they had until they saw your billboard).

·        The product should have wide appeal and be simple to understand.

·        Use great pictures. Use bright colours or a bold image in your design to effortlessly attract eyes to your billboard. Contrasting colours within the design will also create an even bigger impact that will help improve the retention of your message.

·        If there are instructions, make them very short and sweet.

·        Carefully consider the placement of your advertising. How will you know if it is successful? You need to be able to track impact so you can then track the success of any given advert or placement.

·        Have a budget in mind, this will dictate the placement and the length of time of the billboard advert being in place.

How to get Billboards and Posters

·        It is quite an expensive strategy to gamble on, so take advice from experts

·        The booking of billboards can be lengthy. Book well in advance.

·        The prices of the billboards will vary depending on their position. Be smart, the obvious choice may not be the one which will have the biggest impact. eg a billboard at a busy junction may get lots of traffic, but if the traffic is super distracting then the message could get lost.

·        Find out who sells the billboard space in the area you want to use. if you are really stuck, look on the billboard itself, the supplier name is usually on it.

Helpful resources

If you would like to chat about how we can help you create a Cunningly Good outdoor media campaign, please get in touch on 01738 658187.