BILLBOARDS; COMPANIES KEEP GETTING IT WRONG!
The fact that your company has advertising budget does not, in any way, mean that you must annoy us with your unrealistic, unreasonable, and uninspiring billboards that lack creativity. A billboard that has more than nine words is no longer a billboard – it’s a press release.
While “everything is going digital” nowadays, billboards, on the other hand, aren’t going anywhere. Check out The Arbitron National In-Car Study and it’ll reveal to you that billboards still provide an effective channel for reaching the masses. The sad part is that companies, most of them, are failing to capitalise on this strategic opportunity.
Here are a few tips to get this right:
1. A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS!
Find a celebrated designer who can put together a dynamic image that can tell it all. Undoubtedly, a vibrant image can be your spokesperson as opposed to using words. Just make sure that the image really does make an impact in five seconds or less. You can test this by sharing your concept and asking your colleagues to view it for only a few seconds. If they smile or smirk, you nailed it! If you get a dissimilar response, you might want to try again.
2. WHAT’S THE POINT OF BEING VERBOSE?
It’s a billboard for crying out loud. Though your target audience might be stuck in traffic, they only have five seconds to gander upon your billboard. So use less words. While most people recommend nothing more than seven words, I think you can get away with nine. And what’s up with billboards covered with website addresses, phone numbers and physical addresses? Stop using a billboard as a direct-response medium, ‘tis not! Your message needs to be brief, bold and bright. Repeat after me: brief, bold and bright.
3. BE CREATIVELY DISRUPTIVE!
You really need to stand out. If it means collaborating with another company in one billboard, do so. People are tired of seeing the same stuff. Use this to your advantage. Disrupt the status quo. Your billboard must convey a message in an entertaining or clever manner as opposed to having a crowded message with various fonts and colours, leaving us with a splitting headache. Stop that!
4. RESEARCH YOUR LOCATION
Once all is set and done, consider the location where your design will be displayed and use that environment for a creative message. Know your business. Know your audience. Make sure all texts in your design are printed in clean, bold font to ensure the best readability for your audience. The larger the font, the more time your target audience has to read and understand your message at a distance.
In summary, billboards are quite effective, but your marketing team has to do it right. If your brand, product or service is so complex that you can’t make a nine-word impression, please, stay away from billboards.
@Cuemanbeing