In today’s digital age, it might come as a surprise to learn that out-of-home (OOH) advertising, particularly billboard advertising is thriving. Despite the increasing focus on online spaces, the global billboard and outdoor advertising market has experienced significant growth. In fact, ad spending in the UK Digital Out-of-Home Advertising market is expected to reach £919.02m in 2025, with a 6.54% annual growth rate, reaching £1.24bn by 2030. Billboard advertising stands out as an effective way to get your message out there in the real world.
Discover the key benefits of billboard advertising, what you should think about before jumping in, and whether it could be the right move for your business.
The benefits of billboard advertising
Billboard advertising is a smart tool for lots of businesses, and it's easy to see why. From boosting how many people know your brand to really reaching local communities, it's got a lot going for it.
Build brand awareness:
Billboard ads are a highly effective way to increase brand awareness and drive people to engage. They act as “visual earworms”, leaving a lasting impression on people’s minds. Consistent exposure to your brand, especially in busy areas, familiarises potential customers encouraging future ad recall and engagement. By making your message part of the everyday landscape, billboard advertising can help your business become a household name.
Reach a guaranteed audience:
Billboards offer a guaranteed audience as they are positioned in busy public spaces, visible to everyone passing by without any viewing restrictions - those ad blockers and cookie settings can get in the way with online ads and people often get distracted or just tune out to the constant drip into their feed.
According to IPA Touchpoints 2024, out-of-home advertising as a channel reaches more people than any other medium, with digital billboards specifically reaching people the fastest for comparable campaign spends (Route 54 – OOH measurement).
Billboard screens can be strategically placed to reach highly targeted audiences. For example, specific motorway routes could target commuters. Whether it's on motorways, in local towns, or major cities, the location of your billboard influences the different types of people that you can reach - Alight will use audience data to help you best target the specific audience you are after. The power of out-of-home advertising at influencing people’s decisions is backed up by The Point of Search study, which shows that 6 in 10 consumers made an action as part of this consumer journey at an out-of-home location. To see how billboard advertising can improve reach and target specific demographics, explore our Ashwood Homes or World of Wedgwoods case study.
Support time-sensitive campaigns:
Got a limited-time offer, a new product drop, a short-term partnership, or an event coming up? Billboards are perfect for creating quick buzz and even those spur-of-the-moment buys includes temporary promotions, new product launches, limited-time brand collaborations, and upcoming brand-related events. Regardless of the business size, these initiatives can greatly benefit from the broad visibility that billboard advertising offers. When integrated with a digital marketing campaign, billboards can get people interested both online and offline, leading to a great deal of brand exposure.
Digital billboards offer an added advantage by allowing for real-time updates, ensuring your message is always current. In fact, digital billboards can be programmed to respond to specific outdoor triggers or times (e.g weather or commuting hours), making them perfect for promoting time-sensitive campaigns based on particular hours or conditions. Get in touch about what else is possible with digital billboards here: Alight Media | Contact.
Supports multi-channel marketing:
It might seem like online marketing and billboards are totally different worlds. But the truth is, they can work together beautifully. Billboards build the initial awareness of your brand, subsequently drawing people towards your website to learn more. In a world saturated with online ads, having your brand prominently displayed in public spaces is a powerful way to capture attention. Digital ads can also be more impactful when supported by the broad awareness generated by billboards. OOH advertising, including billboards, can really boost offline-to-online responses, as people who notice your ads can immediately take action on their phones. People searching online after seeing an OOH ad are 38%* more likely to actually buy something compared to searching from their home, highlighting that OOH is a powerful way to boost online engagement and sales alongside other channels.
For a real-world example of how billboard advertising can support wider marketing activities, check out the ADT Case Study.
Potential disadvantages of billboard advertising
While billboard advertising offers numerous benefits, there are some potential drawbacks.
Weather:
Poor weather conditions can affect the visibility and durability of traditional billboards. However, this can be turned into a positive aspect for digital billboards, which can display weather-triggered content and maintain seasonal relevance.
Shorter exposure time:
The exposure time for billboard messaging is often shorter compared to other advertising channels. So, you need to make sure the message is quick, snappy, and creative to engage customers effectively.
Initial cost:
You might think that premium billboard locations could be a high initial investment. However, people can buy ad space based off the number of people they want to see their ad (impressions) and this can be split across all or a selection, of billboard locations. Plus, you can adjust how frequently the ad is played based off budget. For Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), selecting more localised screens can offer significant benefits.
Things to consider when planning your billboard advertising campaign
Careful planning is essential to get the most out of your billboard advertising campaign.
- Billboard styles: There are various billboard styles to choose from, including traditional paper billboards or digital billboards that provide dynamic and easily updatable content, perfect for events or changing information. Bus shelter advertising is another popular OOH format, offering smaller, portrait screens ideal for local brands and reaching bus commuters. There is also portrait advertising screens in pubs bars and venues which are great at prompting people at the heart of conversation. The best option depends on your company’s specific goals and target audience.
- Location: Businesses must carefully consider placement and location to ensure alignment with their target audience demographics. For example, a local business might focus on areas close to their store to build community recognition. National advertisers, on the other hand, might select a wider spread of locations. Alight offers OOH opportunities across 193 towns, with 63 of these only having Alight advertising available. Discover our locations across the UK.
- Size and format: There’s lots to consider when deciding the right size and format for your ad. Learn more about the types of formats available and creative size specifications in our Advertising Toolkit.
- Visibility: Ensure that all words and links on your billboard are easy to read. Alight offers a billboard design service to help your OOH ads stand out. For more information on planning your billboard ad campaign: Alight Media | Designing creative billboard ads on a budget - a guide…
- Budget: Establish a clear budget and timeframe for your campaign to ensure maximum return on investment (ROI). Alight has no minimum spend, allowing you to keep your advertising budget on track.
- Type of campaign: Clearly define your business targets to develop a campaign that effectively helps you achieve them. Alight can assist in integrating location or time-based triggers into your billboard design to encourage immediate action, such as searching for your brand. They can also help establish a wider OOH advertising strategy tailored to your unique business goals.
Is billboard advertising right for your business?
Deciding if billboard advertising is the right choice for your business depends on your specific needs and objectives. However, in a marketing landscape often dominated by online campaigns, having your brand prominently visible in public spaces offers a powerful way to connect with potential customers. Even smaller businesses can leverage OOH advertising to build brand status and increase visibility within their local communities. As a leading expert in out-of-home advertising, Alight provides both local advertisers and national businesses with the resources needed to launch successful OOH campaigns, offering a range of high-quality traditional and digital billboards, as well as a dedicated design service.
Reach out to us today and discover how we can help you achieve your goals: Alight Media | Contact
Sources:
- Digital Out-of-Home Advertising - United Kingdom | Forecast
- IPA Touchpoints 2024
- The Point of Search
- Route 54 (OOH audience measurement)