10 Rules of Outdoor Advertising

As of July 2020 and estimated 4.59 billion people were active internet users, almost 60 % of the global population. As a result, it can be easy to discount the more traditional outdoor advertising. Yet the market for outdoor media continues to flourish and grow. Out of home (OOH) advertising continues to stand the test of time and remains a prominent medium of advertising for your business. An effectively carried out campaign remains a  go-to strategy for established and emerging businesses alike. So without further ado, let's get into the 10 rules for an effective outdoor marketing campaign.

Knowing what your business needs

A business is a living organism and with it comes the knowledge that there is no one size that fits all. It is important for businesses to understand the specific advertising needs of their business. With so many options at the disposal formulating a marketing mix between digital out-of-home advertising (DOOH) and traditional outdoor management can be a daunting task. By using various tools such as a cost to benefit analysis and demographic analytics your business can identify what modes of advertising would provide the business with the best value for their money.

Conducting Market Research

Similarly conducting a thorough market is essential to forming a viable marketing strategy. A great competitor analysis for instance would allow your business to gain invaluable insights into what works best and what doesn't. What are some emerging market trends? What do customers associate with the business? Great market research would allow you to identify how and where to reach your target customer and set realistic and measurable goals for your campaigns.

Placement and Location

Outdoor advertising is not too dissimilar to real estate. Where you choose to advertise is an incredibly important part of outdoor media management. A great location is where your customers are. An excellent strategy would incorporate identifying the prime location that is frequently visited by your target customer, unobstructed and repeatedly. The more impressions you leave on your customer makes for an equally effective campaign.

Creativity

Whether it's billboards, posters or digital aspects of outdoor advertising it has to stand out. Creative designs that are capable of capturing the attention of your target customer. The best designs stay with the customer even after the initial impression. It takes a certain aspect of creativity in order to make a lasting impression that lasts. The vast array of advertising in our day to day lives has made customers resistant to most advertisements but creativity, creativity is relatable, creativity lasts.

Make It Shareable

If there's one word that describes the turn of the century it would arguably be 'interconnected'. As a business adapting to the connected nature of customers could serve as a great advantage to make the most out of your campaign. Advertisements that are creative, humorous or aesthetically pleasing are very likely to be shared on multiple social media outlets.

Timing

Timing is everything. A well timed campaign that is in line with emerging social marketing and/or social trends will provide it with traction causing a snowball effect. Timing is what separates a good marketing strategy from a great strategy.

Use Your Resources Efficiently

Focus on creating the maximum value for your business in a well researched manner. It is much more beneficial to have great coverage than holding a single "prime" location that is expensive and difficult to retain in the long run. 

Budgeting

Outdoor/out of home (OOH) advertising is a long term investment. It is unlikely to have an immediate impact but rather build recognition of the brand. You must plan the budget accordingly in order to sustain the advertising without prematurely running out of funds to continue.

Keep It Simple 

At times businesses and media managers put too much pressure into making a campaign special and as a result the final message is too overbearing or complicated to easily grasp. Thinking out of the box doesn't have to be too complicated! 

Patience

And lastly stay patient! It is unlikely to see any drastic results immediately. Good things take time and it may be a tricky line for businesses to walk. But you have to be willing to wait. Unlike digital media a lot of your return comes through branding and recognition which are hard to measure and it may take a while for your message to really hit home but once it does it is very effective.

Conclusion

Major tech companies such as Google and Apple still employ outdoor marketing techniques in order to promote new products, despite their prominence in digital marketing. That speaks volumes in itself. Like any other marketing campaign careful planning and research ensure you get the most value out of OOH marketing