Advertising Billboard

An advertising billboard is usually found in high traffic areas, such as along busy service roads. Obviously, this is a different form of advertising than the average marketing campaign. A typical marketing technique concentrates on inducing the customer to take action based on facts and persuasion. An advertising billboard is used to convey just a thought or an image, and one that will hopefully linger in the driver as he goes about his way.

The advertising billboard strategy may be brand identification. The basis of this is basically, if a customer is shopping for an item and finds two similar or exact items but can only differentiate them by name, he will pick the name that he's more familiar with. As long as the customer has not had a bad experience with the company, then he will usually respond to the name brand identification technique in a positive way. He may go buy a hamburger from McDonalds or a wrench from Pep Boys, two weeks after the billboard accomplished its purpose.

Along with the classic advertising billboard, there are also new developments in advertising technology. Digital billboards allow static advertisements to play clearly at day and night. There are also wallscapes, mobile billboards and mechanical billboards that accomplish the same thing: to grab customers' attention and to leave a distinct image in their mind.

In order for this strategy to be effective, a copywriter must come up with a striking image that can easily be associated with a company. There have been successful marketing efforts that reverse this philosophy, and actually post a mysterious phrase or image with no apparent explanation. However, merchant companies are careful to post a follow up billboard that explains the idea.

If you are thinking of using the advertising billboard to your advantage, remember to be theatrical. Nothing is more boring than a colorless billboard ad. Do something dramatic that will capture the driver's eye and make them wonder about your product.