How It Works
The process is contractual agreement; preliminary design, design review, discussion, selection, production & installation. This must be completed within 30 days as the contract period begins at that time. (We will do everything on our end to expedite the process, we do not want our clients paying for empty contracted space). We will walk our clients through the Design, Production, and Installation process so it is one smooth process, placing your campaign on the streets in front of your prospective clients!
Contract Terms and Options
Contracts for bulletins are normally measured in terms of years where poster programs are measured in terms of months. However, when the economy is either contracting or expanding those terms may change. In a good economy contracts often are made from periods of 3-5 years. In challenging economic times terms are normally sold in terms of months and rarely longer than a year. This provides for the protection of both the client and the outdoor company. The client can test the results of outdoor and better determine its value while not committing to an extended contract and the outdoor company will not be committed to a very low contract price for a very long period thus preventing them from leaving too much on the table when the economy improves.
Planning and Timing
Whether or not you ever utilize billboards as part of your overall marketing program… many businesses benefit from integrating billboards as part of their strategy if the numbers and overall objectives are aligned. When businesses not familiar with outdoor discuss price they must really evaluate price of advertising as per impression rather than the monthly fees. A business’ obvious objective for advertising is to get your message to the market and reach as many people as possible for the lowest possible (CPM) cost per impression. If boards can impact your region then they should be a consideration because they are significantly less expensive per impression, they leave a lasting impression to their audience and they reinforce and strengthen every other advertising medium you might otherwise employ… making them stronger. Billboards just plainly and directly create a presence, branding, and top-of mind for a company, product, or service.
Purchasing and Acquisition
VisCom Outdoor will be pleased to discuss your property as a billboard site. We will also be interested in representing your interests in billboard site acquisition or purchase of a long term lease utilizing your property as a billboard location. It has become very challenging to obtain billboards sites and permits… but is still doable. We’d be pleased to discuss the potential on your property as a billboard location with you and advise you accordingly. We actively engage in billboard consulting, acquisition, partnership arrangements, sales, value analysis and billboard management.
Types of Inventory
Bulletins:the most common outdoor billboards can come in a variety of sizes differing from very large in some rural regions 16’x60′ to small permanent bulletins as small as 6’x8″. The most common size bulletins are 10’x40′, 12’x40′, and 14’x48′. Bulletins offer a great creative canvas to make a major impact in the market. The basic consideration is normally related to permanent/fixed location art vs. rotation programs which we will discuss in the creative design section.
Rotary Bulletins: are 14’x48′ vinyl wrapped billboards. Located along Highways, intersections and surface streets in most major cities. Bulletins are a strong “larger than life” product that “rotates” or are placed at different predetermined locations every 4-weeks. This product can be purchased in “showings’ or individual units over a longer period of time. The rotary program consists of a buy based on traffic count in a region over a period of time. Depending on the market size will depend on the number of bulletins that will be needed to reach a certain percentage of the adult population each day. Using the Sacramento Market for example you would need to implement six bulletins simultaneously to reach 25% of the adult population each day. Depending on the size of the market and placement of the units will depend on the number of bulletins needed to reach a certain percentage of a given markets population.
Tri-vision Bulletins: There are very few Tri-Visions in the State of California, but Nevada is more accepting of them as they do not agree with California that they are too distracting to the drivers thus creating a risk on the highway. Frankly, the Tri-Vision does work to create some extra attention on the board during changes… but, it is not determined a risk at the state level; only on the local level in most scenarios. Tri-Vision billboards cut the cost of being on the billboard by about 1/3 allowing businesses to either tell a story, much like the old Burma Shave ads of many years ageo, or to allow three different advertisers to share a face normally located on the major corridors at a much lesser price. This allows for high readability and high profile coverage at a much lesser rate. Normally when you see a Tri-Vision at least two faces are seen with each passing… meaning that your message is seen by travelers 2 out of every three passes by the board. This is huge.
30-sheet: a circulation campaign implementing vinyl 10’5″x22’8″. This product is purchased in showings, depending on the size of the market a predetermined number of units are purchased simultaneously to reach a certain percent of the designated market. Using Sacramento, Ca as an example it take fourteen units placed simultaneously throughout the market to reach 25% of the adults in the Sacramento Market each day. These programs are based on board locations rotating every four weeks so your campaign is placed at new and different locations every 4-weeks thus potentially reaching a new a different prospective client. Minimum showing levels of #25 are required and space can be contracted for as short as one 4-week cycle for a time dated event or as long as a year depending on the purpose of the marketing campaign.
8-Sheet: a circulation campaign that is very similar to the 30-Sheet product just smaller approx. 6’x12′. This product is typically posted with paper posters but can implement vinyl for fixed locations and longer term agreements.
Mobile Advertising, aka Truckscapes: There are many markets that do not have billboards permitted for the region leaving very few solutions for deep penetration marketing via outdoor advertising. Since billboard advertising has by far the lowest cost marketing per impression available… by a hefty margin we need a method of publicly displaying the image so it is front and center in your market. Truck side advertising… local, regional and national is a powerful and solid low-cost solution to penetrating the market of choice. We have an expanding fleet of truck sides that work move in your market. Implementing trucks that are already in service on daily deliveries is quickly being recognized as a great “Smart” and “Green” way of reaching your audience which is appreciated by all. Given a challenging economy, this is one of the least expensive and “On the Box” ways of marketing your product or service to “new” and “different” prospective clients each day!
WallScapes: WallScapes come in all sizes and must be displayed on commercial building sites that have approval of all jurisdictions where the WallScapes are to be displayed.
Bus Shelters: Bus shelters are a commonly used source of outdoor in all markets where mass transit exists. The nature of your business and the nature of your clientele will move the scales of evaluation. It is relatively easy to make the decisions regarding whether this is a good tool for your marketing or not. The audience is more finite and the traffic is much less.
Digital signs: Digital signs are a relatively new form of outdoor advertising. The pros are clearly in the graphics as they can utilize very HD Graphics including video in many cases depending on the state or region. The cons are that instead of having your impression and graphics up on your board 24/7 or 8/7 when it comes to a Tri-Vision the advertiser normally only receives one 6 second impression per minute as he shares his message with up to 10 different advertisers and the message is really never driven home as you find in normal outdoor bulletins. The other distraction is the cost as it must be compared to a fulltime outdoor display… then compare the cost per impression and the saturation. Digital Outdoor displays are effective for a limited market, only.
Movie Theater Ads: Captive audience, one of the few outdoor advertising mediums that can reach prospective clients in upscale neighborhoods where out-of-home advertising does not exist, readily available, more up close and personal, limited number of impressions, local market advertising.
Airport and other public area outdoor advertising options: Great for temporary business, or tourist related; used for local business introductions and events and regional representation… can create a global image with advertising in this advertising arena.
