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How To Create An Effective Outdoor Ad

In our last post, we cautioned against signing media contracts until the art was ready. But, what if you’ve never designed an out-of-home ad before?

Today’s post focuses purely on ‘creative’ and how to design the most effective outdoor ad. We’ll focus on billboards for simplicity sake, but everything here is mostly applicable to other OOH media as well.

At ADstruc, we firmly believe that the best outdoor advertising starts a conversation and builds a relationship. So, make sure your creative engages the consumer!

Please welcome guest blogger and ADstruc advisor, James Cooper. As the Chief Creative Innovation Officer at JWT, James knows a thing or two about creating great ads!

Less is more

At 65 mph, everything goes by quickly - including billboards. Keep your message simple and to the point. Focus on what your product is, what it’s called, and where to find it. Don’t hide your message behind cartoons or fancy fonts. You want viewers to remember what you’re selling; not your typography!

This billboard for Kelly Infiniti contains a lot of very relevant information, but there’s no way a passing motorist can process it all. There are seven fonts, three different images, five different colors, and multiple calls to action.


source: Kelly Infiniti

On the other hand, Denver Water uses humor and sharp visuals to spice up an otherwise prosaic Public Service Announcement.


Source: Ads of the World

The Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) has an entire guide to designing creative for OOH, which is available to all members here. If you’re not a trained designer, you may find this chart helpful as a starting point:


Source: OAAA

Billboards are best viewed from a distance - between 250 - 350’. 72pt font isn’t going to cut it here! At minimum, your text should be around 15” tall - and the bigger the better.

In their 10 Commandments of Outdoor Advertising, our friends at The HangLine suggest a maximum of seven words in your ad. While this may appear to stifle your creative genius - it really just cuts to the chase: the who, what, where, and when!

The Stripes ad below is a great example of how little copy you need to get viewers interested: Feeling hot? Go to Stripes and get a refreshing soda.


Source: Ads of the World

Live Large

A standard billboard is 14’ tall and 48’ wide. This is one of the largest, most accessible canvases available to promote your brand. Take advantage of the space and think big.

The Economist launched a campaign in 2008 to increase brand awareness, attract new subscribers, and shake off the stuffy perception that many had about the brand. They chose to go big, utilizing wallscapes, large format billboards, and other OOH media. The resulting media coverage was almost as useful as the ads themselves!



Source: Ads of the World

Of course, not everyone has a multi-million dollar media budget. Even with a simple concept, you can still make a major impact.


Source: Ads of the World

Think about your surroundings

Any good marketer knows that the key to effective advertising is connecting with the target audience. Your ad should take advantage of its location and how people will interact with it.

This Economist billboard is quite sparse, but it incorporates a simple motion sensor to create an interactive experience.



Source: Ads of the World

Day and Night

Most billboards are illuminated after dark, which means your advertising investment can work for you around the clock.

Leo Burnett created this clever ad which appeals to all the night owls looking for a late snack.


Source: Ads of the World


Source: Ads of the World

Unfortunately, some ads are not designed with an outdoor placement in mind. This is especially true in cases where the art is developed for print/TV and then reformatted for Out-of-Home. Dark backgrounds, intricate renderings, and low contrast compositions are hard to see at night and will and distract from your message.


Source: /Dev/Culture

Advertising is often the first exposure a potential customer has to your brand. Whether you are a local business or a CPG heavyweight, you can always benefit from an effective ad.

When I was learning how to make great advertising the litmus test of an idea is whether it will work in a billboard. It’s the hardest medium to create for but if your idea works in a billboard it will work anywhere. That’s why I love them so much.

    • #ADstruc
    • #billboards
    • #how to create an effective outdoor ad
    • #how to design an outdoor ad
    • #James Cooper
    • #JWT
    • #OOH 101
    • #outdoor advertising
    • #outdoor advertising creative
  • 1 year ago
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Lessons Learned in Local Media Planning

Ever since we opened up our platform last month, we’ve had the opportunity to work with a number of local advertisers and businesses both here in New York City and across the country. Along the way, we started to see some common themes and want to share them with you:

1. OOH is so much more than just billboards!
While billboards are a big part of outdoor advertising, don’t get hung up on a particular medium - each has its own benefits. Phone kiosks, bus shelters, and other street level media attract eyeballs during morning and evening commutes. Digital OOH video networks in cafes, retail stores, and health clubs keep viewers engaged by placing ads alongside relevant and entertaining content. Airport media is a great platform to get your message in front of high income business travelers and mall placements target consumers right at the point of purchase.

2. Location! Timing! Activation!
The old adage says that it’s all about location, but we think timing and activation are equally important. In order to promote a sale or an event, you’ll want to start your campaign 2-3 weeks before your event. OOH media is usually sold in 4 week increments.

A strong activation or ‘call to action’ can dramatically improve your ad’s effectiveness. A great piece of art is just that - art - but it won’t necessarily bring people to your event, store, or sale. If you want customers to come to your store or buy something in particular, tell them that in your ad! Be creative and get users interested in your business. Tell them where you are, what you do, and how to get in touch with you. A phone number, QR code, or URL will direct users to you. The best outdoor advertising starts a conversation and builds a relationship. Reward customers that engage with your advertising.  

3. Never underestimate the post-sale!

Signing a contract secures your ad space, but you aren’t done yet. You still have to finalize, produce, and deliver your art to the media operator who will install it. Most operators ask you to deliver your materials 7-10 days in advance. Even the best media agencies can find themselves in a time crunch because of last minute changes - so remember to plan ahead! In order to avoid rush fees or missing your start date, we recommend signing a contract after your art is finalized.

At ADstruc, we’re eager to show you how easy it is to promote your business using Out-of-Home media. Stay tuned to our blog and visit ADstruc.com to start your next campaign! 

