In a time where digital advertising and video are the rage, an old standard is making a marketing comeback: the lowly billboard. Except the modern version – electronic boards – are providing flexibility at every turn of a campaign.
The New York Times reports that while billboards have a decidedly retro feel, advertisers continue to reap benefits from outdoor advertising. This includes tech-focused companies like Lyft and Snapchat.
Outdoor spending continues to skyrocket, largely based on the ability of electronic boards to shift messages, produce teases that build over time, and provide metrics using small cameras that measure passing cars.
Notably, Clear Channel has a program called Radar that aggregates mobile device data and other information to also measure shopping patterns, too. As we know, ROI is increasingly important to advertisers, and outdoor ad marketers need this ingredient to stay competitive.
For radio, the surging popularity of billboards is affirmation of the importance of the car to the medium. Even in a world of shared mobility and eventually autonomous cars, vehicles will still pass by signage as they drive – or ride – providing ample reminders to stay tuned to local radio, personalities, and service elements. The ability to provide a sense of real-time immediacy opens up all sorts of possibilities to a medium that has always been perfectly compatible with cars.
The need for radio to market the medium to all generations – not just current listeners, but also those little kids riding in the backseats of cars, minivans, SUVs, and station wagons – has never been greater. Outdoor could prove to be the most reliable way to keep radio’s messaging top-of-mind, real-time, and visible.
Today, I’m on a panel at the Radio Show that will continue to follow the comings and goings of connected cars and what they mean to the radio industry. Along with Ford’s Scott Burnell and Steve Newberry, we’ll be talking about the impact of dashboard technology on radio. But inevitably, the challenge for radio in cars of the future will have less to do with the hardware and more to do with consumers making the effort to tune in a station. As radio becomes just another choice rather than the front and center attraction in the dash, the challenge become one of awareness, especially for those kids who are part of Generation Z. Many of them simply don’t know what radio is. And if they’re not listening to radio outside the car, they’ll have no motivation to seek out radio when they’re in one.
Radio is going to have to market itself, and the billboard becomes an obvious advertising choice. The last decade has proved that while tech brands like Apple, Google, Samsung, and others continue to break new ground, we keep seeing their devices and innovations on the sides of buildings and highly visible on billboards in major markets all over the U.S. It’s an old school and effective approach that creates awareness.
Why would NextRadio be any different? The billboard could end up being the way radio delivers that message to consumers – of all ages.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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One option for billboard that used to cost big money has gotten considerably cheaper with digital…Now Playing.
Once upon a time back in the radio dark ages of the 90’s you had to buy a Radioactive system to put now playing on a billboard. As of the advent of digital you can put now playing on any digital board if your billboard provider is willing to work with you.
I did it in Charleston, SC about 7 years ago…Ran the information feed out of the automation and you had 105.5 The Bridge Now playing with a logo treatment on one of the busiest highway boards in the market.
The other upside of digital is that you can share showings on a board and split the costs…So a board that used to be 20K a month is 5K a month, but you share the board with McDonalds and who ever the other clients are.
Alternatively if you want the whole board all the time you can put all of your brands on a board to rotate as well.
I was lucky enough to be part of the first (I’m pretty sure) version of these in Seattle with KZOK. The “Now Playing” technology was a bit crude and clunky compared to what we have today, but the effect was powerful. I’ve never seen a billboard actually drive cume like that. Thanks for the reminder, Mike, and for commenting.
Well, this couldn’t be more spot on. I’m not so sure I’m willing to put my name down here (my competitors don’t need help from me:)..but Fred, you know who this is.
We’re in the midst of running a hefty outdoor digital campaign that is completely day-parted for multiple stations. Yesterday, during a significant weather incident, we had a live twitter feed up with customized traffic info and school closings. It’s the real deal and pretty simple to execute.
Plus, the fact that the product we need them to (and are asking them to) consume is RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM….is a pretty important feature as well.
If you have the money and REALLY think out the strategy..there is a lot of “there-there” 🙂 Great read!
Many thanks, mystery man. The flexibility of electronic boards opens up al sorts of avenues for creativity. Best of luck with the campaign.
This makes a whole ton of sense.
I thought so, too.
One of the reasons for outdoor’s skyrocketing revenue is the fact they now carry multiple messages (longer stopsets?) on one digital face. So you build a board for, say, 200k and it pays for itself in 9 months. And in reality, the impressions you get are very good because while you are sharing the face with others you’re still getting a ton of eyeballs.
All of a sudden, outdoor has become even more scalable. Thanks for that reminder, Jack, and for reading our blog.
Fred,
I completely agree on your position of billboards being an important marketing option for radio. I read an article back in ’08-’09 focusing on Steve Jobs belief in outdoor advertising in a digital world.
The article talked about how there were a couple billboards Chiat Day used on his drive to and from work to test Job’s opinion on billboard creative. I looked but could not find the article.
While the world has changed since ’08-’09 some fundamental things haven’t…like people still traveling in cars.
Jeff, I love the way Apple continues to use outdoor to promote and reinforce their coolest projects. Thanks for reading our blog.
Electronic billboards are great because they’re so vibrant, and they really stand out. I think they’re definitely leading the resurgence of the billboard. Thanks for sharing.