The Role of Outdoor Media in PR
8 Oct 2024, By Deya Bhattacharya
8 Oct 2024, By Deya Bhattacharya
Read on to understand how the two forums can prompt virality
A recent Google campaign in India eschewed the usual social media platforms and went for an unorthodox approach. Google set up billboards all over Delhi and Mumbai with brightly coloured creatives around the theme of “Yeh Kisne Dhoonda?” highlighting common phrases that people in the area have been searching for. Not only did the campaign go viral, but it also had several PR and creative agencies asking — are we witnessing a comeback for traditional forms of advertising like outdoor media?
When planning out the media mix for a PR campaign, outdoor media doesn’t always come to mind at first. Billboards and posters are among the oldest media channels for getting the word out about a brand, but given how costly they can be compared to digital media, they tend to be sidelined for most campaigns. Plus, in the fast-moving world of PR, you’d be forgiven for wondering how much relevance a static piece of media like a billboard might have. The truth is, however, that outdoor media can absolutely play a key role in your marketing and PR campaign in 2024 and beyond. Let’s take a closer look at how that works.
Digital media has become the de facto option for brands of all sizes, and for good reason. Its reach, engagement, and cost-effectiveness allow for unprecedented access to markets, and its flexibility allows you to update your campaigns in real-time as necessary. Outdoor media, however, has its own unique advantages.
Firstly, outdoor media is a time-saving option for your marketing campaign. With digital media, you need to constantly keep track of how they are performing and churn out new ads to stay top-of-mind for social media users. With outdoor media, once you have designed, printed, and installed the media, you are all set until the campaign changes.
In addition, outdoor media helps you reach people even when they are not on their devices. For instance, a well-placed billboard can help you attract those who are driving their daily commute. Plus, in a country like India, there remain large sections of the population that are not tech savvy, and may not be comfortable accessing online ads. They are, however, accustomed to seeing posters and billboards and will be interested in what they are selling.
There’s also the matter of the impression your media has on the public. The ease of creating a digital ad can, ironically, be the very thing that undermines its impact. With the sheer volume of digital content our feeds are inundated with, any individual ad might end up slipping our notice. On the other hand, a striking billboard that one passes every day on the way to school or while entering a shopping mall can imprint itself on the customer’s mind and eventually nudge them towards exploring your brand further.
And finally, billboards have an inherent sense of familiarity and positive associations that can endear customers to your brand. Many Amul hoardings, for instance, have become features of the local landscape and serve to instantly recall the brand any time someone sees them. Moreover, it is easy for someone to point to a billboard and talk about it with other people, which helps to spread your brand’s message through word-of-mouth.
Billboards and posters, by default, cannot be updated every hour or every day. They are thus ideal for long-term campaigns, such as a sale that lasts a full season or a new corporate social responsibility programme. You can supplement these with social media content for quick notifications or limited-period updates.
You want your outdoor media to catch your customer’s attention as they go about their day. Bold colours, striking pictures, large print, and the use of white space will draw the eye to your poster or billboard.
Position your billboards and posters in locations that receive maximum traffic. For instance, you can mount your billboard along a highway or place posters on the walls of the local school or supermarket.
Particularly in a country like India, a well-placed series of posters advertising an upcoming festival sale in the vernacular can catch the attention of the locals whenever they go to places like the grocery store or the bank. Using the local language also lets you employ local phrases or idioms that help your target audience feel drawn to your brand.
An easy way to generate interest and spark conversations is by weaving popular culture into your outdoor media campaigns. For instance, you can use dialogues from famous movies or common proverbs spoken by the local people. You can also use colours and aesthetics to evoke a certain time period, movie, or festival.
To capitalise on the attention your outdoor media draws, include a QR code in the design that customers can scan to instantly access the product or website that your media is promoting.
Local vendors can be valuable sources of word-of-mouth advertising. You can work with them to display your posters in their shop or hand out flyers to their customers. Particularly in small towns where vendors often have personal relationships with the local community, a good word from them can positively influence how the community feels about your campaign.
An outdated poster or billboard could cause negative sentiment, especially if it was advertising a sale or event that your customer might have wanted to attend but was late for. Be sure to take down your outdoor media as soon as the campaign ends and replace it with fresh content.
At Star Squared PR, we pride ourselves on our ability to select the optimum media mix for you across both online and offline platforms. Whether you’re launching a new product or introducing your brand to a new market, we help you tailor your message for each platform and secure placements that will bring you the most attention. Reach out to us today to know more about our media strategy offerings.