    • #ADstruc
    • #how to use outdoor advertising
    • #local advertising
    • #media buying
    • #media planning
    • #new york city
    • #OOH
    • #OOH 101
    • #outdoor advertising
  • 1 year ago
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New Tools for the Outdoor Advertising Industry

The process of buying outdoor advertising isn’t easy. The steps to contacting companies, pipelining data (across various formats) and aggregating proposals into an easily executable outdoor advertising campaign, are broken. To address these problems, ADstruc will unveil a whole new set of tools in November to make the process of buying outdoor advertising easy. To get first access, simply follow this link: www.adstruc.com/notify

Screen_shot_2011-10-30_at_9
    • #ADstruc
    • #Demand Side Platform
    • #outdoor ad marketplace
    • #outdoor advertising
  • 1 year ago
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Outdoor Advertising Market Analysis

OOH Update: Strong 1H Growth and Local Support 
Last week we gave you a quick primer on OOH vocab, but today it’s all about the numbers.
The Outdoor market is big
 
One
According to the OAAA, American OOH firms raked in over $6 billion last year. Of that, 65% came from billboards alone.
  And it’s growing
Two
Kantar Media recently reported that OOH spending was up 11.8% during the first half of 2011 vs. 2010. Compare that to Television (1.8%), Magazines (2.9%), and Newspapers (-0.3%). Only Online (10.4%) posted a similar gain. During Q2, more than 12,000 advertisers invested in OOH for the first time. OOH is not only rebounding from recession budget cuts, it is actually outpacing its peers.

Why? Because OOH works for big brands and local businesses
Three
Telecom, restaurants, financial services, insurance, and Hollywood all depend on OOH, but the top 100 advertisers only account for 20% of OOH ad spend. Local advertisers use outdoor media to target their audience and optimize their media budgets.

    • #OOH 101
    • #outdoor advertising
    • #outdoor advertising 101
    • #outdoor advertising 2011
    • #outdoor advertising market analysis
    • #outdoor advertising projections
    • #outdoor advertising revenue
  • 1 year ago
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Outdoor Advertising Definitions

It’s time for a refresher on outdoor advertising terminology. Below, we cover the key terms used everyday. Whether you are new or not to the industry, be sure to follow ADstruc’s blog as your go-to-resource for outdoor advertising. 

  • 30-Sheet Poster

    see Poster

  • 8-Sheet Poster

    see Junior Poster

  • Advertiser Market (Trading Area)

    A custom market (often a group of counties) defined by an advertiser or retailer. The market definition is typically based on sales or other marketing criteria relevant to the product. (See Custom Market)

  • Allotment

    The number of units required to achieve a desired GRP level in a market. Traditional poster panel showings consist of a quantity of displays that will vary by the size of the audience and the size of the market population.

  • Alternative Media

    Out of home media that are used to create customized advertising programs that generally target specific consumer audiences. Alternative out of home media include, but are not limited to: arena and stadiums, interior placed based, convenience stores, video networks, health clubs/restaurants/bars, exterior placed based (i.e. airborne, marine, resorts and leisure).

  • AADT - Annual Average Daily Traffic

    Measurement representing the total number of vehicles passing a specific highway location, based on 24 hour counts taken over an entire year. Counts are adjusted to an estimate of annual average daily traffic; taking into account seasonal variance, weekly changes and other factors. AADT’s are input used by TAB to develop DECs.

  • Approach

    The distance measured along the line of travel from the point where an advertising unit first becomes fully visible to the point where the copy is no longer readable.

  • Audience Delivery

    The size of an audience that notices out of home advertising usually measured over one or more weeks. Audience delivery can be represented using several definitions, including: EYES ON Impressions (EOIs), EYES ON ratings, gross impressions or rating points, and reach & frequency.

  • Audited Circulation

    The TAB independently audits inventory locations and collects and aggregates circulation data for Out of Home media according to established national procedures approved by the buy and seller community.

  • Awareness

    The recalled recognition of an out of home advertising message by an individual or audience. Ad awareness is influenced by creative copy and the consumer’s relationship with the product or category. (see Noticing).

  • Bi-directional diagnostics

    Two-way communication between a display and its controller. Bi-directional diagnostics assist in pre-maintenance, maintenance, and troubleshooting.

  • Billboard

    Large format advertising displays intended for viewing from extended distances, generally more than 50 feet. Billboard displays include, but not limited to: posters, junior posters, spectaculars, and bulletins.

  • Bleed

    Display area which extends beyond the live copy area, often to the edge of the finished size.

  • Bulletin

    The largest standardized out of home format; typically measuring 14’ x 48’ in overall size. Sold either as permanent displays or in rotary packages.

  • Cable System

    Installation hardware used to install and display single sheet posters onto billboard units using cable and pulleys.

  • Calibration

    Measuring and adjusting both the color and the intensity of individual pixels to ensure image consistency across the entire display.

  • Campaign Delivery

    The audience delivered by an out of home advertising schedule, expressed in EYES ON Impressions (EOIs) and/or EYES ON Gross Rating Points (GRPs). Reach and Frequency can also be used. Campaign delivery is most valuable when expressed using the demographic target and market definition of the advertiser.

  • Cancellation Period

    A specified period of time when a contract can be terminated.

  • Candela (cd)

    (can dell’ ah) a measurement of directional light intensity from a point source.

  • CBSA (Core Based Statistical Area)

    Defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, a metropolitan area within a larger markets (e.g. DMA) containing a substantial population nucleus, together with adjacent communities having a high degree of economic and social integration with that core. CBSA’s are a standard geography for buying and selling media.

  • Center-to-Center Spacing

    The distance between the center point of one pixel and the center of an adjacent pixel on a video or message center display. Also known as pitch.

  • Character Height

    Height of the largest letter that can be displayed on a message center; height of a seven-pixel high character according to center-to-center spacing (e.g., 3.0” center-to-center spacing x 7 pixels = 21” character height).

  • Charting

    The process of selecting and scheduling individual unit locations to maximize out of home advertising objectives.

