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Brand Amplification

Posted on September 24, 2022 by admin

The post-COVID landscape is fraught with competition between brands. Businesses with compelling messaging and impactful marketing can identify with their audience and stand head and shoulders above their competition – so long as they know which strengths and goals to amplify, of course. Brand amplification lets you attract more customers and bring together your existing ones, and it’s the key to building long-lasting brand loyalty and customer relationships.

Brand amplification done right makes lasting first impressions on your customers and keeps people thinking about your brand long after you make that great first impression.

Sounds great, right? We think so, too.

To that end, let’s cover what brand amplification is, why it’s so important, how to amplify your brand with billboards, and how to measure your brand amplification.

Brand Amplification: What It Means and Why You Need It

Let’s face it: these days, people who engage with a brand are looking for more than just industry-leading services and products. They’re looking for brands that share similar values and promote those values genuinely.

Why? Because it’s easier for a prospective customer to connect with (and trust) an organization that lives out its values authentically. Brand amplification communicates the heart of your brand by highlighting its values, stories, and core message.

Think about what makes your brand stand out from its competitors, what makes it unique, and why what it does is meaningful. These insights are the stepping stones to successfully amplifying your brand. The more insights you have into the core of your brand, the easier you can convey authentic, compelling stories to your audience.

By now you may be wondering, “Do I really need brand amplification to be competitive?” If you want to build an experience that’s consistent across your customer touch-points, then the answer is a resounding “Yes!”

A well-thought-out, articulated strategy for your brand benefits more than just your audience. The most effective brand strategies give your staff members and third-party agencies a brand hierarchy that lets them establish consistency across customer touch-points. From the typeface on your website’s landing page to the logo you use on all your products, articulated brand strategies impact all your key assets.

Above all, though, brand amplification defines the type of business you want to build. It identifies the type of people you want to employ, the values you stand behind, and, of course, the values you adamantly oppose.

Now that you know a little bit more about brand amplification and why it’s so important to have, it’s time to dig into the nitty-gritty of actually amplifying your brand: let’s dive into some ways you can amplify your brand using billboards.

How to Amplify Your Brand with Billboards

In today’s hyperconnected world, it’s true that ads on social media tend to dominate the marketing landscape. The popularity that social media ads enjoy may lead some to believe that billboards are no longer a viable form of marketing – this couldn’t be farther from the truth!

Whereas social media ads are often complex and sometimes vague and ambiguous, billboards are reliably straightforward and simple. There are plenty of ways to build a billboard campaign that’s effective and impactful, but we’ve picked a few tips that you simply can’t go without when using billboards for brand amplification.

1. Keep things simple

When designing a billboard, it can be tempting to cram as much info as possible onto your billboard. After all, you’ve got a lot to say about your brand, right? As great as it is to be passionate about your messages and values, though, too much content on one billboard can make it tough to distill your brand down into a single image.

Rather than include as much content as possible, it’s best for your billboard to concisely convey what your brand can do for its customers. What do you have that your target audience may be searching for? Is there info you think may intrigue someone to find out more about what you offer? These are the questions to keep in mind when building out your first billboards – just remember to keep everything as simple as possible.

2. Use geography to your advantage

When it comes to getting your billboards in front of more interested eyes, geography is your best friend. You’ll want to determine your target audience’s most common locations and habits so that you can get more eyes on it quickly.

If your target audience is mostly in a smaller geographical area, you may also want to consider using locally relevant billboards to get impactful results. Thinking of running a billboard campaign to target an audience in San Juan, for example? Try weaving in something unique to the city that may not resonate as well with the rest of Puerto Rico.

3. Use digital billboards for more dynamic marketing

As much as we love the simplicity and reliability that traditional billboards offer, there’s something to be said about the flexibility that digital billboards provide. Digital billboards let your marketers make things more dynamic since they can run different designs during different times of the day. Want to display one design during the early morning and another after the sun sets? Digital billboards have you covered.

Digital boards are particularly handy if you’re still tinkering with brand logos and product images. You can take a couple of risks using different designs without having to double down on a single board design that’s tied to your marketing budget.

Measuring Your Brand Amplification

Don’t forget that once you’ve taken the above tips to heart, you’ll want to start measuring how successful your brand amplification is. We recommend that you keep an eye on spikes and dips in your website traffic, the number of shares and comments you get on your social channels, and increases in customer phone calls. You can use tools like Google Analytics to monitor the bounce rates on your website’s pages and Facebook to monitor your audience engagement and tie that engagement to recent posts you’ve shared.

Successful brand amplification doesn’t happen overnight; realistically, you can expect to spend at least a couple of months settling into a rhythm and locking down a brand voice you like. Once you find your groove, however, we guarantee that you’ll begin building trust and recognition among your target audience!

Analyze Marketing Data

Posted on September 18, 2022 by admin

As a business owner, you are always looking for new ways to reach your target market and get your product or service in front of them. Outdoor advertising, such as billboards, is one effective way to do that. In building your billboard strategy, you want to ensure that your marketing dollars are well-spent. After all, there’s no point in shelling out big bucks for a billboard campaign if it isn’t going to result in more customers or sales.

But how do you know if your billboard campaign is actually reaching people and driving sales? The answer lies in being able to analyze your marketing data.

Why Marketing Data Analysis is Essential

Data analysis is important for any marketing campaign, but it is especially important for channels like billboards where you are trying to reach a large number of people in a specific geographic area.

As you analyze your marketing data, you can see which sites your billboard campaign is reaching the most people and whether or not those people are taking action (such as visiting your website or making a purchase).

Moreover, you can adjust your marketing strategy by understanding what works and what doesn’t.

What to Consider When Launching Marketing Campaigns

There are a few things you need to keep in mind when analyzing marketing data, particularly from outdoor/digital outdoor billboard campaigns.

First, you need to determine your marketing goals.

What are you trying to achieve with your billboard campaign?

Are you looking to enhance brand recognition?

Drive traffic to your website or brick-and-mortar store?

Once you know your objectives, you can begin to gather data that will help you determine whether or not your campaign is successful.

After understanding your aspirations, it’s important to define your target audience.

Who do you want to make an impression with on your billboard campaign?

Once you know who your target audience is, you can begin to gather data that will help you determine whether or not they’re seeing your billboards and, more importantly, whether or not they’re taking action as a result of seeing them.

How to Evaluate the Success of Your Marketing Campaigns

When most people think of billboards, they think of huge signs advertising products or services along highways.

However, billboards can be placed in various locations, including near high-traffic areas, public transit stops, or even in front of businesses.

No matter where you place your billboards, you want to ensure that they effectively drive sales and generate customer leads by measuring a few key indicators of success (KPIs – Key Performance Indicators).

Sales Revenue

One of the most important metrics to track when evaluating the success of your billboard campaign is sales revenue.

To evaluate this metric, you can compare your total sales during the period when your billboard was active to your total sales from the same period the previous year.

If you see an increase in sales after launching your billboard campaign, that’s a good sign that your investment is paying off.

If you don’t see an increase, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean that your campaign was a failure; there could be other factors at play, such as changes in the overall economy or seasonality. Nonetheless, tracking sales revenue is a relatively straightforward way to get a rough idea of whether or not your billboard campaign has the desired effect.

