Out of home advertising is an effective form of promotion and one of the oldest types of advertising. For centuries, signs, posters and billboards have been used to promote and advertise products outdoors and our high streets are jam-packed with them.
From large billboards at the side of the road, outdoor adverts on bus stops and totems, to the hundreds of bill posters pasted up on every available blank space around town.
The ubiquity of outdoor advertising, however, is one of its biggest problems. With so many advertisements around, getting a message across in such a crowded environment can be next to impossible which is why so many outdoor advertisers are turning to outdoor digital signage.
Outdoor digital signage is the use of display screens like LCD (liquid crystal display) or plasma TVs used out of the home as platforms for displaying commercial content and advertising.
Digital outdoor advertising has many advantages over traditional out of home posters and billboards. Firstly, digital signage screens are far more noticeable than static media as moving images and transitions help draw the eye. They are also self-illuminated with their back-lights enabling them to be seen at night and from long distances away.
And there are logistical advantages in using outdoor digital signage too. Unlike static media which requires a technician to paste up new content, digital signage adverts can be uploaded remotely. Furthermore, each display screen can be used to play multiple adverts maximising the revenue from the outdoor ad space.
Outdoor digital signage is becoming increasingly popular with advertisers, and now makes up nearly 15 percent of all outdoor adverts in the UK. It is now common to see such screens in all sorts of outdoor locations, from transport hubs to along the high street. And even large billboards are being replaced by digital versions.
