Outdoor Advertising: Still a Sign of the Times

There are multiple opportunities for dentists to reach their target audience and a combination of digital and traditional marketing strategies will reap the most rewards. In fact, while it may seem that everyone is staring at a screen these days, there is great advertising potential in the great outdoors.

Outdoor advertising – also referred to as out-of-home or OOH advertising – has the distinct advantage of being wherever people go. The most common use of OOH is billboard advertising but there are additional innovative ways to gain consumer attention as they navigate the world outside their home, including transit systems, point-of-sale, and more.

Billboards

Billboards have been around a long time, especially when you consider the faded remnants of advertising on the brick exterior of decades-old buildings. But mainly we think of the big roadside signs we speed past as we travel the nation’s thoroughfares.

According to a recent Harris Poll, 70% of consumers are driving on highways at least a few times each week. Approximately 83% of them report noticing ads while driving both on highways and locally around town – and that’s even in light of the shift in commuting due to the pandemic.

Billboards have come a long way since the broad side of a building, with new digital LED technology that can shift ads from one to another all on the same sign. Depending on location, design, demographic, and budget, billboards can be a useful tool to get the attention of prospective patients.

Transit

The public transit system has also provided advertising opportunities in a variety of forms, including the interior and exterior of buses and taxis, bus stop shelters, subway walls, airport walkways, and more. If public transportation is regularly utilized in the community, these types of signage can be very effective in high traffic locations.

Creative Advertising

When you take a good look around, it’s evident that OOH advertising shows up in creative ways and locations, besides billboards and bus wraps. Here are just a few outside-the-box (and home) marketing options available in many areas:

• Mobile ads on the side of a strategically parked truck

• Event banners on lamp posts

• Ad inserts on shopping carts and point-of-sale stations

• Signage in retail malls, health clubs, sporting venues, and more

Making Outdoor Advertising Work

Good signage creates a memorable impression – even in an instant. Pricing for outdoor advertising can vary greatly depending on location and size, but there are three factors to keep in mind:

• Circulation – the estimated number of people exposed to the ad based on traffic volume.

• Demographics – the breakdown of those people by age, gender, and income.

• Impressions – can refer to the number of people who notice the ad based on speed, visibility, or other influences.

Research the area and traffic before committing advertising dollars. Is the signage clearly visible? Is roadwork scheduled for that stretch of highway? Is the area appropriate for your practice? For instance, you wouldn’t promote a pediatric dentistry office right by a senior community.

Visual is key to successful signs. The use of engaging graphics or photography will last long after the viewer has walked or driven past. Keep the text brief and informative – a tagline, specialty offered, website and phone number. People will often use their cell phone when a sign catches their attention, so make sure the info is easy to catch in a matter of seconds.

Good signage creates a memorable impression for potential patients where they sit, walk, or drive. Make sure your outdoor advertising is difficult to ignore.

At RAMP – The Dentist’s Marketing Company, we can research and negotiate all of the OOH possibilities in your community so you can focus on your patients. We work specifically with the dental profession to determine the perfect combination of traditional and cutting-edge marketing solutions for each individual practice and region. Call today for your free consultation.