ROI With Advertising Spend

Of course, no matter how well a marketing campaign performs in terms of metrics like social media engagement or web traffic, it won’t be worth it if it doesn’t generate a positive Return On Investment (ROI).

To calculate ROI for a billboard campaign (or any other advertising spend), divide the revenue generated by the billboard campaign by its total cost. The higher the ROI for a given advertising spend, the more successful the campaign is considered to be.

Incremental Website Traffic

In addition to looking at social media engagement and CPC, another metric you can use to evaluate the success of a digital billboard campaign is traffic—specifically, web traffic.

To track this metric, you can look at how many visitors came to your website from clicking on one of your ads during the period when they were active. If you see an incremental increase in web traffic (usually through “Direct” traffic in Google Analytics) after launching a digital billboard campaign, that’s a promising sign people are interested in what you’re offering and are taking action by visiting your website — an early step in their customer journey.

Social Media Engagement and Impressions

Another metric you can use to evaluate the success of your billboard campaign is social media engagement.

One way to track this metric is to look at the number of mentions or shares your brand received on social media when your billboard was active. You can also look at the “sentiment” of these mentions and see if they were generally positive or negative. If you see an uptick in social media activity and content impressions after launching your billboard campaign, that’s a good sign that people are thinking and talking about your brand.

Customer Retention

Last but not least, don’t forget to evaluate customer retention rates following your billboard marketing campaign.

If you acquired new customers through your billboard or outdoor marketing efforts, are they sticking around? Or did they make a one-time purchase and never come back? Customer retention rates can give you valuable insights into your campaign’s overall success and sales strategy.

How bMedia Can Help Analyze Marketing Analytics

Billboards are a notable way to reach potential customers. However, designing a successful billboard campaign can be difficult.

bMedia can help you with your billboard marketing strategy by providing best-in-class analytics and expert advice from our team of marketing strategists. We analyze marketing and advertising data and develop a strategy according to those insights.

There are a few key ways in which we can help propel your marketing strategy forward, including:

Expanded Reach

Our billboards provide 24/7 exposure, reaching over 90% of the Puerto Rican population.

That means that no matter what time of day or night, your billboard will be seen by the vast majority of people on the island.

State-of-the-Art Technology

Our team also uses cutting-edge vehicle analytics to gather data on cars passing by billboards. This data is then used to calculate your CPM (cost per thousand impressions) and ROI (return on investment). In other words, you’ll know exactly how effective your billboard campaign is in real time.

Access to Expert Professionals

We also give you access to working hand in hand with marketing strategists to help seamlessly craft your billboard strategy. Not only will you have access to insightful analytics, but you’ll also have a team of experts working behind the scenes to make sure that your campaigns are as successful as possible.

Why You Should Invest in the Right Marketing Data for Your Billboards

Being able to analyze marketing data is important for business owners who want to ensure their marketing campaigns are influential.

For outdoor advertising campaigns like billboards, data analysis can help you understand which areas are being reached and whether or not those people are taking action.

There are a few different ways to collect and analyze data, but one of the most important things to remember is to plan what you want to do with the data before you start collecting it. Otherwise, making sense of all the information you gather will be an uphill battle. By taking the time to understand your objectives, target audience, and budget, you can ensure that your billboard marketing campaign is successful and that you’re reaching the right people with your messaging.

Our team at bMedia can help you streamline your marketing billboard analytics without the headache. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you with your billboard marketing goals!

How Much Does a Billboard Cost?

Posted on January 27, 2022 by admin

They’ve been around for centuries and have proved valuable, but what is that worth? It’s the question we all want answers to – how much does a billboard cost? Well, that depends on a few things. Let us explain.

What is a Billboard?

At the risk of stating the obvious, the Miriam Webster Dictionary defines a billboard as a flat surface, panel, wall, or fence on which information is posted, specifically outdoors. They can be on giant sides of the road, on buses, in airports, or pretty much any other surface you can imagine. Also, there are now many great digital options to allow for ever-changing and interactive billboards.

How Prevalent are Billboards?

Some estimate that there are between 425,000 and 450,000 billboards dotting the landscape along American highways.

The effectiveness of billboards is not limited to the United States. bMedia Group contends that billboard advertising is an ideal way to promote products and services and build brand awareness in Puerto Rico.

Effectiveness of Billboard Advertising

In a Forbes study, almost twenty-five percent of those surveyed stated that they visited a store the same day that they saw a billboard advertising their products. And even when they didn’t, the brand often lodges in their mind to return next time they find themself considering that product or service.

Financial experts have calculated that the return on investment for billboard advertising is almost six dollars for every dollar spent.

It is little wonder that companies like Cracker Barrel spend almost half of their advertising dollars on outdoor advertising.

How Much Do Billboards Cost?

Exactly how much does it cost for billboard advertising? The answer to this question is not as simple as it sounds. Several factors determine the cost of a billboard. However, here is one example:

If you print an advertisement on a fourteen-foot by forty-eight-foot billboard, you will need seven hundred square feet of vinyl. The cost of the materials will run anywhere from three hundred to five hundred dollars.

Renting the advertising space for your ad will cost between five and eight hundred dollars a day. Prices vary with location, as well as how many days you want the ad space.

How Much Does It Cost to Get a Billboard?

The question of how much do billboards cost has multiple factors that go into the answer.

Location

As with real estate, the location of your billboard is crucial. Your aim is maximum viewing by your niche market.

How much does a billboard ad cost in cities around the US? In New York City, renting a billboard for a month will cost between $1800o and $12,000. In Los Angeles, the same space would cost between $1500 and $9,000. Chicago billboard space rents for between $1200 and $6,000. Philadelphia billboards cost between $1200 and $6,000 while in San Francisco, you can rent space for the same costs.

Size

It is not surprising that billboard costs increase with size. Studies show that the larger the advertisement, the more impressions it will make and the bigger the impact on the consumer. Larger billboards require more material and higher labor costs to erect them.

Rental Time/Campaign Duration

Writer Kelly Main points out that size, location, and duration all play a part in billboard costs. For example, billboard costs average between $750 and $1,500 per month in rural areas. In small to midsize cities, the costs rise to between $1, and $2,000. In larger cities where many more people will see them, the cost of billboards rises to between $14,000 and $15,000.

Billboard Type

Costs also vary with the type of billboard. There are three types:

Classic or print billboards are typically vinyl. They usually cost less than the other types.
Digital billboards are more dynamic advertisements than static billboards. They incorporate elements like a moving image. Digital billboards can be easily switched, based on your market and the time you want the bulletin board to appear each day. This can benefit you if you are targeting an off time, but raise costs if you want prime time.
Billboard advertisements on busses, cars, and other moving vehicles are called mobile billboards. They are more likely to be seen by your target audience because vehicles move while they showcase your brand, products, or special event.

Market or Demographics

Demographics consider the people who pass by the billboard. Your niche market considers the age, gender, socioeconomic level, education, and occupation of the people you are trying to attract with your advertising. If you are trying to attract a larger audience, higher-income individuals, or those with higher education, the cost will likely be higher.

