Gas Station Advertising

It’s no secret that print publications across the country are struggling to stay afloat, and it isn’t just independent papers. Household names like The Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek have been forced to restructure and rethink their business models in order to find funding. As you probably know, the main source of revenue for virtually every print publication is advertising. Unfortunately for papers, many people are looking to advertise on the internet, where space is unlimited and ads are cheap.

Of course, by exclusively advertising online you risk being drowned out by the myriad other companies trying to carve out their niche, especially if you are a small business. While some may consider print advertisements antiquated, they can be quite effective for the right business. Since papers are desperate for advertising, ad space is cheap. And if you are focusing on a local demographic, you can certainly find print publications that cater to your precise target market.

There’s no question that people respond to advertisements in different ways. Oftentimes, a person’s initial reaction to an ad will instill them with some sort of bias toward the product being advertised. For example, commuters might come to associate a billboard ad with the mind-numbing traffic jam’s they are forced to negotiate on the way to work. But then, later that night, they might head to a nightclub and see a subtle, tasteful indoor ad in the men’s room. It’s obvious which ad is likely to elicit a positive response.

Indoor advertising has another crucial edge over its outdoor counterpart: there’s no sense that the ad is obstructing a view or “littering” the landscape. It’s to the point now that billboards are practically ignored as motorists learn to filter out their imagery and message. Indoors, consumers are less likely to expect a barrage of advertising and hence more likely to pay attention to what’s in front of them.

Attention all entrepreneurs. Knowing how to successfully market your business is key when it comes to generating a steady client base. So if you’ve never given much thought about ways to strategize your business, listen up. First and foremost, know that you will not have a flourishing business if nobody knows it exists. Getting your name out there will begin a traveling stir of voices and chatter, all discussing and questioning the mystery of your company.

So, how do you get your name out in the wide open to commence the whirlwind of excitement? Advertisement using a few key methods will get the ball rolling. Poster advertising can be used to convey your company’s thoughts and beliefs. Post your emblem all over the city: bus stations, concert halls, coffee shops, recreational centers – the bolder and brighter the better, in my opinion. But just remember, the world is filled with silence until something emerges to discuss.

In a recent blog, I discussed how eye-catching photos in a bar made me curious and caused me to look at them extensively throughout the night. This proved just how effective bar advertising can be, as there is usually a significant amount of time spent waiting around in a crowded bar. This experience reminded me of another memorable brush I had with bar advertising several months ago.

I was at an upscale restaurant and bar downtown for happy hour with several friends. The waitress brought our drinks and set them down on coasters. While we sipped our drinks and waited for our food, we noticed that the coasters had several round holes in them. Upon closer inspection, the holes were marked with numbers and we could fit our fingers through them. