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Monday, May 14, 2007
Planning a Successful Outdoor Mobile Billboard Campaign
The idea of Mobile Billboards came to me while strolling down a busy street on a typical work day in Los Angeles. I noticed an “advertise here” sign on the back of a bus with a phone number printed on the side. My curiosity led me to dial the number and upon hearing the pricing, I couldn’t help but smirk at the ridiculous fees that were being charged to display ads on a conventional, and such boring medium. At the time, I was president of a digital marketing company called Intellix Media, which was later acquired by Crenovate, Inc. With this background, I was quite familiar with the marketing and advertising industry and really understood the benefits of outdoor media. As soon as I hung up the phone, I knew there was a vast market in outdoor advertising that was yet to be explored. Why not create a customized truck that could carry standard size billboard ads around town for the sole purpose of advertising? This mere thought was the stepping stone in establishing Citi-Mobile. Currently, Citi-Mobile billboards operate nationally servicing diverse populations and demographics.
Citi-Mobile and our entire operation have always operated as an agency for the agency, in other words we have never looked at ourselves as a trucking company even though that is essentially the vehicle of our medium. In educating and consulting our clients about this specific marketing niche, we opt to produce a campaign that will generate reliable results for the client and create return business for us. Of course, when any new idea is introduced to the market, it’s an opportunity for small scale competitors to try to make a quick buck at the cost of the client. It is for this reason that I have decided to write this article as a means to inform future agencies, clients, and even fellow colleagues, on what it takes to have a successful campaign.
The following is a ten step checklist that must be met in order to have a successful campaign. 1- Identify a Target Audience. a. Be familiar with your target demographic. Narrowing down a specific audience is critical in creating a campaign that will appeal to this target population. This should be discussed thoroughly with your Mobile Billboard service provider prior to taking any further action.
2- Design a Direct Response Ada. Mobile Billboards perform at their peak when there is a “call to action message”. General branding of your service, unless targeting a grand opening or a trade show, does not produce trackable results. Make certain you incorporate a phone number, a special discount, or any unique offer that may appeal to your target audience.
3- Choosing the right hours & days of Operationsa. All too often clients will ask for generic hours like 9am to 5pm. Although the 9-5 approach will reach some of your audience, it will overlook business professionals and executives who are at work at the time. Most Mobile Billboard Service providers operate 8 consecutive hours per day, so chose hours that best fit the needs of your campaign.
4- Feel free to adjust the routea. Whatever route you choose initially should be adjusted accordingly as the campaign progresses. The reason you have chosen this medium is because it’s Mobile, so take advantage of it. If you notice the chosen route doesn’t work, change it immediately.
5- The truck must look good!a. Even if you chose the most appealing ads and desirable routes, but the truck itself is old, dirty, or noisy, it will do no justice to your brand name. A good rule of thumb is to request to see recent pictures of the truck that your ad is going to be displayed on. Remember that this truck will be the first impression that the audience will have of your company.
6- Tracking Tracking Trackinga. The advertiser must always be able to track a campaign. Don’t just get a report at the end of the campaign when it’s too late, but request to track the campaign while its ongoing. This will insure that correct times and routes are being activated.
7- Size of the ada. It’s no mystery that the bigger your ad, the bigger the exposure. You should be getting your money’s worth. Usually, there is no price difference between a smaller or a larger ad so opt for the largest size offered.
8- Request Picturesa. Pictures of the campaign at the start, during, and upon completion are really important. You can preview your campaign to make sure everything is to your liking before your ads hit the streets.
9- Rate Negotiationsa. Mobile Billboard rates have a range based on daily, weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly basis. As the media buyer it is in your best interest as well as your clients to get the lowest pricing possible. Try to calculate the basic costs that you know of such as gas, employee, insurance, licensing, and so on and see what number you come up with. If there is a big discrepancy between your estimate and the quote, question the company about their rates and fees.
10- Re-usea. Most Mobile Billboard companies will offer to store your vinyl billboard after completion for your future use, and to avoid reprinting fees. With this in mind, try to create an ad that can be recycled and used at a later time.
Citi-Mobile and our entire operation have always operated as an agency for the agency, in other words we have never looked at ourselves as a trucking company even though that is essentially the vehicle of our medium. In educating and consulting our clients about this specific marketing niche, we opt to produce a campaign that will generate reliable results for the client and create return business for us. Of course, when any new idea is introduced to the market, it’s an opportunity for small scale competitors to try to make a quick buck at the cost of the client. It is for this reason that I have decided to write this article as a means to inform future agencies, clients, and even fellow colleagues, on what it takes to have a successful campaign.
The following is a ten step checklist that must be met in order to have a successful campaign. 1- Identify a Target Audience. a. Be familiar with your target demographic. Narrowing down a specific audience is critical in creating a campaign that will appeal to this target population. This should be discussed thoroughly with your Mobile Billboard service provider prior to taking any further action.
2- Design a Direct Response Ada. Mobile Billboards perform at their peak when there is a “call to action message”. General branding of your service, unless targeting a grand opening or a trade show, does not produce trackable results. Make certain you incorporate a phone number, a special discount, or any unique offer that may appeal to your target audience.
3- Choosing the right hours & days of Operationsa. All too often clients will ask for generic hours like 9am to 5pm. Although the 9-5 approach will reach some of your audience, it will overlook business professionals and executives who are at work at the time. Most Mobile Billboard Service providers operate 8 consecutive hours per day, so chose hours that best fit the needs of your campaign.
4- Feel free to adjust the routea. Whatever route you choose initially should be adjusted accordingly as the campaign progresses. The reason you have chosen this medium is because it’s Mobile, so take advantage of it. If you notice the chosen route doesn’t work, change it immediately.
5- The truck must look good!a. Even if you chose the most appealing ads and desirable routes, but the truck itself is old, dirty, or noisy, it will do no justice to your brand name. A good rule of thumb is to request to see recent pictures of the truck that your ad is going to be displayed on. Remember that this truck will be the first impression that the audience will have of your company.
6- Tracking Tracking Trackinga. The advertiser must always be able to track a campaign. Don’t just get a report at the end of the campaign when it’s too late, but request to track the campaign while its ongoing. This will insure that correct times and routes are being activated.
7- Size of the ada. It’s no mystery that the bigger your ad, the bigger the exposure. You should be getting your money’s worth. Usually, there is no price difference between a smaller or a larger ad so opt for the largest size offered.
8- Request Picturesa. Pictures of the campaign at the start, during, and upon completion are really important. You can preview your campaign to make sure everything is to your liking before your ads hit the streets.
9- Rate Negotiationsa. Mobile Billboard rates have a range based on daily, weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly basis. As the media buyer it is in your best interest as well as your clients to get the lowest pricing possible. Try to calculate the basic costs that you know of such as gas, employee, insurance, licensing, and so on and see what number you come up with. If there is a big discrepancy between your estimate and the quote, question the company about their rates and fees.
10- Re-usea. Most Mobile Billboard companies will offer to store your vinyl billboard after completion for your future use, and to avoid reprinting fees. With this in mind, try to create an ad that can be recycled and used at a later time.
# posted by gopi @ 9:20 PM 
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