  • Clip System

    Installation hardware used to install and display single sheet posters onto billboard units using clips and springs.

  • Circulation

    A measurement of traffic volume in a market. Circulation only estimates the number of people with an opportunity to see an out of home display and, therefore, is no longer a credible measure of an Out of Home audience and is out of step with other media metrics.

  • Cluster

    A grouping of LEDs that act as a single pixel.

  • Color Accuracy

    Conformity or exactness of color match, clarity and accuracy within the individual primary color groups of red, green and blue.

  • Color Shift

    The angle of viewing off axis where the slightest change in pixel coloration occurs.

  • Color Temperature

    The degree of hotness or coolness of a color, measured in degrees Kelvin. If a video display is said to have a color temperature of 7,000° Kelvin, for example, the whites have the same shade as a piece of pure carbon heated to that temperature. Low color temperatures have a shift toward red, and high color temperatures have a shift toward blue. The standard white for NTSC in the United States is 6,500° Kelvin.

  • Commercial Audience

    Audience estimates of people exposed to actual advertising. EYES ON is the first media measurement system providing true commercial audiences of out of home advertising rather than audiences that are merely exposed to editorial content (e.g. read a magazine, read a newspaper or tuned to a TV program, etc.)

  • Continuity

    The elimination of gaps in a media schedule by maximizing the duration of a campaign, ideally 52 weeks.

  • Contrast ratio

    Ratio between the brightness or intensity measurement taken when the screen is displaying a blank video signal and a full, white video signal. This ratio determines the readability of the display so as to measure “depth” of an image or as a measure of how well the image can be seen in high ambient light.

  • Controller

    Computer or computer-type device used to program and operate digital displays.

  • Convenience Store Displ

    Computer or computer-type device used to program and operate digital displays.

  • Co-op

    The sharing of advertising costs between a manufacturer and distributor or dealer.

  • Copy

    The advertising displayed on an outdoor unit. The quality of the ad’s creative design can impact the number of people who notice it (see Noticing).

  • Copy Area

    The viewing area on an outdoor unit.

  • Coverage

    1. Based on the defined geographic parameters of a market, expressed as DMAs, CBSAs, groups of counties, or individual counties, also known as coverage area.

    2. Coverage can also be the percent of the population within any of these geographic areas that can be reached by the total inventory of a media operator.

  • CPM - Cost Per Thousand

    1. An EYES ON CPM is the cost of delivering 1,000 impressions from individuals who notice the advertising on displays in a market.

    2. Traditional measures used by other media do not provide EYES ON CPMs, but rather the only cost of delivering 1,000 opportunities-to-see-advertising, i.e. people who may or may not see the advertising.

  • CPP - Cost per Gross Ratings Point

    The cost of advertising exposure opportunities that equals one gross rating point in any geographically defined market or the delivery of in-market EYES ON Impressions equal to one percent of the population (gross).

  • Count Station

    A section of road with a specific traffic pattern. Count stations contain traffic estimates and the demographic composition of that traffic. All displays assigned to a count station start with same traffic count used to determine DECs and PDECs. A display may have more than one count station based if it can be seen from more than on road.

  • Creative

    see Copy

  • Creative Brief

    Detailed marketing objectives that pertain to the design of an out of home campaign.

  • Cross-Read

    An advertising display which is visible across traffic lanes on the opposite side of the roadway.

  • Custom Market

    Any market used by a plant or advertiser other than a DMA or CBSA. Custom markets are used by plants or advertisers to highlight out of home delivery within relevant geographic areas. Custom markets are generally counties or groups of counties.

  • Daily Impressions

    Also called DEC. The estimated number of persons passing an outdoor location on an average day.

  • DEC - Daily Effective Circulation

    The average number of persons, in cars or other vehicles, passing and potentially exposed to an advertising display for either 12 hours (un-illuminated - 6:00am to 6:00pm), 18 hours (illuminated - 6:00am to 12:00 midnight) or 24 hours. While DECs remain a valuable measure of circulation, they are not a measure of the EYES ON audience and no longer endorsed as a buying and selling currency by the TAB.

  • Demographic Audiences

    Target audiences used to plan, buy and sell media. EYES ON demographic target audiences include age, sex, ethnicity and income.

  • Digital Billboard

    Billboards that can change advertising content using addressable technology. Content is static with multiple advertising message presented in rotation every few seconds.

  • Digital Out Of Home Media

    Any Out of Home display that can change its advertising content using addressable technology.

  • Digital Place Based Media

    Out of home screens that change advertising content using addressable technology and excluding digital billboards. Digital place based media can include static messages or full motion video with an audio track.

  • Dimming

    Changing the brightness of a display, or the capability of increasing or decreasing the overall display intensity. The brightness level should be highest during the day to compete with daylight, and lower at night.

  • Display Period

    The interval of time when an out of home advertising campaign is run.

  • Dissolve

    A mode of message transition on an LED display accomplished by varying the light intensity or pattern, where the first message gradually appears to dissipate and lose legibility simultaneously with the gradual appearance and legibility of the second message.

  • Distribution

    The strategic placement of out of home units across a market. The distribution of units will impact the reach of the campaign and the demographic profile of the audience that is delivered.

  • DMA - Designated Market Area

    A television market area defined by Nielsen Media Research that is also used by advertisers for multi-media planning. DMAs are non-overlapping and cover the entire United States.

  • Dwell Time

    The interval of time when a consumer is in close proximity to an out of home ad.

  • Efficiency

    The degree of value delivered to an audience relative to it’s the audience that is delivered and cost. Usually expressed as either CPM (cost per thousand) or CPP (cost per gross rating point).

  • Embellishment

    Letters, figures, mechanical devices or lighting that is attached to the face of an out of home unit to create a special effect.

  • Emerging Media

    Recently developed or introduced out of home formats.

  • EYES ON Audience Measurement

    TAB’s audience measurement system for buying and selling out of home media. EYES ON is unique in media measurement in that it provides counts of demographic audiences actually noticing the advertising on out of homedisplays.