Market Population

Generally speaking, the larger your target market, the higher the cost of billboard advertising.

How Much Does it Cost to Put a Billboard Up?

Aside from the costs associated with the physical structure of the billboard, there are also other costs relating to the creation and setup of a billboard. So, how much does a billboard cost?

Designing the Billboard

When it comes to the actual design of the billboard, it’s not something you want to take shortcuts on. You can pay premium fees for a billboard in a prime location, but if it looks low quality, it can actually hurt your brand.

There are essentially three aspects to a billboard ad: the concept or idea, the copy (the words), and the visual design.

Definitely consider hiring a specialist for all three of those areas. Many people think they can come up with an idea, write it, and then pay a graphic designer to whip up a beautiful image. That can work, but creating ads is a skilled craft (especially considering the strategy involved in outdoor media), so you may be surprised at the quality (and return on investment) you’ll get from expert help.

For any stage of the process, you essentially have three options:

Create it in-house: If you or someone at your company is creative, good with words, and skilled with visual design, this method keeps the most control. The downside is time, costs of doing it yourself, and it’s sometimes a disadvantage to not have an outside perspective.
Hire a freelancer: With the prevalence of sites like Upwork and Fiverr, this has never been easier. It can be fast and cost-effective, but the downside is it can take time to find a quality freelancer, and they aren’t always available when you need them.
Working with an agency: Many billboard companies keep the necessary staff to be able to design quality outdoor advertising. And considering it’s their business, they can be pretty good at it! There isn’t a huge downside here, just make sure you understand the pricing structure before getting started, as well as who has ownership over the designs they create.

The prices for these different options can vary significantly depending on your location and who you hire. A rough estimate is everything from $30 to hundreds per hour. In many cases, it will take striking a balance between quality and affordability.

Physical Cost of the Billboard

An obvious, but sometimes overlooked, cost with billboards are the actual materials. This really will only come into play if you’re building your own sign because any outdoor advertising agency should already have this factored into their cost structure (but, double-check!).

If you are building your own, you will have to consider the cost of the real estate, the building materials for the structure, the vinyl for the sign, the printing on the vinyl, and the construction and maintenance costs.

Maintenance and Other Recurring Costs

The costs don’t necessarily stop once the sign is installed. Depending on the local climate, you have to maintain the billboard to keep it looking fresh. Most billboard companies will have any fees built in the initial contract, and they usually cover the agreed-upon time period. Keep in mind that you may again have these costs if you decide to extend.

Billboard Variations

Rapidly changing technology has made it easier for billboard advertisers to capture the attention of those who drive or walk past. Interactive technology has transformed billboards from static images painted vinyl frames, walls, and vehicles. The Internet has made billboards increasingly smarter. These electronic billboards appear next to bus benches, shopping centers, or on walls in high traffic areas.

Once popular, digital billboards proved easy to ignore. On the other hand, new interactive billboards speak—literally and figuratively—to your niche market. “Smart” advertisements can dynamically react to their environment. They can send and receive data. These billboards can adapt to demographics, weather, and time of day. Billboards of the future will react to their environment and audience by changing the content based on information collected about those who view them.

Why Invest in Billboards?

If you want to get higher brand recognition, you have an event to publicize, or you want to drive more traffic to your website, billboards are an economical and effective tool.

Billboard advertising broadcasts your business, products, services, or an upcoming campaign to a wide audience.

People spend an average of 70% of their time outside their homes. Compared to other types of marketing, billboards give you maximum exposure.

How to Get Started

Whether you want to advertise your brand on billboards or you want to start a billboard advertising business, you have some decisions to make first.
What are your advertising goals?
Where is the best place to locate your billboard?
What is your market audience?
What message do you want to give them?
What types of billboards do you want to utilize?
What skills/information do you need?

Why Choose bMedia Group?

Now that you have the answer to the question how much does a billboard cost, you may be wondering about next steps or other additional information. Advertising experts like bMedia can break down billboards according to price, type, format, and message.

They can help you achieve your advertising goals using their experience in outdoor advertising and their technical skills. bMedia Group offers a wide variety of out-of-home media choices. They have one that will fit your goals and your budget. They have proven success at targeting any audience.

To discuss how bMedia Group can help you achieve your advertising goals, learn more about our billboard advertising.

Go To Market Strategy for Startups

Posted on December 28, 2021 by admin

We don’t mean to intimidate you (and maybe you were already aware), but there’s something you need to know: Studies show that 90% of all startups fail within five years of formation — not a very reassuring statistic, right? But what’s the story behind this damning figure?

It all comes down to obscurity. Simply put, nobody knows about your business or what products/services you offer. In an ideal world, you could pour endless amounts of cash into a marketing push that announces your presence to the world with gusto, but, as we’re sure we’re both painfully aware, this is no ideal world.

Not only are advertising budgets rather meager for startups, you’re up against other businesses with established product-market-fit, which is daunting, to say the least… but there is a way to cut through the competition and get your voice heard – an effective go-to-market strategy for startups.

What Exactly Is A Go-To-Market Strategy, And Why Is It Important For Startups?

A go-to-market strategy for startups is precisely what it sounds like – an advertising game-plan that breaks an unknown product or service into a target market; it’s your key to the locked door of commerce!

Your go-to-market strategy is a blueprint that illustrates how you will reach the people you want to reach with the message you want them to hear. It’s considered a separate entity to standard marketing stratagems, as they imply an established market position, whereas GTM is a way of reaching an initial audience from nothing.

It’s the foundation on which all your future marketing campaigns will be based, and a strong foundation inspires confidence, not just within your target audience, but among your investors, too. Creating a GTM strategy is the ultimate way to position your business for success moving forward. Other GTM benefits include…

Weeding out potential risks
Generating profit quickly
Developing your business and product/service
Attaining you a competitive edge over other startups

Creating a Go-To-Market Strategy For Your Startup

The three pillars you’ll need to know for a go-to-market strategy for startups are the What, Who, and How…

What are you trying to sell?
Who needs what you’re trying to sell?
How are you going to introduce your offering to those who need it?

If you can answer these questions, you’ll have laid the foundation for a successful entrance into your particular niche of the market, so let’s consider how this can be done.

Step 1. Know Your Audience

You may well have come up with the concept of your product or service through finding gaps or weaknesses in the market yourself, and that’s great; it means whatever you come up with has some form of real-world appeal, but now you have to find others like yourself and figure out what makes them tick.

Hone in on your target audience, and try to map out their behaviors and general way of thinking. Forget about trying to sell something to the world; focus on this very finite group of people and figure out exactly what they’re looking for.

Modern consumers expect businesses to know all about their wants and needs, but we’re not mind readers, so instead, we can build up a customer persona by… This applies to all types of businesses. It doesn’t matter if you are a digital service providing with a nationwide audience, like providing legal wills online, or a brick and mortar business creating tangible products to specific locations, like a vodka distillery, knowing your audience is crucial.

Scheduling Interviews with Potential Users

Interviewing people takes time, but you won’t find more rich, accurate, and enlightening results via any other means, so it pays to talk to prospective customers face-to-face.

Far more fluid and personal than standardized surveys, interviews give you a real insight into the lives of people who your product/service could help, which is a great way to gather data you can use at a later date to refine your offering.

