MANILA, Philippines - Billboards have been one of the most influential mass medium for consumers’ awareness of a brand. It is an effective medium for stirring up interest for a particular product, service or company.
“A billboard is a great means to encourage ‘conversation value’ about brands,” affirms marketing specialist Karen De Asis. An example of a much-talked about billboard campaign was for a Glutathione-based skin lightening product featuring a TV comedienne whose complexion changed from being kayumanggi to fair.
The increasingly mobile lifestyle of consumers compounded by the horrible Metro Manila traffic makes the public a captive audience of out-of-home ads. This is a medium that cannot be switched to another channel, flipped through another page, or turned off at a whim.
Because of this intrusiveness, De Asis claims that most consumers get to notice a brand through outdoor advertising. “It helps trigger consumer interest for a particular brand. Once consumer curiosity is piqued, they begin to find ways and means to know more about the product,” she notes.
World Vision Development Foundation, Inc. director for publics-in-ministry Boris Joaquin attests that prior to outdoor media, people had misconceptions or simply had no idea about World Vision.
But this out-of-home medium is not without a challenge. Advertisers must find ways to get their message across effectively in a limited span of time.
De Asis explains, “Outdoor advertising is challenging since it’s a media where attention span is quicker than a 15 second radio or TV commercial. That’s because the viewer is doing simultaneous activities – driving or walking or basically moving – while presumably looking at the outdoor advertisement. And in the case of a transit ad, the vehicle may be moving away from the viewer.”