Outdoor advertising - what is it and what types are there?

One way to build brand awareness and gain a competitive advantage is to create effective and attractive marketing messages. Outdoor advertising, among others, can serve this purpose. Find out what the advantages and disadvantages of outdoor advertising are and why you should opt for it.

Outdoor advertising - definition

Advertising Outdoor, also known as outdoor advertising, is a marketing message placed in public space. It can most often be found in traffic routes or on public transport (trams, buses, trains). Examples of outdoor advertising include putting up a static form of it in the form of a poster or billboard on the wall of a building or a parcel machine covered with advertising graphics.

It is also worth familiarising oneself with the legal aspect of the placement of outdoor advertising. There is no uniform act or regulation in Polish law which would fully regulate this form of marketing. However, it should be borne in mind that officials or municipal authorities have at their disposal several different acts to which they may refer when creating local rules for the placement of such messages in public space. These could be, for example, the laws on the protection of nature or monuments, public roads or planning and zoning.

Outdoor advertising - types

Companies opt for outdoor advertising when they want to increase their reach. However, there are several types of such a message. It can be large-format or in slightly smaller sizes. It is also divided into the illuminated type, which will be visible both during the day and night, and the non-illuminated type.

Outdoor advertising mediums, on the other hand, are usually:

• billboardy;
• plakaty;
• advertising walls;
• roll-ups and x-banners - portable forms of advertising that work best for large meetings, conferences and various types of events,
• illuminated coffers;
• car wrapping and mobil - i.e. advertisements placed on car trailers or car roofs;
• citylight - or backlit poster;
• shop window cladding.

The choice of type and medium of outdoor advertising depends primarily on the budget available to the company and the effectiveness and objectives it wishes to achieve.

Effectiveness of outdoor advertising

The effectiveness of outdoor advertising depends primarily on the way in which companies advertise their services or products. Simply putting up a poster or billboard is not enough. In fact, in order to attract attention, it is necessary to design a message that is attractive to the eye. Ideally, it should blend in with its surroundings in some way.

It is also important to use high-quality materials. Outdoor advertisements are exposed to the elements, so it is worth protecting them from sunlight and rain. Otherwise, they will quickly fade and become unreadable.

The location of the advertisement should also be carefully considered. Ideally, it should be located within easy access routes (whether by car, on foot or by bicycle). After all, good visibility of the message definitely improves its effectiveness.

Advantages and disadvantages of outdoor advertising

Before deciding on this form of promotional investment, it is worth reviewing the pros and cons of outdoor advertising. Key benefits include:

• rapid transmission to multiple audiences at relatively low cost;
• increased brand recognition;
• fix the message in the minds of the audience - by placing the advertisement in a constantly frequented place, many people encounter it at least several times. This translates into its fixation and high effectiveness;
• lack of intrusiveness - compared to the personalised adverts that show users on their social media accounts. Outdoor advertising does not interfere with various activities, such as watching videos or reading articles online. The recipient can simply look at it while riding public transport and gives it as much of his or her attention as he or she wants. All this ensures that he does not perceive the ad as intrusive.

Unfortunately, every form of marketing message also has its limitations. In the case of outdoor advertising, these are:

• relatively short time to assimilate the content - sometimes there is only a glimpse of the ad, so the viewer may not read the whole message thoroughly. However, this is counteracted by long exposure time and repetition. Even if a person does not read the content the first time, there is a high chance that they will do so the next time;
• the requirements of a high quality message - due to its nature, outdoor advertising needs to be clear and lucid so that anyone who encounters it is able to understand it. Most often, therefore, short slogans or graphics with the brand logo alone are placed;
• the possibility of disturbing the aesthetics of public spaces - this is another risk associated with the incompetent placement of outdoor advertisements. They should be placed not only in accordance with legal regulations, but also in such a way that they do not visually disturb the surroundings. Also, since the message is aimed at a wide audience, i.e. people with different levels of sensitivity, it is best to avoid controversial and vulgar images and content.

Outdoor advertising with InPost

If you are looking to prepare a slightly unconventional outdoor advertisement, then we encourage you to take advantage of our advertising services. What can you decide on?

• Wrapping the Parcel Machine® - this is a modern way of displaying your advertising. It will work all day long, as the machine's backlighting system will be activated after sunset. This will make your advertisement visible even at night. What's more, our company's machines are located in a variety of locations throughout Poland. There are already more than 21 000 of them.
• Advertising on the screens of Parcel Machine® machines - if you don't want to tape the machines, you can choose to put your advertising on the screen. This way, every person who comes to collect or send a parcel will see your message. Our services are used by millions of users, so this is definitely a good way to reach a wide audience.

Would you like to find out more about outdoor advertising at InPost? Or maybe you are interested in other forms of marketing and want to know the full offer? Then go to our website: inpost.pl/advertising, find out the details of our offer and start advertising your products or services effectively! You can also apply for cooperation using the form below.

You already know what outdoor advertising is, its types and media. Like any solution, it has both advantages and disadvantages. However, the main benefit of investing in this form of media is that it reaches many people at all times of the day and night.