Be wary of time constraints and ask effective questions, such as…

What are their preferred channels of communication (e.g. email, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, billboards, etc)?
What are they disappointed by or lacking?
In their eyes, what makes a product or business effective and valuable?

Questionnaires

Interviews are fantastic sources of information, but they’re almost too focused. Although you’re narrowing your research to drum up a customer persona, you still need to venture further afield to ascertain splits in that persona in terms of age, profession, location, etc, and questionnaires are a great way to do so.

The wider net you cast will give you more of an insight into what pain points are simply individual woes and which are felt universally, ripe for capitalization.

However, do bear in mind that you’ll need to provide some form of incentive to encourage people to complete your questionnaire, and try to keep it short and sweet, too — we’re all busy people.

Purchase Pre-Existing Data

There are countless other companies that have had to study their target audience before you founded your startup, and you can use this to your advantage.

Paying for research carried out by similar companies gives you effort-free results. Now, they’re not going to be quite as accurate as the results you’ll get from your own studies, but they can certainly help to create a more substantive customer persona in a short amount of time.

Due to its immediacy, this method is often employed first as a sort of scattershot data drive. It gives you a rough estimate of things like target consumer age, location, profession, income, pain points, and purchase triggers.

Step 2. Know Your Competitor

If you’re going to offer something new, you need to know what your competitor is already bringing to the table. If an established entity has beaten you to the punch, your chances of gaining traction with a GTM strategy are slim-to-none. Find ways around it.

Step 3. Coming Up With a Value Proposition

In a nutshell, a value proposition is a snappy headline followed by 2–3 sentences that divulge why your product/service:

Is relevant to the user
Solves the user’s problem
Is unique and cannot be found elsewhere

For example, let’s say you’ve invented an automatic garlic clove peeler. Your value proposition should establish that garlic is one of the most common ingredients in cuisine around the globe (relevance), it makes the tough job of peeling cloves effortless (problem solved), and it’s a patented design (unique).

It’s important not to get caught up in mentioning features alone. To entice customers, you need to tell them in no uncertain words how it will make their life easier or more enjoyable.

Step 4. Establish The Best Lines Of Communication For Reaching Your Target Audience

With your target audience in sight, it’s time to find out how to reach them. People of different age groups and professions communicate and are exposed to things in unique ways.

For example, younger people will consume a lot of adverts on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, while older generations may only use Facebook or perhaps even just email.

Another example is that people working from home will engage with mostly digital adverts, but for those who commute to an office, billboard advertising will be highly effective.

Don’t feel you have to settle for just one mode of communication per faction of your target audience. Research has shown that omnichannel approaches to customer communication have a much higher retention rate than single-channel approaches.

Step 5. Zeroing In On Marketing Tactics

People don’t just use different channels of communication, they also have preferences in regard to how they’re engaged with.

For instance, certain demographics may respond well to the personal/celebrity touch of paid partnerships, while others will be distrustful of this tactic as the pecuniary aspect of the agreement makes the brand representative seem disingenuous and the product seem weak.

Step 6. Don’t Stop Testing

Even if you think you’ve got everything figured out, you need to keep on testing your theories by measuring advertising effectiveness. Test different styles of ad copy, test the efficacy of different images, test different marketing tactics… test everything!

Marketing is a trial and error process, so the more mistakes you get out of your system early on by putting plans through their paces, the fewer you’ll be paying for later with a poor campaign.

Step 7. Budget Planning

Once your research has provided all the answers you need to shape your GTM strategy, it’s time to map out what your budget may look like and how it will be split across different marketing tactics.

Step 8. Implementation

At this stage, you’ve done most of the heavy lifting, and now it’s time to use what you’ve learned to implement your marketing strategy!

bMedia and Developing a Go-To-Market Strategy

As mentioned earlier, omnichannel marketing tactics in GTM strategies are far more effective than single-channel plans, which is why you should seriously consider incorporating a robust OOH line of communication with your target audience as part of your strategy, either as the primary or supporting mode of contact.

Granted, digital marketing has great reach potential, but as a fatally saturated facet of the advertising industry, it tends to inspire a lot of fatigue in the viewer. Billboards and OOH adverts, on the other hand, still grab attention, cinching valuable real estate in the consciousness of the viewer.

But providing the physical space for your ads is just the tip of the bMedia Group’s iceberg. Our dedicated team of marketing experts can help you build a custom, go-to-market strategy for startups from the ground up, ensuring you and your business can generate customers, and start changing people’s lives with your product/service.

Contact us today, and we’ll talk you through how we measure the efficacy of OOH advertising with state-of-the-art analytics to optimize the potential of your campaigns and stimulate rapid business growth.

Your startup may be small, but with bMedia in your corner, you’ll cast a much larger shadow, giving you the confidence and market position to hold your own against giants of any given industry, giants that, with our help, you will soon tower over.

Types of Humor in Advertising

Posted on October 22, 2021 by admin

In this digital world, we’re reaching the point where companies are expected to provide more than just a great service or product. Of course, this is where you should start, but more and more, companies are noticing the benefits of being authentic and creating a true bond with their audience. Being able to make your customers feel an emotion when engaging with your products or advertisements can allow your business to stand out.

Humor can be a very effective advertising tool for taking your product, brand, or service to the next level.

Humor is a great way to trigger emotions in your audience, and triggering emotion will take your brand much further than using the basic, plain, cut and dry advertising techniques that so many companies rely on.

Types of Humor in Advertising

There are many different types of humor in advertising that can be effective. These include:

Surprises
Personification
Exaggeration
Puns
Comparison

Surprises

One of the best types of humor in advertising is using surprises. Can you remember a time that someone did something completely unexpected? As we know from the real world, surprise triggers a comic response. The initial reaction of shock and surprise quickly gets replaced by a feeling of “wow, that was hilarious”. In advertising, using surprise can be a little trickier, since it definitely needs to be done tastefully. We recommend that if you’re going to implement surprise into advertising, it’s a good idea to workshop your ideas with a team to ultimately create a funny yet appropriate advertisement.

Advertising messages can use surprises in a bunch of different ways, across many different mediums. For example, you could choose a bold headline or billboard that shocks people, even just for a split second. You could send emails with big, animated surprises, or create videos with dialogue that can startle viewers. Of course, just like with any other advertisement, you need to be able to incorporate your product or service in there. However, surprises can help generate attention, as it is random, ridiculous, and if done right, will leave an impression.

Personification

Personification is one of the most used, and best, types of humor in advertising. It’s one of the most classic tricks in the book, but there’s a reason for that. The use of personification in advertising is truly endless. Think of the Geico gecko or Tony the frosted flakes tiger. These well-known brand mascots help bring an additional sense of humor, and therefore memorability, to advertisements, cereal boxes, and entire brands.

Personification helps messages be more entertaining and memorable. Of course, personification doesn’t always make sense to use, but when done properly, people will both understand and appreciate the humor. We’re naturally drawn to people that make us laugh, and there’s no reason to think that this doesn’t apply to brands and advertisements as well. One of the great things about advertising is that it is a great platform for making unrealistic possibilities come to life.

