Thread: Billboards

I'm considering using a Billboard for advertising. Has anyone tried this and what were the results.

i guess its worth a try. it created [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelyne"]angelyne's[/ame] celebrity

i hear they are horrendously expensive. if you have the inside track on a good deal, please let us know ;)

Depends on the image and how it's received. Daniel Carter stopped traffic in his undies (as did Eva Herzigova before him in a different country) and I guess sales of the respective products rose.

They cost a *packet*, especially somewhere decent.

There was a cute movie titled "It can happen to you" about a woman who put herself on a billboard and created a stir.

It Could Happen to You (1952)

I've always thought about hiring a billboard, keeping this moving in the back of my head. If I had the money, I'd do it!

Billboards can be effective for certain types of businesses, particularly when used as directionals, either pointing the consumer toward the business's physical location or website. They're also great for being bold, flashy and highly visible to thousands of commuters on a daily basis. If you're looking to draw people to your website, this could actually be a cool, unconventional way to do so.

Trouble with billboards, obviously, is that you don't get a whole lot of room to be informative. People might see your beautiful sign and say, "Wow, that's pretty! Look, a belly dancer!" But they might not put two and two together that you could dance at their next party, or teach them to dance. I hate to say it, but I think sometimes we give the consumer too much credit. I'd love to see what the conversion ratio is, from calls to actual sales.

It's not a terrible idea and I'd love to know how you do, if you decide to go ahead with this. I've never heard of a BDer on a billboard before! But if you want my God's honest opinion, I truthfully believe that a well-executed SEO plan, plus some strategic P.R. is worth its weight in twenty billboards!

I have no idea what an SEO plan is....

My reasoning for wondering about billboards is I saw one done for Yoga and massage. She seemed to be doing well with it. It put her business in people's faces so they didn't have to do an internet search or look in the phone book.

Mine would be for promoting classes not so much for gigs.....

Ahhhhhh, OK, I see. I'd get a little worried if a dancer did a billboard without a hyper-targeted focus.

Radio or cable TV might also be a good medium for classes. I know you don't sound like you want to shove a lot of information down your customer's throats, but I like that both radio and cable allow you a little bit more room to tell a simple story, give a call to action (read: a reason to buy from you) and play to your consumer's hearts. In the case of classes, people like to know what they're getting themselves into. Do you feel you can sum up your classes in a picture and less than 15 words? Just asking rhetorically, of course!

Not to knock the idea, because I think it could have potential depending on the image and verbiage used. I actually kind of like the idea, because it's so out of the ordinary. As a media rep, however, I want you to get your $$$ worth out of whatever route you go! (If you have questions on radio, I'm your girl!)

SEO = search engine optimization = having a plan to get to the top of search engine listings :)

Yes I believe I could do it for 15 words or less.

Thank you for Definition of SEO. I would have never guessed that.

This thread was very timely. I was cleaning my desk today and found a list of billboard rates from Lamar Outdoor Advertising. (We had to do a team exercise a few months ago where we called a newspaper, cable, outdoor, etc. and got their prices to compare with radio).

For those who are curious, the rates for the Bridgeport, CT market are as follows:

Local road board - $750 - 3,000

12x24 on i-95: $3,500

14x48 on i-95: $6,000 (Norwalk), $4,500 (Bridgeport)

14x48 Local Road: $2,000 (Norwalk) - 3,500 (Bridgeport)

14x48 Digital Board
$5,000 One of 6 advertisers
$6,000 Rotator on Digital, one of 6 advertisers

Hope I was able to shed a light on billboard pricing!

Satin did they have time limits? IE how long it is up? I know they don't change them that frequently.

Billboards are quite price-y and limit your exposure to that one location. You might want to consider sharing a billboard with another like-minded business. (Yoga classes, salsa classes, etc.) Another option might be the sides or back of city buses. I have not researched prices but for me the ever-changing areas of exposure might be beneficial.

I'm a PR director by day, so here are a few things I would think about:

Rates are typically for one month, although when I've purchased outdoor in the past you sometimes end up with a longer run if there's no one lined up for the spot once your term expires (no way to guarantee that though). In addition to your monthly rate for renting the space, you have to take into account the cost of printing the vinyls if you're not doing a digital board...that can run several thousand depending on your market and the size of the board.

