Money Matters

A Moving Billboard Could Mean More Business
Semaphore Account Executive Mark Nix examines an unconventional advertising medium that could boost your bottom line.

I remember driving to Myrtle Beach with my parents as a child and looking forward to seeing the “South of the Border” billboards. On one trip (after much begging and pleading) we stopped at South of the Border and saw the Oscar Mayer WienerMobile^TM. Little did I know that the mystical effects of outdoor advertising were already seducing me.

Outdoor media has become a vital element in advertising and the media mix. It plays a complementary role to several advertising tools and can also stand-alone. Outdoor has become a multi-billion dollar industry that includes roadsides, above and below ground ads – and most recently, moving vehicles.

When we hear about outdoor advertising our thoughts automatically gravitate toward billboards and storefront signs. One medium within the outdoor arena that is sometimes overlooked is vehicle wrapping. Vehicle wrapping offers an advertising tool that doesn’t wait to be seen but goes out and proactively markets itself. This approach is quickly becoming an outdoor standard as a cost-effective complement to billboards.

Long commutes are becoming more acceptable as the population moves farther out into the suburbs. These longer commutes also make it harder to reach potential customers. According to Arbitron, in 2002:

• 96 percent of Americans travel in a vehicle each week.
• 35 percent of heavy commuters come from households earning $75,000-plus annually.
• Most of those 35 percent fall within the 25-54-age category.

Those are prime demographics for most advertisers. And what better way to reach them than by sitting next to them for a couple of minutes at a traffic light?

The vehicle wrap can be thought of as a rolling billboard that's in constant movement and covers vast areas (including the places all the other media can't reach). Wherever consumers travel in the course of a day a vehicle wrap is sure to be there, driving your message home.

Interested? Take a look at what we have done for Long’s (see image) and then give us a call about putting your message on wheels.