Outdoor advertising – 9 mistakes lowering the effectiveness of it

Every advertiser aims for an effective outdoor advertising, but there are many nuances.

The effectiveness of outdoor advertising, including digital signage, directly depends on its placement location, whether it’s static or dynamic, attractiveness, and relevance of placement in a particular location. The main criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of outdoor advertising is the reach of the target audience. It’s not always possible to determine without error which type of outdoor advertising sources will be most successful – static or dynamic, such as DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home) or pDOOH (programmatic Digital Out-of-Home).

 

 

Evaluation of outdoor advertising effectiveness

 

To evaluate the effectiveness of advertising, there are several working tools:

 

1. Sales statistics: Numbers will show sales growth if outdoor advertising has worked. This will become noticeable after some time when the number of inquiries to the company for a service or product increases significantly.

 

2. Increased brand interest: Determined by the growth of queries for the advertised product on the internet.

 

3. Location assessment: How successful the chosen location is for advertising placement is determined at the planning stage.

 

 

Key effectiveness factors

 

The research results should identify three main factors:

 

– Potential customers

 

– Effective audience

 

– The number of people who see the advertisement in relation to the total number of capable population (in percentage terms)

 

 

Audience reach assessment

 

The number of people who see the information carrier over a certain period is evaluated based on the street’s busyness where the banner or digital signage is placed. All potential customer flows aged 18 and above are considered:

 

– Pedestrians

 

– Drivers

 

– Passengers

 

The human flow in passing transport is calculated using a specific coefficient.

 

 

Audience effectiveness (OTS)

 

Audience effectiveness – OTS, is determined by the characteristics of the billboard or digital signage, particularly the information surface:

 

– Viewing angle from specific points

 

– Location relative to the traffic interchange

 

– Distance from traffic lights

 

– Number of lanes on the roadway and speed limit

 

– Visibility of the picture and information from a distance

 

– Proximity of competitors’ advertising

 

– Presence of objects obstructing the view

 

It’s important to note that modern technologies, such as video wall software and digital signage players, significantly expand the possibilities of advertising, allowing for the creation of dynamic and interactive content that can be more effective in attracting audience attention.

 

Indicators for mathematical modeling of the expert assessment system are based on comparing the significance of the obtained data through visual analysis. This is particularly important for evaluating the effectiveness of Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) advertising and dooh software.



Information accessibility indicators

 

For each traffic flow, information accessibility indicators are separately taken into account. The effectiveness graph of a billboard at intersections contains at least 3 vectors indicating traffic directions from which the advertising poster is visible. This is relevant for both traditional media and digital signage that use a digital signage player.

 

Letters denoting automotive directions:

 

– “A” – to the city center

 

– “B” – from the center

 

– “C” – clockwise

 

– “D” – counterclockwise

 

Vectors A and B are used for radial routes, while C and D are for ring roads. Modern digital signage allows adapting content depending on the direction of movement, which increases advertising effectiveness.

 

 

Effectiveness evaluation

 

Some indicators increase the effectiveness coefficient, while others decrease it. This allows obtaining an objective assessment of opportunity to see (OTS), measured in units of advertising contacts or thousands of people. For video advertising, this indicator is particularly important as dynamic content attracts more attention.

 

Gross Rating Point (GRP) is another criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of outdoor advertising. It represents the percentage ratio of the potential audience to the number of capable citizens in the local market. GRP increases the effectiveness of advertising with each advertising unit placed on busy streets and highways.

 

Cost Per Thousand (CPT) helps evaluate the effectiveness of outdoor advertising by determining the cost of each thousand advertising contacts. Using dooh software allows optimizing CPT by adapting content to the target audience in real-time.

 

 

Impact on outdoor advertising effectiveness

 

Specialists can evaluate the effectiveness of an advertising campaign by analyzing the advertising poster or its layout. There are certain nuances in creating advertising signs for advertising, so it’s better to contact an advertising agency that has experience working with modern technologies, including digital signage players.

 

Main rules for effective outdoor advertising:

 

– Placing posters along busy routes and near places of mass visitation

 

– Avoiding overloading the sign with product information

 

– Short and concise text when it’s necessary to convey new information

 

– No more than 7 words in one advertising layout, which are easily readable at a glance

 

– Using bright visual elements, especially for video advertising

 

Outdoor advertising should remind potential consumers of previously acquired knowledge, not be the sole source of information. Modern DOOH technologies significantly expand the possibilities of outdoor advertising, allowing the creation of dynamic and interactive content that effectively engages with the audience.



Indicators of outdoor advertising effectiveness lie in both the selection of the image itself and the combination of tones. Psychological research helps with this. The use of LED billboards allows creating brighter and more dynamic advertising messages.

 

For example, it’s better to depict food on plates with an orange stripe or red decorative elements. These colors help stimulate appetite, while a blue plate, even in a picture, reduces the desire to eat. Software for LED screens allows easy changing of colors and images depending on the time of day or target audience.