Exaggeration

Exaggeration, or blowing things way out of proportion, is another one of the best types of humor in advertising. It is often used to really emphasize a point or attribute, or to simply poke fun at a real-life issue or common scenario. A word of caution- exaggeration definitely helps make you emphasize a point, it doesn’t necessarily make people much more receptive to that point you’re trying to make. Exaggeration, however, is one of the best tools you can use to make your ad more unique, expressive, and memorable- nine times out of ten, these attributes are a big plus.

This type of humor blows things way out of proportion, to a level that makes people appreciate just how unbelievably extra it is. It can be used to really hammer out a point or to make fun of a common scenario or real-life issue. While it makes people understand that you’re trying to make a point, it doesn’t necessarily make them more receptive to the point you’re making. But, It does help your message be more unique and expressive, which is almost always a plus.

Puns

Puns are a really double-edged sword, so it’s definitely important to tread lightly with these. They’re the easiest types of humor to go wrong, but a cleverly delivered pun can be an effective way of advertising. A lot of people and companies avoid puns altogether, mainly because it’s pretty easy to underdeliver if there isn’t much of a bang.

It doesn’t make sense to use a full pun in a full joke format, but a pun could be used in a shorter phrase on a billboard. It’s definitely a great way to make people chuckle, and the ah-ha moment associated with understanding a pun can help drive brand recall. It definitely takes a lot of time, workshopping, and exterior feedback to make sure your pun is clever enough and a good fit for your target audience.

Comparison

Lastly, one of the final types of humor you commonly see in advertising is comparison. Comparison is pretty straightforward: it puts two or more things beside each other to create a contrast. Many big brands use this before, like fast food companies showing their delicious, juicy burger versus the old, drab, crusty version of the competitors. Many of these comparisons also include exaggeration, which additionally helps appeal to our sense of humor. When it comes down to it, product A isn’t necessarily this much better than product B, but weaving a sense of humor into the comparison can help persuade a customer better. Customers could appreciate the boldness and humor of your message.

bMedia: Puerto Rico’s Leaders in Outdoor Advertising

Humor is a great method to employ on many different advertising mediums, billboards included. A humorous billboard can be eye-catching, memorable, and provide your company with a great return on that advertisement.

If you’re advertising in Puerto Rico, there’s no better billboard company than bMedia. At bMedia, we have decades of experience designing eye-catching and high-performing billboards in Puerto Rico. We use high-level advanced analytics to create and subsequently monitor your business’s ideal billboard advertising campaign, and we have hundreds of advertising locations to choose from.

bMedia are Puerto Rico’s leaders in OOH media and advertising. We will work with you to ensure your advertisements are seen and remembered. Contact us today!

Restaurant Billboard Ideas

Posted on September 29, 2021 by admin

No matter what industry you are in, you certainly know the importance of marketing and advertising. Effective advertising can help you stand out from the competition. There is perhaps no industry where this is more important than in the restaurant industry. With quite literally millions of options to choose from, people will be drawn to restaurants with good advertising. Thus, it’s crucial that your restaurant’s advertising stands out. Need some restaurant billboard ideas and tips? We’re here to help!

The most effective and successful restaurant billboards contain striking images, plays on words and humor, or details that make onlookers do a double-take. With a clever and out-of-the-box billboard design, people are sure to take notice and flock to your restaurant. Here are some of our favorite designs to help generate some restaurant billboard ideas.

Restaurant Billboard Ideas and Tips

While there are many different directions you can take your restaurant billboard design in, there are some standard guidelines you should follow. These include, but are not limited to:

Using contrasting colors and elements
Highlighting a new product/dish
Play with angles and perspectives for a clever touch
Partner with local and seasonal events
Experiment with sizing
Get creative with fonts

With this in mind, here are some great examples of effective restaurant billboards that have done some of these things.

Compare and Contrast

As part of an intricate advertising campaign from Outfront Studios, Baskin Robbins created billboards, posters, and even web landing pages with the theme of: “some things go better together.” The agency created a fictitious company called Bobo’s Fish Juice that featured some eyebrow-raising flavor combinations. These faux-healthy advertisements were then placed side by side with delicious images of Baskin Robbins shakes.

Though Baskin Robbins is not known to be a healthy choice, the advertising campaign managed to make healthy ingredients look less desirable using an artful compare and contrast. Color schemes, images, and even tone are subtle ways to compare and contrast products to highlight your restaurant. As seen in this example, conceptual contrast and color contrast can work together in a very effective way.

Highlight a Product

McDonald’s created an ambitious campaign to promote the quality and freshness of its salads. The hamburger chain planted thousands of heads of lettuce on a billboard made of soil. Over three weeks, the bare billboard sprouted full blooms of fresh green lettuce spelling out “FRESH SALADS.” The innovative advertisement boosted sales by 30%, and 500,000 salads were sold during the campaign period.

McDonald’s also ran similar campaigns with a carrot bus stop advertisement and a giant hatching egg outside another store location. This was a great example of creating hype around a specific dish or ingredient by highlighting it.

One great thing about the restaurant industry is that you have a universally-appealing product to advertise to people: food. High-quality food photography can make all the difference with your restaurant’s out-of-home advertising. Imagine you are driving home from work and can’t wait to eat. If you see a huge billboard depicting a delicious-looking pizza, you’ll be much more inclined to read where that pizza comes from and go and purchase it.

Play with Perspectives

This restaurant billboard idea for a seafood restaurant caught a lot of eyes. The actual advertisement is comprised of two parts: The billboard in the background, and the plastic fish emerging from the top of the actual restaurant building. From this angle, both elements of the advertisement look like they are all one piece. However, the billboard is a few yards away behind the building that the fish rests on.

This billboard uses perspective and optical illusion to make the fisherman on the billboard look like he’s reeling in an extremely large fish. This is an interesting way to capture and keep the attention of viewers, as the fish and fisherman will appear to move depending on where the viewer approaches from.

Partner with Local Events

This upscale restaurant in downtown Toronto participated in the annual Winterlicious event by offering a special prix fixe meal. Though many restaurants in the area participate in the event, Far Niente took it one step further. The concept art is simple, depicting salt, flour, and cheese being sprinkled against a black space. However, the simple images use restaurant ingredients to invoke the image of snow falling on a winter’s night. This ties directly into the event it is participating in.

This ad run shows us a creative way to incorporate local events in restaurant advertisements, and how seasonal advertisement can be impactful. Seasonal advertising is quite effective with billboard advertising, as you can keep a seasonal billboard up for short or long periods of time, depending on the time of year you’re appealing to. Plus, you can run similar campaigns while appealing to different seasons, and your audience will be excited to see what you’ve come up with next.

An Excellent Use of Cutouts

MidiCi pizza used a three-dimensional cutout to make the shape of an otherwise typical billboard irregular and eye-catching. The plate seems to hang off of the billboard. Furthermore, the bold green and red tones of the pizza advertised pop against the otherwise pristine white plate and background.

The use of three-dimensional cutouts and color is an easy way to showcase specific products or dishes on your restaurant billboards. Playing with sizing, including making certain elements of your billboard larger than the others, or playing with shapes as this one does, is a great way to make your billboard stand out from the rest.

