Serving local communities

‘Out-of-home’ (OOH) advertising refers to ads that share your products or services with people who are outside their homes, whether they are in a shopping centre or on the road. OOH is a broad term, and is likewise wide-ranging in what it can achieve. It can reach people in a specific geographical location or nationwide, depending on how it is used. This makes it a great option for small businesses, who require flexibility and may only want to advertise towards specific regions or communities. And, unlike some other marketing channels, OOH always has a guaranteed audience. It connects with people where they are and has the ability to positively impact their lives.

OOH advertising has become more dynamic and interactive as technology has evolved, making it an incredibly effective way to help your brand engage with consumers in new and creative ways. Including OOH in an advertising campaign can help your business:

• Drive traffic to a physical location
• Build brand awareness
• Promote a specific product or service
• Reach a large and diverse audience

If you’ve decided that billboard advertising is right for you, and chosen a style, size, format and location, you’re almost there. However, it’s worth keeping the following points in mind:

Visibility: You need all words and links to be easy to read. Alight offers a billboard design service that can help ensure that your OOH ads stand out, regardless of what size or format you choose.

Budget: Establish a clear budget and timeframe for your campaign, so that you can achieve the maximum return on investment (ROI) from your ads. Alight has no minimum spend — so you can ensure your advertising budget stays on track.

Type of campaign: Make sure to clearly establish your business targets, so you can develop a campaign that helps you achieve them.

According to a recent analysis by ThinkBox and Gain Theory, OOH can have a positive effect on almost all other channels, coming second only to TV in its ability to positively impact other marketing media. The top channels among these are online search appearance, digital advertising, and radio advertising.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that OOH’s impact will vary depending on how your ad is designed and executed as there is a huge range of creative search drivers and triggers that will affect a campaign’s success.

OOH supports online advertising by boosting the number of people who recognise and interact with your brand. Users who have seen your brand name OOH are more likely to trust that you are a reputable business whose products are relevant to them.

This is particularly true if you target your online ads to a specific location or type of user, based on where your OOH ad is located and who it is aimed at. If done well, OOH can support online ads by:

• Directing people towards your website and social media pages for more information.
• Making you a more recognisable brand, both locally and on a national level.
• Filling the gap between those who spend significant time online and those who don’t.

Usually measuring 6 x 3 metres, these billboards are big, bold and perfect to get your brand noticed by a wide audience. Digital 48-sheet billboards are typically placed in high-traffic areas like busy roads, highways, and shopping centres, so you know plenty of people will be seeing your message.

Some key benefits of D48 billboard advertising include:

Size: They give you plenty of space to get creative with your billboard design, making sure your brand message stands out.

Maximum visibility: They’re impossible to miss! You get maximum visibility for your brand and improve brand exposure to potential customers.

Increased brand awareness: These billboards are a great way to get your brand in front of a number of people, helping to increase brand awareness and recognition.

Reach a diverse audience: They can be placed in high-traffic areas, allowing you to reach a large and diverse audience.

D6 billboards, also known as ‘digital 6-sheets’, are smaller-scale billboards that are often positioned within local areas such as high streets, roadsides, and bus shelters. They have the combined benefit of being digital — and therefore having high levels of visibility and impact — while being on a reasonably small scale.

D6s stand out at any time of day or night, and are the perfect solution for businesses looking to turn heads in a smaller space. They also offer a unique amount of flexibility, allowing businesses to:

• Display their ad at specific times of day or in particular weather conditions — helping businesses to reduce costs in the long term.
• Play short-form videos in pedestrian areas, as well as displaying static images, depending on what is being advertised.
• Amend the contents of their ad if, for example, the details of an event change.

At 1.8 x 2.1 metres, classic 6-sheet posters (C6s) are perfect for making a big statement in a smaller space. Although they’re not classified as ‘billboards’, they have many of the same features and benefits of their digital counterparts. C6s are ideal for a number of scenarios:

• High-traffic areas: posters are ideal for high streets, bus shelters, and pedestrian areas, putting your business in front of thousands of shoppers, commuters, and families.
• Clear and concise messaging: The smaller size makes it easy to convey a clear and simple message that will stick in the minds of your target audience.
• Flexible: You can customise the location of your poster to target specific areas or demographics.