  • EOIs - EYES ON Impressions

    The average number of persons who are likely to notice an ad on an out of home display for either 12 hours (un-illuminated – 6:00 am to 6:00 pm) or 18 hours (illuminated – 6:00 am to 12 midnight). Unless specified as In-Market, EOIs include all persons who notice the unit, regardless of the origin of their trips. EOIs are reported in weekly increments.

  • EYES ON University

    TAB’s e-learning program that provides coursework relating to all the fundamentals of the EYES ON measurement system. EYES ON University is available to the public at www.eyesonratings.com.

  • Expected Lifetime

    Anticipated length of use for an LED. The expected lifetime of an LED is measured at the point when the sign has degraded to 50 percent of its original intensity. LEDs have a typical expected life of 50,000 to 100,000 hours (as specified by the manufacturer).

  • Exposure

    (see Noticing) The reasonable opportunities for advertising to be seen and read.

  • Extension

    An area of copy made as a cut out that falls outside the basic restraints of a bulletin or premiere panel face.

  • Face

    The surface area on an out of home unit where advertising copy is displayed. A structure may have more than one face.

  • Facing

    The cardinal direction that an out of home unit faces. As an example, a north facing bulletin is viewed by vehicles traveling south.

  • Fade

    A mode of message transition on an LED display accomplished by varying the light intensity, where the first message gradually reduces intensity to the point of not being legible and the subsequent message gradually increases intensity to the point of legibility.

  • Finishing

    The method used to hem the edges of posters and bulletin. Finishing can include welded pockets or other operational techniques for hanging substrates onto billboard units.

  • Flagging

    Poster paper unattached or torn from a bulletin or poster panel face.

  • Flight

    The length of an advertising campaign, sometimes divided into distinct segments over the course of weeks.

  • Frame

    A static display screen on an LED display, or a metal attachment around the edges of a poster face.

  • Frame Effect

    A visual effect on an LED display applied to a single frame to attract the attention of viewers.

  • Frequency

    1. The average number of times an individual notices an out of home advertising message during a defined period of time. Frequency in outdoor advertising is typically measured over a four week period, but can be reported for any campaign length.

    2. For other media, it is the average number of times an individual has a opportunity to see an advertising message during a defined period of time.

  • Gamma Correction

    A process used with video images to correct brightness and internal micro-contrast within the image. Gamma correction allows a change of ratio between the brightest red component and weakest red.

  • Gross Impressions

    1. The sum of EYES ON Impressions delivered against a demographic audience for an advertising schedule. Unless specified, they include all individuals; regardless of the origins of their trips (see In-Market Impressions).

    2. The Gross Impressions reported for other media are estimates of opportunity to see the advertising to rather that those who notice it.

  • GRPs - Gross Rating Points

    The total number of In-Market EYES ON Impressions delivered by an out of home schedule expressed as a percentage of a market population. One rating point represents Impressions equal to 1 percent of the market population. In the calculation of GRPs, total EOIs must first be reduced to the In-Market EOIs of individuals who live in the defined market and are part of that market’s population.

  • Illuminated Unit

    An out of home unit equipped with lighting that provides night time illumination of an advertising message, usually from dusk until midnight. The EOIs for an illuminated unit are calculated using an 18 or 24 hour viewing period.

  • Impression

    See EOIs

  • In- Market EOIs - In-Market Impressions

    The average number of times people that live in a defined market (e.g. a DMA or CBSA) are likely to notice an ad on an out of home display. In-Market Impressions exclude Impressions derived from people who travel into or through the market, but live outside of it. In-Market Impressions are the audience from which GRPs are calculated.

  • Intensity

    Also called brightness. The LED industry measures display intensity in candelas per square meter, which is also referred to as nits.

  • Junior Poster

    A standardized poster format, typically measuring 6’ x 12’; formally known as an 8 Sheet.

  • LED Brightness

    The brightness level of an LED is measured in milli-candelas. The materials used to manufacture the LED determine the brightness of the LED.

  • LED Degradation

    The standard method used to express the life of a display is the time it takes to reach 50 percent of its day one brightness.

  • Light Detector

    Also called light sensor. An electrical component used to detect the amount or level of ambient light surrounding a display. If dimming has been set to “AUTO”, the light detector or sensor adjusts the intensity of the LEDs accordingly.

  • LTS - Likelihood to See

    The portion of the OTS (Opportunity to See) audience who are likely to see an ad. Out of home is the first medium in the US to move from reporting OTS audiences (DECs) to LTS (Likely to See) audiences (EOIs) audiences which can also be referred to as commercial audiences.

  • Line of Sight

    The simultaneous viewing of more than one out of home unit.

  • Location List

    A listing of all locations and displays included in a specific out of home program.

  • Mall Displays

    Backlit advertising structures located at strategic points in shopping malls; usually two or three-sided.

  • Markets

    Geographically defined areas used to buy and sell media. Standard markets definitions are DMAs and CBSAs. Out of home media companies and advertisers also use custom geographies based on their geographic coverage of their panel or product sales distribution areas respectively.

  • Media Audit

    A provider of syndicated local market consumer data, measuring most major U.S. DMA’s. Categories surveyed are consumer retail shopping behavior, product consumption, media usage, lifestyles behavior and all demographics.

  • Media Mix

    The combination of media types and associated audience weight levels used together to meet the objectives of a media plan (advertising campaign).

  • Message Duration

    The interval of time when a digital out of home advertising message is viewed.

  • Milli-Candela (mcd)

    One thousandth of a candela.

  • Mobile Billboard

    A truck equipped with one or more poster panel units. The truck can either be parked at specified venues or driven around designated localities.

  • Net Reach

    The total number of persons within the target audience exposed to the advertising schedule, often expressed as a percentage.