I think with a billboard you're actually better off with seven to nine words...15 is really pushing it when your audience only has a matter of seconds to get your message. Phone numbers are pretty ineffective because you can't write them down while you're driving. Same thing with a Web address unless it's something REALLY short and easy to remember.

My personal opinion is that outdoor advertising is great for branding, but not so great for call to action. If you're already a household name locally, it might be great for keeping your name at the forefront of everyone's minds. If there's a board on the lawn of your studio, it could possibly work to draw people in (think of those interstate boards that tell you to exit now for McDonald's). Otherwise, I'm with SatinWorship--you'll get a lot more bang for your buck with other avenues.

GLADYS GLOVER!!!

It's been over 20 years since I saw the Judy Holliday/Jack Lemmon comedy Aazura mentions above ("It Could Happen to You") - and without checking the link provided, I STILL remember the name on the billboard in that movie. In it, a woman rents a billboard and on it displays only her name, and it makes her famous. If you're even thinking about billboard advertising (or love old movies), rent this for fun.

Kinda in harmony with the comments that the billboard may be helpful for branding. (Or you could popularize a jingle a la Barry Manilow's "You deserve a break today, so get out and get away, to [insert name of Genevieve's fast food giant here].")

It may be a great idea - but please be very leery of putting up any text or graphics on the side of the road that focus attention on the dancer herself, due to the potential for stalkers or "lonely" travelers. Your ad would be seen by anyone eligible to obtain a driver's license (and their passengers), and we know those standards are not always what they should be, LOL.

A bit on the serious side, as one who has survived dealings with some scary characters . . .

-Devora

Originally Posted by GenevieveOfAtlanta

My personal opinion is that outdoor advertising is great for branding, but not so great for call to action. If you're already a household name locally, it might be great for keeping your name at the forefront of everyone's minds. If there's a board on the lawn of your studio, it could possibly work to draw people in (think of those interstate boards that tell you to exit now for McDonald's). Otherwise, I'm with SatinWorship--you'll get a lot more bang for your buck with other avenues.

Yep, that's pretty much the draw with outdoor advertising. Great for branding and great to lead the way to a noteworthy destination off a major highway. I also have heard that outdoor is most effective when paired with a radio or TV schedule: radio/TV tells the "story" and outdoor provides the recall with a visual. If you do go for a billboard, I'd consider some additional form of media for your call to action.

I also think Devora's onto something, too, about perverts. Not to mention, ultra-conservative whackjobs. Not long ago, a billboard for a toilet company made the news because wacky people complained about its bare bottom depiction. The advertiser was ordered by the town to take it down. I could not imagine how aggravated they were, because billboards sure aren't cheap!

Then again....that might actually be a good P.R. strategy. Some weird zealot complains about your bare midriff, town government intervenes, and I'm sure you could get some decent press coverage or a spot on the morning news ..l;,..l;,..l;,

On a somewhat different route, what about those "drive by" billboards? Like they have in Vegas with the phonenumbers for the hookers? (Obviously i suggest not doing that in Vegas since that connotation is hooker)

I've seen a few of them here in Pittsburgh for various businesses - they just drive through town, past the colleges, the night life areas... you could really target your specific demographic that way!

(that reminds me of the stay at home mom thread... you might not be able to post inside the day care center, but you can park you message on the street outside!)

I have been wondering about this as well! My question though-who pays for maintenance of the board? Here in Denver our billboards have really been hit with graffitti the last month plus. So who takes care of this? None of it has been removed-do you just put your stuff up and hope for the best? Get a partial refund? I can see the taggers going crazy for a bellydancer! =(

Originally Posted by _Sarai_

On a somewhat different route, what about those "drive by" billboards? Like they have in Vegas with the phonenumbers for the hookers? (Obviously i suggest not doing that in Vegas since that connotation is hooker)

Goodness! I live in Vegas and I've never seen a billboard with a hooker's phone number on it. Hahahahahaha. I've seen plenty of "escort" postcards that the pedlers hand out on the strip, but that's a different ballgame all-together.

