Several years ago, billboard people put a big picture of “Sharlene Wells, Miss America” ​​on billboards all over town. She was everywhere. The intelligent use of the girl served two purposes; the first was to cover all the unsold boards. The second was to show the effectiveness of billboard advertising.

The surveys were conducted before and after the month-long display of Sharlene’s pretty mug. Before, only 1.5% of the people surveyed could remember her name when asked “Who is Miss America”. Afterward, the number jumped to a surprising 12%.

The people on the billboard pointed to this example as proof of the power of outdoor advertising. It gave them the open door to introduce hundreds of new potential clients.

If you bought 50 billboards in your city and used the Miss America approach, people would surely know your name too.

Here is the small part of the outdoor advertising; billboards.

MUST plan ahead

First, outdoors is not a “quick fix”. If sales go down, you can’t quickly lay down a few boards to increase the numbers. You must plan ahead. Delivery time is not short when used outdoors. The best use of boards is for image creation and brand awareness. They are not profitable for one-time sales or special events that are not repeated. Billboards are image builders. The use of billboards is similar to television, it can mean that you have “arrived” as a formidable business.

Most are sold for a minimum of one month. You pay twice. First for the location of the board and second for the media used to place your ad on the board, paint, paper or plastic.

Paints

Painted billboards are the oldest form of outdoor advertising. They are painted with special weather-resistant exterior paint. Some exterior paints are specially formulated to resist fading. Painted billboards are also known as “painted bulletin boards”, but more commonly as “paintings”.

Documents

Cardboards may be the best known. We’ve all seen the guy with the billboard hanging on the ladder with the swirling panels like wallpaper being pushed into place with the big glue broom.

Card stock prints on 8 to 30 sheets of thick paper, depending on size. Posters with 8 sheets (6 x 12 feet) are called juniors. Regular boards use 30 sheets and make a 12 x 25 foot sign, counting the heavy metal frame. They are called 30 sheets.

Cardstocks are referred to by some veterans as “papers” and “paper newsletters.” The papers look good for about a month, depending on the weather. Nothing looks worse than old cardboard, unattended for long periods where the wind and weather have ripped and ripped the panels revealing layers of old
signs.

The plastic

All that is in fashion now is the use of vinyl on the boards. This allows for better color, longer lifespan, and very fine graphics. If vinyl decks had been available when they did the Miss America tryout, people
still be in love with the lady on the board.

The vinyls are printed with a special printer, similar to the printer on your computer. Once sprayed with the UV finish coat, vinyls can last for years. The vinyls are easy to spot. They look brighter and better than traditional paper boards, the wind tends to get under them and can cause them to ripple as they are normally not glued to the surface, but rather glued to the edges. These are called “flex vinyls” and can be moved from one table to another without damage. Some vinyls slide over old paper boards like a sack and you can see the outline of the metal edge of the paper board under the vinyl.

Bulletin boards are the giant blackboards you often see along interstate highways. They can be as large as 20 x 60 feet or as small as 10 1/2 x 36 feet. Many of these large boards are supported by a huge metal pipe in the middle. Rotary newsletters are the same as newsletters, but they move every 60 days (hence the term rotary).

Projections

Blackboards have ratings like television shows, called gross rating points (GRP). Each board has a traffic count, and when divided by population, the result is a GRP. Billboard sales are generally done in GRP. Which means you buy a sample of 25 or a sample of 50, 75 or 100. A sample of 25 would mean that at least 25% of the population would see one of their boards at least once a day. A sample of 25 could have one table, three or many, depending on the number of traffic and the population. It is possible to buy only one plate, but it is not profitable. Once you decide to use the exterior, you have to pay to print the paper or vinyls and they generally come in units of 10.

The best goal is to get 100 points. Studies have shown that in a sample of 100, advertisers can reach 88% of adults 28 times a month. In a sample of 50, advertisers can reach 83% of adults 15 times a month.

cost

For example, a recent show of 50 in Salt Lake City included 84 boards and cost $ 22,512 for one month (the 1-month fee). Buying that many boards lowered the cost per board to less than $ 275. Don’t expect such a low rate for smaller markets or a purchase of one or two boards. In most cities, the average billboard costs between $ 400 and $ 600 a month.

Some table locations are stacked. Opinions vary as to whether the top or bottom position is better. Some boards are “triple vision” boards that mechanically rotate small panels to reveal 3 different advertisements every 30 seconds.

There are other forms of exterior. Giant single-post super boards along interstates are best used for spontaneous “next exit” sales and “clean restrooms.”

Small painted 4×8 boards taped to a post in a farmer’s yard should be repaired and redone regularly. Let it sink or fall just once and your image can go with it.

Here are Mike’s BIG tips for better billboard advertising.

Buy at least a sample of 50 and do it every two months. Many times, if the board doesn’t sell after the time is up, it will stay free until it is replaced.

Make sure some, if not most, are lighted places.

Choose freestanding instead of stacked if you have the option.

Do not let the license plate vendor select locations for you.

Buy vinyls instead of paper or paint and bleed the border graphic (so it wraps around the back of the board). Makes your ad look even bigger

Keep the concept short and smart. Offer a solution to their problem, goad them with something new. Avoid the same ol ‘same ol’.

Use the rule of not having more than 8 words and a picture. Remember, most readers will speed by in a car or truck.

Don’t put your photo on the board. Remember the cardinal rule of sales. It’s not just about YOU, it’s about THEM.

Make the outside a budget item and plan ahead. Spend most of your time working on the concept and design, because once it’s there, it can’t be changed and everyone will see it.

Final thought

FYI – Miss America 2007 is Miss Oklahoma, Lauren Nelson.