  • Noticing

    As derived from TAB’s visibility research, a physiological or behavioral measure of actual eye contact with an out of home media unit and its advertising. EYES ON audiences are derived from the adjustment of circulation or passing to those who notice the advertising.

  • Official Counts

    The traffic counts taken from official (governmental) sources such as city, state or county departments of transportation.

  • Off-Premise Sign

    A sign that advertises products or services that are not sold, produced, manufactured or furnished on the property where the sign is located. An out of home display is an off-premise sign.

  • On-Premise Sign

    A sign that advertises products or services that are sold, produced, manufactured or furnished on the property where the sign is located.

  • OTS - Opportunity to See

    A basic measure of media exposure. OTS estimates are measures of media exposure (e.g. magazine readership or the TV program exposures) and not the advertising. OTS is today’s standard for reporting ratings for all media types except Out Of Home. Circulation or DECs are OTS measures for Out of Home media.

  • Outdoor Media

    The term primarily associated with billboards, street furniture, transit and alternative media.

  • OOH - Out Of Home Media

    All media formats specifically intended to reach consumers outside the home.

  • Out of Home Video Networks

    Place-based video networks that offer editorial content and video advertising. They include in-store, health clubs and other venues.

  • Override

    The continuation of an out of home advertising program beyond a contracted period. An override, if offered by an out of home company, is provided at no additional cost to an advertiser.

  • Percent Composition

    The percent of the total audience for a display or schedule that a brand target demographic group comprise (e.g. 65 percent of the total EOIs for Adults 18+ were Men 24-65).

  • PDEC – Pedestrian Daily Effective Circulation

    The average number of pedestrians passing and potentially exposed to an advertising display for either 12 hours (un-illuminated - 6:00am to 6:00pm), 18 hours (illuminated - 6:00am to 12:00 midnight), or 24 hours. While PDECs remain a valuable measure of circulation, they are not a measure of the EYES ON audience and are not endorsed as a buying and selling currency by the TAB.

  • Permanent Bulletin

    A bulletin that remains permanently located at a specified site throughout the term of a contract, usually for long periods of time. A permanent bulletin program can build strong brand recognition in specific market areas.

  • Phone Kiosks

    A structure that houses public telephones and offers advertising displays.

  • Photocell

    Photoelectric cell; the light-sensitive component within a photosensor. The actual device might be a photodiode, a phototransistor, or a photoconductive cell. It is important to make a distinction between a photocell and a complete photosensor device. A photocell might be any device in which light controls the electron emission from a cathode, the electrical resistance of an element, or the electromotive force produced by a cell; it is usually incorporated in an electric circuit and used in mechanical devices such as door openers or home outdoor night lights.

  • Plant

    A term used to identify a media company and its entire out of home advertising inventory in a market.

  • Plant Defined Market

    A custom market defined by a plant usually established based on the geographic coverage of its inventory.

  • Pockets

    Welded pockets are added to posters and bulletins for hanging substrates onto billboard units.

  • Polyethylene (PE)

    Polyethylene is a widely used plastic thermoplastic polymer consisting of long chains of monomer ethylene. It is used to make single sheet posters or other billboard substrates and is recyclable.

  • Polypropylene (PP)

    Polypropylene is a widely used thermoplastic polymer with an intermediate level of crystallinity between that of low-density and high-density polyethylene. It is used to make single sheet posters or other billboard substrates and is recyclable.

  • Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

    Polyvinyl Chloride is a thermoplastic polymer constructed of repeating vinyl groups or ethenyls having one of their hydrogens replaced with a chloride group. The vinyl is commonly used as an advertising substrate for bulletins and some poster products.

  • Population

    The total number of people who live within a market. The population can be segmented by key demographic groups. Populations (also referred to as universe estimates) of defined geographic areas are the bases from which rating points are calculated.

  • Poster

    A standardized poster format, typically measuring 12’3” x 24’6”; formally known as a 30-Sheet Poster.

  • Posting Date

    The date when a poster program is scheduled to commence. A five day leeway is customary.

  • Posting Instructions

    Detailed directions provided to an out of home company by an advertiser or agency assigning specific copy to specific locations.

  • Posting Window

    A window of five working days after a scheduled posting date in which all contracted locations can be posted without penalty.

  • Premiere Panel

    See Wrapped Poster

  • Premiere Square

    See Wrapped Square Poster

  • Pre-Ride

    An in-market field check of available panels to determine locations for a specific GRP/showing.

  • POP - Proof-of-Performance

    Certification by an out of home company that contracted advertising services has been rendered. EYES ON audience weight (audience delivery) is an essential component of POP.

  • Rating Points

    1. The total number of in-market EYES ON Impressions delivered by an out of home display expressed as a percentage of a market population. One rating point represents impressions equal to 1 percent of the market population. In the calculation of GRPs, total EOIs must first be reduced to the in-market EOIs of individuals who live in the defined market and are part of that market’s population base.

    2. Rating points for other media are based on opportunity to see audiences and not EYES ON audiences.

  • Reach

    1. The approximate percentage of a target audience’s population who notice an advertising message at least once during an Out of Home campaign.

    2. For other media, the percentage of a target audience’s population who has an opportunity to see an advertising message at least once during an advertising campaign.

  • Reach and Frequency

    1. For Out of Home media, estimates of the number of people, within a market, who notice at least one ad in an advertising campaign – reach and the average number of times an individual will see it - frequency.

    2. For other media, estimates of the number of people, within a market, who have an opportunity to see one ad in an advertising campaign – reach and the average number of times an individual might

  • Recycle

    Recycling involves processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production. Single sheet posters are recyclable.

  • Reduce

    Reducing is to use fewer raw materials.

  • Refresh Rate

    The number of times per second the screen is updated or “repainted”. Depending on the video standard, the actual image is changed only 30 times per second for NTSC signal or 25 times per second for PAL. However, most LED systems use pulse-width modulation to generate the color levels, and if the image were only “painted” once for every change, there would be a noticeable flicker on the display. A refresh rate of greater than 60 times per second will minimize the flicker. In general, LED displays should be refreshed at 120 times per second (120 Hz) or greater.