Contrasting Text

Chipotle ran this billboard advertisement that also invites another look. Onlookers immediately see the target message in bold black text: our ingredients are better. However, a second look reveals another message about locally sourced natural ingredients, and even includes a dose of humor.

This artful use of contrast text and a message-within-a-message is deceptively simple, but Chipotle has accomplished not one but two important marketing messages about its ingredients in just a few seconds. Consider playing with bold contrast to deliver two messages for the price of one in your own restaurant billboard.

How bMedia Can Help

The advertising experts at bMedia are the leaders in out-of-home advertising in Puerto Rico. No matter what industry you find yourself in — including the restaurant industry — bMedia can help you find the right audience at the right time in the right place.

With hundreds of billboards in locations island-wide, you are sure to find the spot that’s right for you and your business. Here at bMedia, we use tried-and-true best practices and strategies to optimize your advertising budget and produce a spectacular return on investment. To learn more about how bMedia can help your business reach its maximum advertising potential, contact us today!

Outdoor Advertising Strategy

Posted on August 17, 2021 by admin

Consumers are exposed to around 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements each day. How can you make sure your ad stands out from the rest? bMedia, Puerto Rico’s local leaders in outdoor media, has successfully executed marketing campaigns all over North America. There are many reasons we stand so strongly behind effective outdoor advertising strategy.

Outdoor advertising has been a staple of marketing strategy for businesses and brands everywhere. These types of marketing campaigns continuously prove higher ROI for companies who take advantage of this marketing opportunity.

Outdoor advertising or OOH (out-of-home) advertising refers to any advertising medium that targets the consumer outside of their homes. This includes billboards, street posters, retail signage, and more. Why does outdoor advertising work?

Digital advertisements have bombarded consumers so often that most go unnoticed or are ignored. How often do you find yourself skipping over ads when you scroll social media? You can’t skip over a billboard on the highway or a poster at the subway station.

In fact, another reason why billboards are so effective is simply because they stand out and better capture the consumer’s attention.

Outdoor Advertising vs. Online Advertising

Online and digital ads have become somewhat of a nuisance, which is why we’re seeing more people download ad-blocking software. Ads you see online also collect extensive amounts of data which allows businesses to directly target individual consumers. This can trigger privacy and security concerns which may lead to distrust between the brand and the consumer.

Outdoor advertising works because it is a real-life experience. It is a physical encounter with the advertisement. Many people spend significant amounts of time outside of their homes where they have no option but to see advertisements such as billboards and posters as they move about. Additionally, because OOH ads don’t require extensive consumer data monitoring, it is generally one of the more accepted forms of advertising.

Another reason why companies opt for OOH advertising is because it is cost-effective. Outdoor advertising is typically less expensive than print or digital marketing. It is also more long-term. On the contrary, in order to run a digital commercial ad, companies often have to pay a repeated fee just so their ad is visible more than once.

Types of Outdoor Advertising

The advantages of your outdoor advertising strategy depend on which medium you use. Here are the most popular forms of outdoor advertising:

Billboards

If you’re looking to make a strong impact, creative billboard advertising should be a the top of your strategy list. Billboards, one of the original forms of advertising remains one of the most reliable marketing strategies and has stood the test of time.

According to an Arbitron National In-Car study, 71 percent of drivers “often look at the messages on roadside billboards.”

Additionally, billboards don’t just have to be static words and images anymore. Technological advancements and the digital shift have given room for billboards to be more creative in terms of design and content. We’re now seeing digital and interactive billboards that continue to turn heads on streets and highways.

Digital billboards are typically made from LED screens that allow animated advertisements to be displayed. They also have the ability to showcase more than one ad. There are also interactive billboards, which allow consumers to directly engage with the advertisement. Movement is great at grabbing the attention of consumers, stimulates the viewer, and creates a new element of creativity.

Billboards allow flexibility for marketing campaigns. The creative opportunities are endless. Billboards come in different shapes, sizes, mediums and can be put up virtually anywhere. It’s safe to say that this advertising medium shows no signs of slowing down.

Transit Advertising

This type of advertising includes posters and signage seen on buses, cabs, subways, or train and subway waiting platforms. During commutes, consumers encounter thousands of advertisements. That makes this marketing strategy very opportunistic for your business. This marketing strategy is especially great for densely populated cities and urban areas. If an ad gains more exposure, it results in higher levels of engagement.

Transit advertising continues to stay popular due to the simple fact that the need for transit is not going anywhere. Increased ride time and frequency give your ad the opportunity to connect and with the viewer, also allowing them to fully absorb the message of your ad.

Outdoor Events

Outdoor Events such as product demos, mini-concerts, and integrated free product trials are effective ways of marketing a new product or launch. Events allow the consumer to become a part of the marketing strategy and provide them with a memorable experience that they’ll most likely share on social media or with friends.

Point-of-Sale Advertising

Point of sale advertising, or POS, triggers an impulse for the buyer. This marketing strategy intends to promote and showcase a product right before the customer is about to make a purchase. If a customer is going to make a purchase anyway, they’re more open to the suggestion of adding an extra item. This form of advertising includes simple posters or branded display stands that can be placed outdoors.

Construction Advertising

Construction sites are present in both rural and urban areas and require protective barriers like scaffolding and hoardings. These protective barriers present themselves as a unique opportunity for advertising.

Examples of construction advertising include scaffold wraps and posters on temporary fences.

Successful Outdoor Advertising Strategy

Here are some tips for developing and executing a successful outdoor advertising strategy.

1. Target High-Traffic Areas

Targeting high-traffic areas gives your advertisement more exposure. A good billboard will be nothing but a wasted opportunity if it is exposed to a small audience.

2. Be Visible

Visibility nurtures familiarity which results in trust.

Many consumers travel the same route daily. If they see your outdoor advertisement repeatedly, they develop a sense of familiarity with your brand. The more familiar your brand is, the stronger the trust is between the brand and consumer.

3. Understand your consumer

Before designing your ad, you must consider the audience who will come into contact with it. Think about how you want them to respond to your advertisement. A good advertisement is memorable and motivates the consumer to take action. If you want to get the most out of your advertisement, these elements must be carefully considered.

How bMedia can help you

Outdoor advertising can be extremely beneficial and profitable for your brand. bMedia can help your business by coming up with the ultimate outdoor advertising strategy for your product.

No detail is overlooked when creating digital and traditional outdoor media and our advertising professionals can guarantee an effective outdoor advertising campaign. Together, we can maximize the effectiveness of your next marketing campaign. Contact us today.

Why Use Billboards to Advertise?

Posted on July 29, 2021 by admin

Billboards have been around for ages. In fact, archaeologists have even found evidence of what they believe to be “ancient billboards” dating back thousands of years. Regardless of your age or where you live, billboards have likely been a part of your life for as long as you can remember. They’ve become such a common part of life that we probably don’t even think much of them when we see them. However, for advertisers, billboards can be an integral part of any campaign or advertising strategy.

Billboards aren’t still used today just because they’ve been around forever. Advertisers still use them today because they get results. The effectiveness of a billboard is measured by its return on investment (ROI), how many people see it on a regular basis based on location, how memorable it is, and how likely it is to create a conversion or a sale.