Originally Posted by Samira_dncr

Goodness! I live in Vegas and I've never seen a billboard with a hooker's phone number on it. Hahahahahaha. I've seen plenty of "escort" postcards that the pedlers hand out on the strip, but that's a different ballgame all-together.

Fine and dandy if you're a hooker, but let's hope Suzy Nippletassels and the No-Pants Posse don't start handing out postcards on our local main drags. ..c::.w.:

Originally Posted by Samira_dncr

Goodness! I live in Vegas and I've never seen a billboard with a hooker's phone number on it. Hahahahahaha. I've seen plenty of "escort" postcards that the pedlers hand out on the strip, but that's a different ballgame all-together.

Really? I've only been there a few times, but i remember the giant moving billboards. They drive up and down the strip with half naked girls and "straight to your room" with a phone number.

They work in tandum with the guys handing out the post cards

I had a mini-billboard for my magazine. It was a bad experience. It cost, I think, less than $400 a month because it was a small one, on the main street in my small city instead of being on the freeway.

My biggest fear was that if they didn't re-sell the space after my time ran out, they'd leave my poster up there until it was all shredded into strips, like you sometimes see? I didn't want my business name on something that looked old/beatup/neglected.

Turns out I should have worried more about other things!

1) I talked to a lot of people who said 'I know where you're located, I saw your sign on Main Street.' So people were VERY confused about my location. No telling whether I lost any customers who tried to 'stop by' where they thought my office was and decided I must've closed up shop!!

2) Whoever owned the actual land where my billboard was posted - the place people thought was my office! - decided to put a whole cluster of political signs up around the base of my signposts. It most definitely gave the appearance that I was endorsing candidates! And put my distribution channel (local elementary schools) at risk. And there was nothing I could legally do about it, since they owned the property and only leased rights to the billboard folk.


ETA: I don't think a billboard is a bad idea. The words 'bellydance classes' and a classy pic and phone number are all you need. I find that people either want to sign up instantly or they're so resistant that no amount of body copy will change their minds anyway. But it woud take a LOT of new students to justify the expense. I'd need a much bigger space and a fuller schedule to even accommodate enough students to make the purchase worthwhile.

Originally Posted by _Sarai_

Really? I've only been there a few times, but i remember the giant moving billboards. They drive up and down the strip with half naked girls and "straight to your room" with a phone number.

They work in tandum with the guys handing out the post cards

Well...I do live here...so I don't frequent "the strip" nearly as much as the tourists, so it's possible I've just missed that. LOL. The smut peddlers are pretty extreme on Las Vegas Boulevard, downtown, and the strip club area, but the majority of Las Vegas isn't bombarded with that sort of crap. I do commute all over the valley and I have never seen hookers on billboards. I have seen plenty of scantily clad women who are in the actual shows in the Casinos, but generally they are classier images.

Being a belly dancer in Vegas has always been a bit more of a precarious situation than other places I've lived. You have to be careful about what you say you do here. You can't say you are a "dancer" or "professional dancer" as that generally implies you are a stripper. You don't want to imply "showgirl". And saying "professional Middle Eastern performer" feels funny if you aren't strictly doing Egyptian style. Sigh.

And then there is everyone else's perceptions of Vegas. You'd be surprised at the number of folks outside of Vegas who dismiss our local dancers because there is a perception that everyone here is loose and hookers. LOL. Aradia and I have had conversations about how being from Vegas can sometimes hurt you without there being any legitimacy to it.

ok...I totally hijacked. Sorry.

The billboards here in Vegas are $20,000+ a month, so it's not something that is justifiable at all. LOL.

20,000 a month. Yikes that would be a couple of tons of students to justify that cost.

Maybe it would be better to do what others (not dancers) have done. Staple flyers to telephone poles.......

Originally Posted by Samira_dncr

You can't say you are a "dancer" or "professional dancer" as that generally implies you are a stripper.

This is true in my area, too. Right across the state line from St. Louis, home to the strip clubs they like to frequent but won't house. *sigh*

i with the other girls, i think know just the results are would be interesting. be sure to post good or bad when they come along