  • Remote Control

    Control of a display from a remote and/or central location via a communications network.

  • Reuse

    Reuse is to use an item more than once. This includes conventional reuse where the item is used again for the same function, and new-life reuse where it is used for a new function. In contrast, recycling is the breaking down of the used item into raw materials which are used to make new items. Some PVC vinyl is reused.

  • Ride

    The physical inspection of the units that comprise an out of home program in a market - either pre-buy or post-buy.

  • Rotary Bulletin

    A standardized 14’ x 48” bulletin moved to different locations in a market at fixed intervals, usually every 60 or 90 days, to achieve greater reach in the market.

  • Row

    A horizontal line of pixels; in print graphics, a horizontal line on a table.

  • Saturation

    The color intensity of an image. A 100 percent saturated color does not contain any white; adding white reduces saturation. An image without any saturation is also referred to as a grayscale image.

  • Scroll

    A mode of message transition on an LED display where the message appears to move vertically across the display surface.

  • Sequence

    A group of two or more frames that may consist of words, graphics or animation that are grouped together under one name. It may range in size from a few frames up to a hundred or more.

  • Showing

    The traditional way of selling out of home media. A level of delivery that directly relates to the population of the market. Typical showing levels are: #100, #75, #50 and #25 GRP/Showings. The number of panels involved in an actual showing varies by market population and the average DEC of the market’s inventory. As the industry migrates to the EYES ON system, this traditional definition will need to be modified to incorporate the new audience metrics.

  • Sign

    Any structure used to display information regarding a product or service. An outdoor unit is a sign.

  • Single Sheet Poster

    A poster constructed as a single and continuous substrate. Single sheet posters are typical make from thermoplastic polymers. Single sheet posters can be recycled.

  • Snipe

    An adhesive strip that is used to cover a portion of copy displayed on an out of home unit.

  • Spectacular

    A bulletin that is usually larger than 14’ x 48” and is positioned at a prime location in a market. A spectacular often utilizes special embellishments.

  • Spotted Map

    A map showing all locations included in a specific out of home program.

  • Standardized Unit

    Out of home units constructed in accordance with the specifications established by the OAAA.

  • Street Furniture

    Advertising displays, many that provide a public amenity, positioned at close proximity to pedestrians for eye-level viewing or at a curbside to impact vehicular traffic. Street furniture displays include, but are not limited to: transit shelters, newsstands/news racks, kiosks, shopping mall panels, convenience store panels and in-store signage.

  • Substrate

    A wide variety of material used to produce out of home displays. Billboard substrates are typically made from thermoplastic polymers or PVC. Many street furniture and transit substrates are made from Fasson, paper, or film, among other materials.

  • Surface Arterials

    Major streets in towns or cities that carry a heavy flow of vehicular traffic.

  • Target Audience

    In the EYES ON system, any audience reflecting the most desired consumer prospects for a product or service, defined by age, sex, race, ethnicity or income; or their combinations for any geographic definition.

  • Target Rating Points

    1. The total number of In-market EYES ON Impressions, to a target audience, delivered by an Out of Home display expressed as a percentage of a market population. One rating point represents impressions equal to 1 percent of the market population. In the calculation of GRPs, total EOIs must first be reduced to the In-Market EOIs of individuals who live in the defined market and are part of that market’s population.

    2. For other media, Target Rating Points are based on opportunity to see audiences.

  • To and Through Audience

    A portion of the total EOIs for a display that is comprised of people who do not live in the neighborhood but travel past the unit. The demographic characteristics of “the to and through” audience can be significantly different from those of people who live in the surrounding neighborhood.

  • Traffic Audit

    TAB’s third party verification of traffic circulation in a market. Traffic audit information is used by TAB to calculate outdoor advertising DEC figures.

  • Traffic Count

    The recording of the vehicles and pedestrians passing a given point; used by TAB to authenticate the circulation that passes outdoor advertising structures. Traffic counts are a basic component of EYES ON measurement.

  • Traffic Origin

    A component of EYES ON measurement, traffic origin information is used to produce to and through traffic estimates that determine the amount of total EOIs for a display derived from people who live outside of the market and those in the market.

  • Transit Displays

    Displays affixed to moving public transportation vehicles or in the common areas of transit terminals and stations. Transit displays include, but are not limited to: bus panels, train/rail panels, airport panels, taxi panels and mobile advertising signage.

  • Transition

    A visual effect used on an LED display to change from one message to another.

  • Transit Poster (Bus)

    Posters attached to the exterior of buses. Common displays are king panels, queen panels and taillight panels. King panels are on the street-side of the bus. Queen panels are on the curb side of the bus. Taillight panels are on the back of the bus.

  • Transit Poster (Commuter Rail)

    Posters displayed in commuter rail stations and on trains.

  • Transit Shelter

    A curbside structure located at regular stopping points along urban bus routes.

  • Travel

    A mode of message transition on an LED display where the message appears to move horizontally across the display surface.

  • Trim Size

    The dimensions of an advertisement substrate once it has been prepared for placement onto an out of home unit.

  • Tri-Vision

    An out of home unit with a slatted face that allows three different copy messages to revolve at intermittent intervals.

  • Tri-Color Chip

    A discrete LED package containing the three colors (RGB) forming one pixel.

  • Total Impressions

    see EOIs

  • TRP - Total Rating Point

    Also called GRP (Gross Rating Point). The term refers to the total number of impressions delivered by a media schedule expressed as a percentage of a market population.

  • UV Coating

    Ultra-violet cured coatings are applied over inks printed onto advertising substrates and dried by exposure to UV radiation. UV coatings are used to prevent color fading on advertisements from sun exposure or other ambient lighting sources.

  • Under Tension

    Under tension refers to the maximum tolerance allowed when stretching a substrate across an out of home unit. Tension is used to eliminate wrinkles or folds along the surface of an advertisement.

