Generally, outdoor advertising has the ability to play a major role in effective communication medium within any multimedia advertising campaign. Outdoor advertising is also an extremely cost-effective medium, offering both optimal reach and unparalleled frequency. An effective strategy consists of many components. Thus, understanding the characteristics of outdoor advertising is crucial to a successful campaign. Timing Your Outdoor Advertising (The When) Outdoor advertising can be used across the communication / conversion process, from a launch (high impact, large format) strategy, to maintenance / support (smaller format, high frequency) strategy. The relevant strategy would dictate which outdoor media format is used, and in what quantity.
LSM, rural areas. The physical, visual nature of an outdoor holding enables permanent visual presence between bursts of other media. This makes outdoor advertising an ideal medium to use in conjunction with other media, maximising the audio and visual elements of a campaign. 5. Outdoor advertising cannot be "zapped, turned off, or turned over". Advertising avoidance is a serious hindrance to media such as TV, radio, print and magazines. One of the unique outdoor advertising benefits is the difficulty with which it is consciously avoided. 6. The target audience does not have to 'subscribe' to the medium in order to be exposed to it. There is no financial cost or leisure-time forfeited by the viewer outdoor advertising utilises "dead time", when the target audience is "not looking". 7. Outdoor advertising can be used to create a "media-multiplier" effect. Effective creative has the ability to obtain additional exposure for the campaign through word-of-mouth, as well as through publicity in other media channels. 8. Outdoor advertising provides extremely high frequency exposure, as well as permanent high-impact presence. High frequency is a given outdoor advertising benefit to most campaigns, with the build-up of multiple exposures occurring rapidly after the launch. This makes outdoor ideal as an integral support mechanism to other media, particularly when used in a "burst" type strategy. 9. Outdoor advertising offers a brand a public face and enables brands to become part of a consumer's daily life. The nature of an outdoor advertising holding facilitates 24-hour physical presence in the community. This can be integrally important to certain types of creative strategies; particularly for those with a community appeal, or those needing to generate a direct consumer relationship over time. This "permanent presence" allows a brand to earn a place in the minds of the consumer, offering a constant reminder that the brand is "available and on sale". 10. "The medium is the message". The message is not part of the medium. Outdoor advertising is one of the few media that does not contain editorial content. Outdoor constitutes "pure advertising" with no interference imposed by editorial content or programming. 11. "Every purchase is preceded by a window of opportunity. It is the task of the media planner / strategist to place the brand message in that window." With sophisticated mapping software to plot campaigns down to street
and site level, outdoor advertising can be planned to stimulate awareness immediately prior to the purchase decision, maintaining brand awareness when it counts. This supports the theory of "recency" whereby an effective media plan ensures that the brand message is 'most recent' in the consumer's mind prior to the purchase process taking place. 12. "Seeing is Believing" A fundamental outdoor advertising benefit is its ability to show: o Visual characteristics of the brand such as the packaging, shape and colour. o How the brand is used/consumed via demonstration. o How the brand works e.g. the foaming action of a washing powder. o The end result or benefit of using the brand.
13. Outdoor advertising is capable of strengthening consumers' perception of a brand. Research has shown that exposure to outdoor advertising which communicates a brand that the consumer is aware of and has engaged with previously, enhances image and perception of the brand