Australia 19 Feb : If you've ever been stuck in a car for long periods of time, you have undoubtedly stared up at the road advertising billboards along the way. A thought that would definitely have crossed your mind is whether these billboards actually work. Even if they did, how do marketing gurus quantify the effect of these billboards on their sales?


One of the main reasons why companies continue to treat electronic advertising billboards as one of their favorite advertising techniques is that they are the most visible and they cost far less than other forms of advertising, including the print and the electronic media. When you add to this the fact that the billboard stays up for a longer period of time than a print advertisement does, you will realize that it is indeed, the most effective form of advertising because it stays in your focus for much, much longer.

A lot of marketing experts feel that because the billboard is a constant reminder of a product's presence, it is instrumental in the consumer's planned purchase decisions. In today's market, dominated as it is by e-commerce, the recall of a brand that is constantly displayed prominently helps the consumer make impulse shopping decisions online. In fact, the consumer may even shop while on a commute, either at a store or online. In such a case, a prominent display in the form of billboards would go a long way in guiding customers towards the brand.

Surveys have even revealed that 40 to 50% people who learned about an event on television or radio remembered to tune into the event at the required time. Approximately the same percentage of people visited restaurants that they learned about from billboards. Interestingly, less that 30% people even noted a web address or a phone number from a billboard, which clearly reveals the effectiveness of billboard advertising.

Studies have shown that people spend so much time traveling on the road that a great number of shopping decisions are made while people are doing a commute. Some people set-up shop on their way home. Others are reminded of a brand after they reach home. Since so many people shop on their way back home from work, it makes great business sense for companies to put their messages out there on the road.

One thing that is true of billboard marketing, as indeed about all forms of advertising, is that it needs to be attractive. Billboards are constantly competing with other billboards for the customers' attention. To grab the customer retention, the billboard must grab his eye and his mind. The attractiveness of the billboard is not determined by the color and the design alone. The message and the manner in which it is conveyed is equally if not more important. Customers have repeatedly stated that they remembered funny advertising messages as opposed to dull, uninspiring ones. Uncluttered, witty, clever messages are the lines to take if billboard advertising has to work. That is the one way to use advertising billboards to drive up sales.

The Outdoor Media Association represents most of Australia's traditional and digital outdoor media display companies and production facilities. Click here to contact the Outdoor Media Association, or follow on: facebook