  • Un-Illuminated Unit

    An outdoor unit that has not been equipped with lighting for nighttime illumination of an advertising message. The EOIs for an un-illuminated unit are calculated using a 12 hour viewing period.

  • Unit

    Any outdoor advertising display.

  • Vinyl

    See Polyvinyl chloride.

  • VAIs - Visibility Adjustment Index

    A ratio or the percentage of a unit’s total OTS audience (DECs) who are likely to notice an ad. VAI’s are derived from TAB’s visibility study. The impact of common board characteristics, size, road side, distance from the road, road type, and illumination are taken into consideration. VAIs are not measures of audience.

  • Wall Mural

    Murals painted or attached directly onto the exterior surface of a building.

  • Wallscape

    See Wall Mural

  • Wavelength

    The distance in a periodic wave between two points of corresponding phases. The LED’s wavelength determines its color.

  • Wrapped Poster

    A standardized display format, typically measuring 12’ 3” x 24’ 6” in overall size. Premiere panel units offer the impact of a bulletin by utilizing a single vinyl face stretched over a standard 30-sheet poster panel.

  • Wrapped Square Poster

    A standardized display format, typically measuring 25’ 5” x 24’ 6” in overall size. The premiere square utilizes a single vinyl stretched over two stacked 30-sheet poster panels. In some markets, this same technique can be applied to stacked 8-sheet poster panels, typically measuring 12’ 6”x 12’ 1” in overall size.

Thanks to the OAAA for providing this information. 

 

    • #ADstruc
    • #OOH 101
    • #outdoor advertising
    • #outdoor advertising 101
    • #outdoor advertising definitions
    • #outdoor advertising terms
  • 1 year ago
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Hipmunk Launches A Billboard With ADstruc

We are super excited about working with the best travel search company out there - Hipmunk to launch a billboard in SF! They just wrote a blog post below and we wanted to share it with you!

Hipmunk Billboard Rises Above San Francisco

As a startup, we love supporting our fellow startup brethren. So when we decided to experiment with some outdoor advertising, we called up NYC-based startup, ADstruc who is taking the agony out of outdoor advertising. 

ADstruc, the technology platform for the outdoor advertising industry, makes buying and selling ad space easier and faster for both sides. 

With a limited advertising budget, we worked one-on-one with CEO John Laramie (a title you don’t always get access to when working with a big company), who offered up awesome advice and responded to all of our silly questions really quickly. Our fantastic graphic designer, Shaun Sanders, helped us with the creative for the advertising, and John found us a perfect billboard spot here in San Francisco. The whole process was seamless and efficient. 

You can see the finished product  when you look up and to the right where 101 and 280 join when heading south from San Francisco toward SFO Airport. Here’s a pic:

So far we’ve gotten some great Facebook posts and Tweets about it too.

Have you seen the billboard? Give us a shout when you see it, and tell us what you think!

    • #ADstruc
    • #Highway 101
    • #Hipmunk
    • #outdoor advertising
    • #San Francisco
    • #Startups
  • 1 year ago
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We Opened Up The ADstruc Platform

Adstruc

We are excited to announce today that we opened up The ADstruc Platform and made it entirely free for outdoor companies to host and manage their outdoor advertising inventory online. For sellers, this means that you are no longer charged a $1 p/unit p/month. For buyers, we continue to open up the market and provide you with access to more companies, more inventory, and more market coverage.

We split the marketplace into “Browse Listings” and “Deals” for one simple reason: to enable sellers to post their inventory with or without pricing/availability. Simply, “Deals” is where buyers can find inventory with pricing and availability. In “Browse Listings”, buyers can contact the seller directly through the site for more information about pricing and availability. 

The team is very excited about this new update as it helps accomplish our goal to “drive efficiencies across the entire outdoor advertising industry”. By making outdoor advertising assets easier to find for buyers, ADstruc provides better insights into markets while driving awareness and new business for outdoor companies.

Check out our updated How It Works page for more information.

Join us today by clicking register or email us at support@adstruc.com. 

As always, thank you for your business!

Team ADstruc

__________________________

A quick highlight for SELLERS:

List your inventory on ADstruc and benefit from tools such as the ones below:

Inventory Management

Manage your OOH inventory with ADstruc’s easy-to-use Management Software

  • Upload, search and list your OOH inventory online
  • Manage each unit’s availability with ADstruc’s calendar system
  • Build custom proposals and share directly with your clients: learn more »
  • Communicate directly with your clients through ADstruc’s messaging system
  • Monitor your sales transaction history

Public Listings

Enabling public listings gives each of your units a public facing page on the web, opening up your inventory to a whole new audience, with or without displaying pricing or availability. Public listings are indexed be search engines (e.g., Google), allowing your inventory to show up in public search results!

  • Receive direct communication from buyers about any of your specific units

__________________________

A quick highlight for BUYERS:

Search
Utilize ADstruc’s hyper-targeted search to discover specific outdoor advertising units on ADstruc’s Public Listing Pages
  • Request additional information directly from the seller (e.g., pricing and availability)
  • Purchase or make an offer on any listing that includes pricing and availability
    • #ADstruc
    • #deals
    • #outdoor ad marketplace
    • #outdoor advertising
  • 1 year ago
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OAAA Spending By Category (Q1 2011)

Outdoor Advertising finished 2010 with revenues of $6.1B, a 4% increase from 2009. The first quarter of 2011 represented $1.38B in spending, a 4.2% increase over Q1 2010. The Outdoor Advertising Industry continues to represent a growing piece of the overall ad pie (approximately 5 - 6%). Below, is a breakdown of spending by category for Q1 2011.  

1st_QUARTER_CHART_2011.pdf Download this file

As digital out of home (DOOH) and technology continue to drive innovation and efficiency in the industry, we expect to see continued growth. Simply, as the industry’s metrics improve and we continue to make it easier to buy OOH, the attractiveness of outdoor advertising increases!