Although billboards have been around for a very long time, they have certainly changed over the years. Many companies today are choosing to use digital billboards. A great example of the power and prevalence of digital billboards in Times Square in New York City. Many, if not most, of the billboards there are now digital billboards.

Are you still wondering, “Why use billboards to advertise?” Read more to find out why this tried-and-true medium of advertising is still just as prevalent as ever!

Why use billboards to advertise?

The answer to this question should be obvious. It is, however, also very multi-faceted and probably more nuanced than you might think. Billboard advertising is great for targeting specific audiences, causing repeated exposure, capture attention from people who might not want to be advertised to, and so much more.

Billboards allow geographically targeted marketing.

One of the most important things to consider when crafting a marketing strategy is your target audience. You want to make sure that you’re getting your message in front of the right people. If you have brick and mortar location or a relatively limited service area, then you don’t want to waste money on ads that target people outside your area. You also want to make sure that the people in your service area hear your message. Billboards allow you to succeed on both counts.

When you put your message on a billboard, you know where people will be when they see your message. You can look at the road the billboard is on and get a good idea of where people will be coming from and going when they see your message.

The location aspect of billboards also allows you to be strategic about your budget. Billboards in more rural areas will obviously be less expensive than those in high-traffic, urban areas. However, you’ll still be able to reach a relatively large audience for a lower cost.

Repetition drills in certain messages.

Some messages are better for billboards than others. People drive by billboards regularly, but they tend to go by them quickly unless the area is known for especially heavy traffic. Messages that are easy to digest and actionable are especially effective. A study asked people to discuss their engagement with billboards. Let’s look at their answers.

On a roadside billboard, have you ever…

Notice that simple, clear, and actionable information had the biggest impact. Billboards work on an almost subconscious level, their message sinking in as people drive past them day after day. Messages that are witty, time-sensitive, or related to immediate needs all have an especially big impact on drivers.

Billboards capture one of the few captive audiences left.

Today people are inundated with advertising from the moment they wake up until their head hits the pillow at night. But people also have more ways to avoid engaging with ads, when ads come on TV they look at their phone, and they can use programs to block ads from their phone. In this sort of environment, how do you make sure that people actually pay attention to your ads?

There is one place where people have to keep their eyes on the world around them, and that’s when they’re in their car. If you really want people to pay attention to your ad you need to catch them when they are in traffic. Strategically placed billboards with the right outdoor advertising ideas allow you to do just this.

Time the average American spends driving:

17,600 minutes per year
48 minutes per day

That’s 48 minutes a day where people are staring out the front window of their vehicle. Beyond that, it’s time when they might be thinking about your message. After drivers see your message, they will have the rest of their drive to process it. And this can happen every time they drive past your billboard!

Digital billboards have opened new avenues.

Many people underestimate the power of billboards because they have outdated perceptions in terms of their perception of billboards. Digital billboards have brought this advertising tool into the 21st century, allowing billboards to take full advantage of the latest technology.

Instead of using one permanent image, digital billboards are essentially large computer screens that can be programmed to display messages in a range of innovative ways. Things can be as simple as switching between images periodically so that multiple advertisers can cut costs by sharing a single billboard, or they can get more complex by utilizing animation and real-time updates.

People who can recall seeing a digital ad in the last month:

Place-based: 70%
Online: 43%

These figures were taken from a study based on self-reporting, but there is still a clear takeaway. When people see a message in person, they’re more likely to recall it than when they see it online. As digital advertisements become more prevalent and invasive in our everyday lives, many people have begun to not notice these ads as much. If a consumer is exposed to the same ad consistently and frequently, they may begin to experience ad fatigue. Ad fatigue is the event in which one ad appears to a consumer so many times that the CTR (click-through rate) of that ad begins to go down.

Compared to digital and online ads, billboards are clearly much more memorable and don’t contribute to ad fatigue in the same way that online ads do. People are more likely to pay attention to place-based ads and billboards because they are much more noticeable but much less invasive.

Billboard advertising stands above the rest.

Billboards occupy a unique place in the advertising landscape because of their physical presence. They aren’t ephemeral like radio, TV, and internet advertising. They stand on the side of the road, their message emblazoned across a giant canvas. There is a power in the billboard that other advertising tools just cannot recreate.

Billboard advertising isn’t a magic solution to every marketing need, but when used correctly it can do things that no other method can. If you have a clear and actionable message that you want to convey to a captive audience, then a billboard might be just the thing you need.

As we’ve said multiple times, billboard advertising can also be an incredibly cost-effective method of advertising. For not that much money, you can get way more eyes on your ad than virtually any other medium for the same amount of money. You can also customize the location, design, size, and type of your billboard to match your business’ specific budget and needs.

How bMedia Can Help

Why use billboards to advertise? bMedia is here to answer that question! The professionals at bMedia are the leading experts in outdoor and billboard advertising in Puerto Rico. Whether you have an idea for a billboard already and need help executing your campaign, or you haven’t even started, bMedia is here to help.

Advertising professionals at bMedia have extensive industry experience that will guarantee the effectiveness of your billboard advertising campaign. With the execution of their tried-and-true best practices, bMedia is your best bet in maximizing the effectiveness and ROI of your advertising campaign. Contact bMedia today!

Clever Billboards

Posted on May 28, 2021 by admin

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but what about action? It is one thing to say you are capable of doing something, but an entirely different thing to actually demonstrate it. This logic governs the concept of resumes and portfolios in the working world. Unlike day-to-day life, billboard advertising usually relies more on telling than showing due to the restrictions imposed upon by the medium. Clever billboards are catching the attention of passersby, as well as curious insects.

Enter Publicis and their innovative, clever billboard for the insecticide company, Orphea, which has found a creative way of getting around the limitations of physical ads.

Location, Location, Location

First, in order to add a little bit more context to this ad, we must understand its location. While easy to overlook if one isn’t careful, the location of an ad is crucial to reaching your target audience. This very same billboard would not be nearly as effective in say, Antarctica, for instance. Even though it is not present for long, the video does a good job of establishing the climate and conditions of Milan, Italy, with a shot of a nearby cloud of bugs. This communicates the idea that to the locals insects are a constant and troublesome issue during the spring.

Even though most everyone can relate to bugs being annoying, the location for this specific ad caters to an audience with a real and prevalent need.

Idea Through Action

In order for Orphea to sell their bug spray they must convey to their audience, “our insecticide is effective at killing insects.” If one were to just look at the original graphics of the billboard though, only the name of the company and the product are displayed. The billboard informs the consumer that the product exists but ultimately fails to get across how effective said product is. Technically, this would mean that a violation of the basic guidelines has occurred.

“Rules are what the artist breaks; the memorable never emerged from a formula” – Bill Bernbach

Compare the live performance of a speech versus the transcription of said speech. Elements such as body language and eye contact are lost when only one form of presentation is utilized. In order to fully analyze the strategy of this campaign, one must look past any individual medium of information and must take in the piece as a whole. In this case, the ad uses action instead of using static images and text to convey the efficacy of the product. This ad doesn’t need to say anything because it directly shows the purpose and result of the product. This creates a wordless and automatic association of action and product within the minds of the audience.

