Billboards seem to have been around forever. Putting
forward their offering for anyone passing to see. When they were invented they
almost reigned supreme. They were big, they were noticeable and they got the
message out there. Now, with smartphones and other technologies capturing
attention, static billboards tend to merge into the background unnoticed. With
a dynamic advertising
led billboard you can make this image a movie to get back the attention
lost to a smartphone. In today’s world, you can’t really do without it. It is
important to remember that the attention space has to be fought for.
Let’s take a look at why dynamic LED billboards such as
those from Visualled are essential to
branding.
The Power of the Moving Image
Static billboards can no longer be relied upon to get
your brand and offering into the minds of your target audience. There are
simply too many distractions essentially making them obsolete. The dynamic LED
billboard, however, shows moving images. This makes a world of difference when
competing for the attention of your target audience. People naturally look at
screens where they see motion. This is why you often see people watching TV
sets through shop windows.
Having a moving image also allows you to promote more than
one offering. With a bit of creativity, this can be followed by a call to
action such as a phone number and or URL. Think about it, people are walking
around with a phone in their hand that can make calls and surf the web. Dynamic
LED billboards are powerful advertizing mediums when you apply a bit of
marketing magic.
Local and International
Branding
The billboard can be used to show ads for a global
audience and a local one. Imagine the power of an ad showing a person enjoying
delicious ice cream and the board is above an ice cream parlour. Arguably, for
many, this could prove irresistible.
On a global level, your offering and by extension your
brand can be broadcast from an LED billboard. This not only puts your brand and
offering in the minds of all those that see it, interested people if they see
your brand again a little later, say an online ad will be more likely to click
to discover more about the offering.
One of the Six Interactions Per Day
We are often told to eat five fruit and vegetables a
day. This is sound advice and scalable to the marketing world. Retailers
believe that they need six interactions to sell online. The billboard is easily
one of those six. In busy places, it can reach thousands of people possibly
more. With strategic planning, you can have a billboard that has plenty of foot
traffic passing by.
Consider, how many passengers major airports handle in one
day. A billboard showing your brand could easily be visible to vehicle drivers
who visit and leave the airport. Imagine the reach.
Ramping up Campaigns
If you have ever been involved in major ad campaigns
you will understand the power of an LED billboard and how it fits into the
holistic puzzle that is a marketing campaign. If you’ve invested in television
and radio advertizing, online pay per click, social media, and search engine
optimization campaigns, the billboard adds the finishing touch.
The same ad shown on other mediums can now be shown on the
billboard. This creates context between the ads which is vital for any ad
campaign to work.
This is often utilized in election campaigns where mediums
are flooded with different messages from different political entities. If
people are stuck in a traffic jam for example and a political message is shown
featuring moving images, then people are likely to take it in. Over time, you
could persuade a significant percentage of swing voters to vote for your
offering. You could mix and match messages attacking your rival’s policies and
promoting your own.
The same is also true in the commercial world. You can put
your brand in the minds of potential customers and clients as part of the six
interactions needed to make a sale or generate a lead.
Selecting the Right Billboard
The billboard you utilize needs to be the right size.
Fortunately, this should not be an issue as a range of sizes is available. You
will have limited space available even if they are fixed on the roof of a
building. As success relies on people seeing your billboard you should if you
have the option position it so as much foot traffic can see it as possible.
Sometimes, the board will be fixed to a wall and this
limits the options. Nonetheless, you can still utilize the board to maximum
effect.
Once installed you need to make a marketing message which
is compelling and memorable. With a little creativity, you can make your
billboard ad part of your six a day, promoting your brand and driving sales and
leads.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.