    • #OAAA
    • #outdoor advertising
    • #Quarterly Spend
  • 2 years ago
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How To Effectively Use Outdoor Advertising

So you might be wondering, “Why should I get involved in outdoor advertising?”  Aside from the fact, that having your photo or brand on a billboard in your town is celebrity status, it is a highly effective medium when you approach it correctly.  We live by these steps to help our clients build successful advertising campaigns.

Who is your target audience? 

  • Who is your customer? How old are they, what is their demo breakdown, etc.? Understanding these questions help you prepare the next step of “Where are they located” but also starts to build the mood of your ad campaign. Nailing these two points helps lay the structure for building a successful outdoor advertising campaign and in setting various performance-based metrics.

Where are they located? 

  • Is your target customer in urban or rural areas? Do they travel in and out of the city on a daily basis? What’s the major highway in the area? Understanding these questions ultimately narrow down the most targeted areas to start searching for outdoor advertising locations.  From here, you start to get a sense of the type of ad mediums available in that area and begin determining what is the best medium for your message. Street Furniture? Billboards? Bus Ads?  Maybe your target audience actually lives outside of the city but drives in every day - a billboard heading into or out of town makes sense. For example, a client recently used our platform to target wealthy individuals going into the city to shop at their stores - billboards on the major highway heading into the city was an effective approach.  Understanding where your customer is located, how they travel, and in what location is best for the ad, helps in communicating most effectively with them. 

What’s your message and call to action? 

  • At this point in the process, you should have a good sense of who is your target audience and where they are located. Now is the fun part. Get their attention and make sure your message has a call to action. Whether that be a keyword, a unique web address or phone number, a coupon or QR code, an augmented reality app, whatever, just make sure the message has a reason why somebody should interact with it, and most importantly, receives a reward for doing so. This reward is the gift to the customer for answering your call to action. There is reason location based companies like Foursquare have success and it’s because we keep winning things, free coffees, badges, etc. The message needs to be exciting enough that the audience remembers the ad and interacts with the message on their mobile device or when they get home. For example, maybe your customers are mothers. Your message should maybe be focused on solving a problem that they can identify with and they get a bonus item for following that call to action. Creating a strong message with a call to action helps drive attention both online and offline. For example, our client Gary Vaynerchuk did a campaign where he put his cell phone on NYC ads - over 250 people called, he spoke with nearly all of them directly, and built great relationships with his community. 
  • Understanding your call to action is extremely important. By understanding the desired outcome of your ad campaign, it will help you structure success metrics of which to monitor closely. What do you want? More customer registrations? Transactions? Press? Partnerships?  Do you want X amt of signups for every $Y spent on outdoor? It’s easy to determine your metrics, but important to monitor them closely over the course of your campaign.

What other ad campaigns are you currently running? 

  • It’s always important to align your advertising budgets with respect to time of year and metrics. Are you about to launch a new product? Are you currently running outdoor ads and thinking about following up with online ads?  The beauty of advertising is how targeted it can be.  The call of action in outdoor could lead to bringing a consumer online and converting them through online ads, or vice versa. Reminder advertising is an interesting thing to think about. Always being present, not being able to be turned off, with witty messaging and in great locations, helps to keep the brand top of mind. Especially, if you are preparing to launch a new product or open a new retail establishment.  This also creates great Word-of-Mouth buzz. 

When outdoor advertising is done right, it’s actually not about “advertising”, it’s about initiating a conversation and building a relationship.  Stay tuned for more insights on outdoor advertising and check back for some case studies on some recently successful campaigns launched through ADstruc.  

    • #ADstruc
    • #advertising
    • #how to use outdoor advertising
    • #OOH 101
    • #outdoor advertising
    • #outdoor advertising terms
  • 2 years ago
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ADstruc Announces Appointment of James Cooper

April 28, 2011 – New York - ADstruc, an online marketplace for outdoor advertising, is proud to announce the appointment of James Cooper, Chief Creative Innovation Officer at JWT, as an advisor to the startup. ADstruc has been widely publicized lately for their new platform, which brings the outdoor advertising industry online. Cooper, hailed as “one of the brightest stars in digital advertising” by Campaign Magazine, will advise the team in unveiling a large-scale marketing campaign.

155832-jamescooperl

“Having James join the ADstruc team is an integral part to developing our relationships with agencies,” says John Laramie, CEO of ADstruc and friend of Coopers. “His creativity and innovation are exactly what we want to continue to surround ourselves with as we grow.” 

Cooper, originally from London, came to New York in 2008 to be a partner of Anomaly where he created and launched the YouTube sensation Lauren Luke make up brand. Previously he was the Creative Director of Dare, named the Digital Agency of the Decade.

When asked about how James first got involved, he replied, “I first met John when he won one of my ping pong tournaments at Anomaly. He told me about the idea for ADstruc and it was one of those ideas that is so simple you can’t get it out of your head. Even though I’m an ad man I’m fascinated by the New York Start Up scene so having helped behind the scenes for a few years it’s great to be more involved. I never realized that you could get a billboard so easily – and cheaply - the platform delivers huge opportunities for me and my clients so I’m looking forward to being a sounding board and getting them some buzz through some really smart ideas.”

Laramie went on to say, “We are really excited to be a part of the advertising industry and look forward to bringing a lot of innovation and efficiencies to outdoor advertising.”

    • #ADstruc
    • #Anomaly
    • #James Cooper
    • #JWT
    • #outdoor advertising
  • 2 years ago
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ADstruc

ADstruc is the leading buying platform for the outdoor advertising industry, including both traditional and digital Out-of-Home media.

With an emphasis on data-driven planning, we help agencies, national brands, and local businesses discover and efficiently purchase Out-of-Home media campaigns that deliver tangible and measurable results.

Our cloud-based solution also allows outdoor advertising vendors to easily manage their inventory online and interact with new and existing clients in real-time.

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