Clever Billboards

Things normally become less interesting the more we experience them. Even someone’s favorite song runs the risk of becoming dull if heard often enough. Billboards are much the same way. A creative and unique billboard might grab your attention the first time, but what if you had to drive past that same billboard on your way to work every day for a month? The novelty wears thin eventually.

Most shopping decisions are made on the move. Drivers stuck in traffic or on a long commute have time to think about their wants and needs. -SmartDataCollective

The temporal aspect of this ad makes it even more effective over time, however. The true nature of this ad isn’t stuck at any one point in time. From the original posting to the final result, none of these are really the “completed” ad. The billboard continues to change and grow in an organic way which adds something new for the consumer every time they may pass it. If this was a part of someone’s morning commute, tracking the progress of the ad would no doubt become a staple of their morning routine while it was around. Simply said, the most clever billboards stand out.

This keeps the ad, and likewise the product, at the forefront of the consumer’s mind. If one secures that very precious spot in the consciousness of the consumer, it becomes much more likely that they will be remembered when a purchasing decision is about to be made.

How Are Billboards Put Up?

Posted on May 26, 2021 by admin

They dot the landscape along America’s busiest highways. Statista.com estimates that there were over three hundred and forty-three thousand billboards in the USA in 2020. Nearly ten thousand of them were digital. This number has been increasing by ten percent a year. But how are billboards put up?

Drivers and pedestrians pay more attention consciously and unconsciously than you might think. An Arbitron study notes that over seventy percent of American drivers surveyed stated that they consciously look at billboard messages. Almost sixty percent learned of an event or restaurant by viewing billboards. Up to 15% shopped at a place they saw advertised on a billboard the same day they read the ad.

While many read billboards, most give little thought to how billboards are put up.

Choosing a Location

As with real estate, the three most important things about billboards: location, location, location. Location often determines the size or type of design. The best locations have high-density traffic—either pedestrian or vehicle. Billboards can also be found in shopping malls and neighborhoods.

In choosing where to put that billboard, you should consider things like:

Sign face alignment: Your sign must be read within three seconds and placed at a readable height. The location must have no visible interference from trees, tall buildings, bushes, or fences.
High Traffic Count: Check with the Department of Transportation or do an informal assessment of traffic in proposed billboard areas.
Audience Demographics: Who is your ideal consumer? Consider gender, education, profession, income, age, and other factors. Is the location the best place to reach them? For example: If you want to reach young adults consider a location near a college or university.
Residential or Commercial? Is your business geared to residential or business audiences? Consider whether to locate your billboard within a commercial area or one located in a residential area.
Local ad placement: If your business is reliant on local customers, place it in a spot where local foot traffic will see it.
Consider the intent: If you sell surfer sportswear, it makes sense to locate your billboard near the water. Place your sportswear billboard near major sports facilities. Whose eye are you trying to catch? Where are they likely to travel?
Busy traffic areas: Where is high traffic in your area? Look for areas that get traffic congestion during rush hour. Also, consider locating near traffic circles, city centers, and areas like pedestrian crossings where there is a natural slowing of traffic.

Billboard Design

Sarah Firle suggests these design considerations:

Keep the message simple. Drivers who pass may be going fast. You have seconds to make an impact with a single photograph or short colorful text. Use seven words or less.

Put a premium on typography. Consider which font and size will offer the quickest read.

Focus on a single idea. Billboards aren’t meant to give facts about your brand. What is the one lasting impression you want your audience to grasp?

Aim for a visually memorable billboard. Try to incorporate surprising—even shocking—visual elements.

Aim for a call to action. Entice audiences to act like Chick-fil-A’s cow signs.

Include product demonstration. Think about your product’s function and how you can illustrate it.

Make your billboard design fit your overall marketing strategy. There should be continuity in your logo, brand, and your other advertising.

Color is important. It both attracts attention and leaves a lasting visual impression. Penneco.com advises that choosing the right colors can make the difference between standing out and fading into the background. They suggest picking no more than three colors and making them vibrant. Good choices are high-intensity shades that stand out against the background.

Billboard Construction

How are billboards put up physically?

When it comes to building a billboard, size, cost, materials, and design are all important considerations. A typical billboard is twelve feet high with an upper height twenty-five feet off the ground. Billboards may be anywhere from twenty-five to forty-eight feet wide. Billboards may take the form of bulletins or poster panels. Bulletin-sized ads which we normally think of as billboards may be as large as twenty feet by sixty feet.

The cost of the bulletin board is based on size and materials. Billboard costs range anywhere from ten to twenty thousand dollars.

The most commonly used material for traditional billboards is polyvinyl chloride. Polyethylene has taken the lead in recent billboard construction because it offers an attractive recyclable option.

Some billboards use computer-aided or hand-drawn messages. Thirty-sheet poster panels measure up to twelve by twenty-five feet. These are lithographed or silk-screen-printed.

Billboards often appear for thirty days. Advertising space may be rented for only a week or two before a special event and replaced the day after the event. Billboard space may also be purchased for multi-month contracts.

Technological Influences on Billboard Design

According to business2community.com technological advances have changed billboard design. Digital out-of-home advertising now accounts for over $35 billion in revenue.

Billboard advertising is increasingly smarter. Today’s billboards may show information and react to their viewers through sensors and facial recognition software.

Modern digital ads use augmented reality and other interactive technology to increase viewer engagement.

Billboards do more than show information, Bluetooth energy beacons send information based on demographics to interact with the reader. Advertisers can tweak details to appeal to specific demographics.

Integration between billboards and mobile technology allows interaction, data sharing, and customized experiences.

Thanks to technology, advertising placement is almost limitless. Digital ads can be placed on building walls, passenger shelters, buses, taxis, trains, and inside airports.

Why Invest in Billboards?

There are many advantages to using your advertising budget to buy billboard space. Large and eye-catching, billboards target a huge, diverse market.

Even for those whose first language is not English, billboards offer important information about a product or service. The largely pictorial information has a strong visual effect.

People in America spend a significant amount of time in their cars. Billboard advertising has a captive audience. It isn’t dependent on their buying a newspaper, a magazine, or a tablet to view the product or service. Billboard advertising lets businesses reach more people faster and cheaper than any other form of marketing.

For middle and upper-class target audiences, billboards allow companies to build and strengthen their brand recognition, reputation, and product image.

Running TV and radio spot ads is very pricey. These run, at best, only a few times a day. Magazine and newspaper ads are also expensive. They cost both the business and the potential buyer and are dependent upon the customers purchasing that paper or magazine. On the other hand, the message on billboards is always working.

With other forms of advertising, potential buyers might be exposed to a brand or service just once or twice. With billboards, drivers and pedestrians have repeat exposure day after day.

A billboard’s brief message has the potential to remain in the viewer’s mind. Because it is succinct and repeated, the message is long-lasting.

How Can bMedia Group Help?

With over three hundred attention-generating locations in Puerto Rico, bMedia Group offers its valued clients a wide variety of effective billboard formats. Our skilled designers and construction staff members are masters of taking your design wants and creating effective billboards.

There is a good reason why bMedia Group has the highest consumer traffic in the area.

For more information regarding how we can increase your brand recognition contact us.