Outdoor media is one of the oldest forms of advertising and its long history supports how effective a well-placed advertisement can be. Every time a person leaves his or her home (or even looks out the window in more urban areas), they’ll see at least a couple of advertisements. When a piece of media is difficult to miss, it succeeds in making the business behind it more noticeable to the average person. Even if a particular ad isn’t something that interests most passersby, they’ll likely remember the ad because it’s become familiar to them. As such, they’re more prone to sharing the advertised information with interested parties in the future.
Business owners can hardly go wrong with the right type of outdoor ad, so let’s explore the different types of outdoor media that you can use to raise your business profile.
Types of Outdoor Media
Outdoor media comes in several sizes and forms, and this combined with its location can contribute significantly to the views an ad receives. Because outdoor media is housed in a public area, it’s going to be seen by all sorts of potential customers. For the best results, however, it’s wise to place outdoor advertisements in locations that are ordinarily in the public eye.
Let’s cover a few examples of effective outdoor media placement, style, and format.
Street-Level Media
As the name suggests, street-level media is a type of outdoor media that draws the eyes of individuals who are walking or driving along the city streets. These advertisements are typically smaller and more affordable than other forms of outdoor media, and when they’re designed well, they gain a fair level of attention. Optimal places for street-level ads include:
- Bus Shelters: Banners that hang between the sheets of plexiglass in bus shelters
- Benches: Signs painted on the backs of park benches, or ads inserted into the plastic backing of a bench
- Outdoor Kiosks: Bike kiosks, newspaper kiosks, and food trucks often display signs and banners that support local businesses by introducing them to customers.
- Storefronts: Signs, digital texts, and posters can be hung in the glass windows and doors of storefronts so that they’re easy to see, both for customers and people passing by.
Transit Media
Public transportation is a crucial part of everyday life, especially in larger cities where the majority of people utilize mass transit systems to get to and from work, school, and home. Advertising through this method could take one of the following forms:
- Bus Signs: Displaying large signs on the sides of public buses not only draws the attention of passengers but those making a commute on foot or in their personal vehicle as well.
- Subway Ads: Ads plastered on the walls of underground railway stations are sure to be noticed by individuals waiting for their subway to arrive.
- Taxis: Ads placed on the doors or roof lights of taxis stand to be seen by hundreds, if not thousands of people during a typical day of driving.
- Airports: Waiting for long periods of time is a standard part of visiting an airport, and while people sit for hours before their flight boards, they’ll likely take a look at the ads posted throughout the area.
Large Out-of-Home Media
Perhaps one of the most common forms of outdoor media is what’s referred to as large out-of-home media (or OOH Advertisement). While all outdoor media counts as out-of-home media, the larger formats are typically what come to mind when people think about physical ads. These large forms of outdoor media are visible at a distance and take the form of:
- Billboards: Large advertisements that are installed along highways, freeways, and other roadsides.
- Posters: Larger-sized posters can be installed along the walls or windows of tall buildings so that they’re visible to drivers and individuals walking the streets.
- Mall Banners: Mall banners can take up an entire section of outer wall on the building, and they’ll certainly be seen as malls are still relatively populated during business hours.
- Cinema Ads: Large ads outside the cinema will likely draw the attention of movie-goers waiting in line to buy tickets, or individuals looking for a parking space.
Depending on your advertising goals and the budget you’ve set for your business, certain types of outdoor media may be more appropriate for your company’s needs than others. It’s a good idea to explore your outdoor advertising options and be sure to work with a reputable, high-quality ad production company. Investing in a clear, professionally-designed advertisement will only improve your chances of raising your business profile.
