Outdoor Ad Spending is on the Up

Outdoor ad spending continues to rise with growth starting to outpace total ad spending growth levels. In Q2, outdoor ad spending jumped 2.2% versus a 3.9% drop in total ad spend.

Interestingly, startups and tech companies are contributing more than ever to outdoor ad spending. NYC startups like Percolate and Jet.com have been spending increasing amounts on outdoor ads.

What's so great about outdoor ads versus digital branding? When advertising outdoors you ensure that real people see your ads! Simple and obvious, but a real consideration for advertisers with limited budgets. The WSJ explains why digital advertising is sometimes a bigger gamble than outdoor marketing: "Brands have been pouring dollars into online marketing, but are worried about ads that can be buried in corners of websites that aren't viewable, and about computerized "bots" that goose traffic results artificially without any humans seeing ads." Said differently, online marketers often end up paying for ads that were viewed by bots, not potential consumers. This results in lost advertising dollars that could have been used in a more effective way.

Obviously digital marketing spend isn't going anywhere. In fact, as mobile use grows and advertisers become more strategic with online marketing choices, we can expect ongoing growth in online digital spend. That said, outdoor advertising isn't going anywhere either. Most sophisticated advertisers will avoid just one advertising channel and instead focus on a diversified ad plan consisting of digital and outdoor, among others.

http://techcrunch.com/2015/12/05/outdoor-is-the-new-black/
http://www.wsj.com/articles/outdoor-ad-industrys-pitch-real-people-see-billboards-1443438000