Outdoor Ads

Outdoor advertising is more than billboards and bench ads, it encompasses nearly every piece of media outside of your home. This includes everything from bulletins to street furniture to transit ads, to even digital ads you see in restaurants. Outdoor advertising is effective in its simplicity. It uses high-impact imagery to capture and keep peoples’ attention. That’s why, despite it being one of the oldest forms of advertising, it still sees a significant amount of growth today.

With all the focus on online and social media marketing today, it’s easy not to notice how impactful and ubiquitous outdoor ads have become. Everywhere you look, from bus shelters, to mall kiosks, to the sides of trains, you can find an ad for some product or service. The prevalence of outdoor advertising isn’t diminishing - in fact, according to recent studies; it’s actually on the rise. Outdoor ads focus on delivering simple, impactful messages to local audiences. Combine that with the fact that unlike broadcast or online ads, outdoor ads cannot be skipped or blocked, and you start to see their appeal. Whether you’re an established company trying to retain market share or a newer company looking to raise awareness; outdoor advertising is an effective tool.

Just because an outdoor ad is simple doesn’t mean that it doesn’t require careful thought and planning. The success of an outdoor advertising campaign hinges on how well you understand your target audience and the quality of the design. If any of the following sound like your company, outdoor ads may be for you.

• You have weak local presence
• Your target audience congregates at specific areas
• You want your ads to reach a mass audience
• You have no offline presence
• You are a new company trying to stand out

Yes, in fact despite being one of the oldest forms of advertising, outdoor ads are currently experiencing a renewed surge of growth. Unlike other forms of advertising, outdoor ads cannot be blocked or skipped, and the messages they convey are easily digestible. They also synergize well with online marketing by directing traffic to your website or landing page via links or QR codes.

Outdoor advertising is an effective form of marketing when used sparingly. Relying solely on outdoor advertisements is not only costly but runs the risk of overloading consumers. The real value of outdoor ads comes when they are used in conjunction with other forms of marketing. For example, a billboard on a busy street will attract recognition and increase brand awareness. but the simple act of placing a QR code to your landing page can mean the difference between knowing about your company and engaging with it.

Outdoor Ads come in numerous forms. Deciding which form is right for you depends on what you want to achieve, who you’re targeting and what your budget is. Some of the most common types of outdoor advertising include:

• Billboards
• Digital Boards
• Backlit Posters
• Wall Murals
• Bus and C-Train Ads
• Airport Ads
• Street Furniture

o Transit Benches
o Bus Shelters
o Map Stands
o Media columns

If you have a completed design, we’ll be more than happy to work with it, however, keep in mind that there may be certain nuances associated with designing outdoor ads that you may not be familiar with. Factors such as readability of text, lighting conditions, and color choices all play an important part in successfully communicating your message. If you are unsure about the design, we provide full graphic design and consultation services to ensure an ad that satisfies your needs.

Aside from captivating imagery and big, bold text, an effective outdoor ad requires an equally effective call to action. Getting the attention of your audience is one thing, but having nothing to say once you have it can be a problem. Good calls to action are short, memorable and direct you further down the sales funnel. They can take the form of a QR Code that brings you to a landing page, a link that does the same, or a social media handle. Having a functional call to action directs consumers down the sales funnel and allows you to measure the response rate of the ad.

The best way is to have a solid idea of who your target audience is and what kind of lifestyle they lead. This information is crucial, as it helps us understand what kind of imagery appeals to them and where the optimal locations to place the ads are. It also aids the process if you know what message you want to send your audience. With these 3 pieces of information in hand, we can expedite the design process and more time can be spent adjusting the ad to your preferences.

Depending on the type of outdoor advertising you choose, this can vary. We believe a period of at least 3 weeks is required for you to get the most out of your investment. This allows sufficient time for consumers to notice your ad and grow accustomed to seeing it, but ensures that it does not overstay it’s welcome. Brand recognition is a process that requires a great deal of time – at least seven separate viewings - so repetition of information is crucial in making your outdoor ads a success.

With the advent of Online Marketing, measuring the value of an outdoor ad can be a simple process. The most effective outdoor ads include calls to action that direct you to landing pages, social media, or provide you with coupon codes. These pages and codes are heavily monitored and provide key metrics that let you know how well the ad is performing. If you start to see a noticeable increase in Likes, follows, visits and sales after your ad goes live you can be confident that your efforts are paying off.