 

In different weather conditions, some colors are perceived differently, which needs to be taken into account. For a poster to be remembered at a single glance, it should not be obstructed by other objects. Following such simple rules will help in creating better advertising that doesn’t require unrealistically complex projects.

 

 

Target audience selection

 

Every product and service has its own buyer. Advertising screens allow quick content changes depending on the target audience at different times of the day.

 

Visitors and long-haul truck drivers will need information about the location of roadside cafes or canteens, hostels, and hotels. An information and advertising board with data will be appropriate at the entrance to a settlement. Billboards of chain stores showing products with current discounts have become popular. DOOH networks allow promptly updating such information on many screens simultaneously.

 

 

Creating creatives for outdoor advertising

 

Chocolate bars, carbonated drinks, chips – these products are in high demand among young people. Therefore, the design of the poster should be bright, colorful, reflecting the interests of the target audience of this age category. LED billboards allow creating bright and dynamic advertising messages that attract young people’s attention.

 

 

Correct USP

 

The abbreviation USP, in both English and Ukrainian languages, has two decryptions:

 

– unique selling proposition;

 

– unique selling point.

 

This part of the advertisement is composed in such a way as to concisely and briefly reflect the consumer’s motive, different from competitors, through which they should turn to the advertised company for service. Software for LED screens allows easy changing of USP depending on the market situation.

 

The main point of USP is that a competitor cannot use a similar offer due to objective reasons. As a rule, improving conditions on one point will require worsening them in others.

 

Therefore:

 

– The advertising message should vividly and clearly give an idea of the benefit the consumer will receive.

 

– The offer is formed after studying the competitor’s working conditions. Matching rates for similar services is poor motivation.

 

– Flexibility in using resources within a fixed-price service package is an advantageous offer.

 

Differentiating from competitors in terms of service provision is one of the main principles of building an advertising campaign based on USP principles. The uniqueness of the offer, which has no alternative from competitors, is the best way to attract a buyer to your point of sale for services or goods. DOOH networks allow quickly distributing such unique offers on a large number of advertising screens simultaneously.

 

The availability of contact information and the effectiveness of outdoor advertising are key factors for a successful advertising campaign. Modern technologies, such as DOOH Display Solutions, allow creating more interactive and attractive advertising messages.



Contact information in advertising

 

The advertiser of goods is not the retail chain, but the manufacturer, the brand owner. In most cases, when buying chocolate or canned meat, you can find the address of the enterprise where the product was made on the item.

 

There are also contact phone numbers and email addresses. It’s hard to imagine a person calling manufacturers to chat, learn about the taste, or to find out about new products.

 

A phone number is needed if the billboard doesn’t have information about the list of services:

 

– clinics for people or animals;

 

– service centers providing a range of various services;

 

– beauty studios that work by appointment;

 

– etc.

 

To obtain the necessary information, not only a phone number but also the company’s website address may be needed, where the enterprise’s address can also be found. In an advertisement about the opening of a new store, entertainment center, or enrollment in an educational institution, the main contact will be the address.

 

 

Effectiveness of outdoor advertising depending on the season

 

DOOH advertising allows easy adaptation of content according to the season. On a hot summer day, advertising for tonic drinks, ice cream, beach item sales will be effective. In winter, people need thermal underwear, skis, skates, snow tubes, sleds, ice sleds, and snowball makers more.

 

Let it be just an attractive invitation to the store for a relatively inexpensive product. Network marketers will take care of increasing turnover through proper product placement inside the store. Outdoor advertising, in this case, has fulfilled its task.

 

 

Mistakes that reduce the effectiveness of outdoor advertising

 

1. Long texts.

 

2. Vague hints that mislead.

 

3. Background that blends with the environment.

 

4. Narrow, fancy, unreadable fonts.

 

5. Long, information-overloaded offers.

 

6. Incorrect selection of background and letter colors. They should be contrasting and bright.

 

7. Long words that are difficult to read.

 

8. Advertising in the image and likeness of competitors. It doesn’t promote your own product or service, the brand’s individuality is lost.

 

9. Incorrect choice of location for billboard installation.

 

Even one of the above-mentioned mistakes in creating outdoor advertising can lead to inaccuracy in determining its effectiveness. Only a well-formulated offer, briefly and clearly stated on a banner in contrasting print font, a recognizable product that cannot be confused with a similar one, on a billboard open for viewing, can be considered truly effective.

 

Many people wonder how outdoor advertising works and whether it’s effective at present? After all, there’s now the internet, where targeting is more focused and there are ways to evaluate advertising effectiveness with 100% accuracy.

 

However, DOOH advertising continues to remain an effective tool, especially when integrated with other marketing channels. The centralized video management system allows for quickly changing content on many screens simultaneously, which increases the flexibility and effectiveness of advertising campaigns.



Advision — Content Management System for remote management and media planning of video and audio content broadcast. We help offline businesses and advertising companies automate workflows and implement reliable Digital Signage infrastructure using our own software and hardware solutions.

 

Contact us and we will help you implement the most modern technologies to solve your problems!

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