IMPACT OF OUTDOOR ADVERTISING

Introduction
Outdoor advertising is oldest form of promotion, dating to prehistoric times. In recent
years, vast arrays of out-of-home media have joined traditional outdoor posters to reach
an increasingly mobile population. After reading this project you will understand:

Outdoor as a supplement to other media

Standardized posters are the minority of out-of home ads
The image of outdoor advertising
Measurement of the outdoor audience

Newspaper advertising is valid for shorter time where as outdoor displays are available
24 hours. Also in India where the literacy is low, the medium like newspapers, magazines
Fail to communicate with the major audience. In outdoor at least the product display
communicates them well. It works as a great reminder or a follow up advertisement.
Outdoor advertising can act as a direction board for a business. Also it is a very easy way
to advertise for sales- like clothing sales or for circus. Outdoor advertising by hoardings
is also very popular to advertise TV programs and newly released films.
History
Outdoor is the oldest form of promotion. Evidence of outdoor message can be found
in prehistoric carvings on bronze and stone tablets in the Middle East. In Egypt, outdoor
was a popular means of posting public notices as well as sales messages. These were
placed on well-traveled roads and are the forerunner of the modern highway billboard.
Painted advertising dates at least to Pompeii, where elaborately decorated walls promoted
local business.
The modern era of outdoor advertising was introduced when the automobile created a
mobile society. In addition to a mobile population, outdoor benefited from new printing
techniques and a growing advertising industry that was always looking for effective
means of reaching prospective customers.
OUTDOOR ADVERTISING
Outdoor advertising is normally a secondary medium, especially for national
advertisers. However, a number of local and national advertisers use outdoor as their
primary advertising vehicle.
The new comers to outdoor invest in the medium for a number of reasons.
Advancements in outdoor imagining, colour and the timely printing of boards have
contributed to an influx of new advertisers such as cosmetics companies and fashion
designers. In addition, outdoor can generate tremendous reach and frequency levels at a
fraction of the cost of the traditional media. The growth of outdoor also reflects the need
reach a population on the move.
The greatest long-term benefit for outdoor is the increasing fragmentation of virtually
every other medium. Likewise other advertising media, outdoor is most successful when
it is used in accordance with narrow defined marketing objectives. In most cases, these
objectives encompass one of the following advertising strategies:

Companies are introducing a new product and want immediately brand

name recognition to complement other forms of advertising.
Firms are marketing established, well-known, and recognized brands and
want to provide reminder advertising to consumers in marketplace.

Advantages and disadvantages of outdoor advertising

Outdoor is a dominant medium that combines high levels of reach and frequency, a
colourful presentation of products, and low CPM costs, while reaching an audience
already in the marketplace. Outdoor is one of the last opportunities to reach consumers
prior to purchase. In this regard, it combines the best features of radio and point-ofpurchase.
With its size, outdoor also is well suited to enhance the effectiveness of other
advertising media. It can function as an economical supplement to a medium plan or
stand alone as a primary medium. Outdoor is also able to deliver dramatic messages for
various nonprofit organizations. Before we discuss the many of outdoor advertising, lets
take a minute to examine some of the advantages and disadvantages of outdoor. The
major advantages of outdoor are the following:
1. Audience delivery. Outdoor maximizes both reach and frequency. During a 30 day
period, a moderate outdoor campaign reaches more than 75% of the adults in a market at
least 15 times. No other medium can provide that level of exposure.
2. Continuity. Outdoor provides 24-hour coverage. Whereas other media can be
ignored or their exposure is dependent on the habits of the audience, outdoor cant be
turned off, fast-forwarded, put aside, or left unopened. The outdoor message is always
working to increase purchases and profits.
3. Cost efficiency. From a cost standpoint, outdoor is the most efficient of all mass
media. Outdoor costs seven times less than television, three times less than newspapers,
and half as much as radio.
4. Complement to other media. A relatively small budget allocation to outdoor will
result in substantial increase in audience delivery. For example, outdoor combined with
television significant increase frequency while decrease the cost per rating point.
The major disadvantages outdoor are as fallows:
1. Creative limitations & low attention levels. Since exposure to outdoor is both
involuntary & brief, there is little depth of exposure, even among a products most loyal
customers. It is estimated that most signs are seen for less than 10 seconds by the average
audience member. In addition, the average outdoor copy is 7 to 10 words.
2. Little audience selectivity. For the most part, the medium offers little selectivity
among demographic groups & is more a shotgun than a rifle. However, national, religion,
& local advertisers can tailor their messages to reach specific audiences by pinpointing
certain neighborhoods or specific streets such as roads that lead to stadiums or ballparks.
3. Availability problems. In some communities, demand for certain premium outdoor
sites means some advertisers cannot be served with their choice in location.
Despite these disadvantages, properly executed outdoor advertising can be an
inexpensive method of gaining immediate product visibility.