Digital billboards versus online advertising
The digital landscape sees marketing delivered in all shapes and sizes. How to package your messages is a necessary debate as platforms continue to morph and merge.

So what role does traditional signage now play, as the preference for mobile devices and online channels continues to grow? Considered a staple of the traditional signage family, the billboard has been undergoing some digital updates, to make it a strong option for your advertising investment.

Advertising in the digital age
Digital technology for outdoor environments has progressed rapidly. Aside from the obvious advantage of being able to change advertisements at the click of a button, LED projects crisp images, beautiful colour and provides the digital edge to a traditional option. The technology has been developed to withstand various weather types making digital billboards cost effective, flexible, artistic and dynamic.

So why choose a concrete investment over placing your message into the palm of potential consumers hands? Nielsen On Location Digital Signage Report found that 71% of the surveyed consumers agreed that digital billboards stand out more than online advertising with 77% agreeing that digital billboards often caught their attention. As we get saturated with online advertising, not surprisingly, consumers are becoming quickly desensitised and switching off. Digital billboards offer a bold play for consumer’s attention, diversifying standard streetscapes and building facades.

Benefits on installing your own digital billboard
Billboards maximise the opportunity for prime locations to be utilised and put eyes on your message.

Digital billboards deliver messages in a variety of ways, creating flexibility with the time of day, expected audience and capacity to live in real time. By investing in your own digital platform, you gain the freedom to experiment with mixing up your message, design and have the opportunity to create advertising that integrates as art, delivering the visual disruption needed to make an impact.

Third party advertising and ROI on initial investment
Further capacity exists for integrating third party advertising for a sales-based return on your advertising investment. For building and business owners, this allows you to sweat your existing assets with ROI possible within just 12 months, leaving positive income after.

Digital displays are built to change, which enables owners to create space for external input. Outdoor, high traffic environments naturally entice companies to want to display their message and get in on the eye capturing action. Further assisting the sale of digital space is the ability to capture analytics from the audience and measure that against return. If the advertising isn’t performing, the ability to change exists at the click of a button.

Managed solution
To fully optimise your digital billboard, a content management service incorporating a proof of play system is essential. With technology platforms continually evolving, it has become even easier to enable asset owners to sell space to third party advertisers online – similar to that of an Airbnb model.

As featured on Unwrap LFRA.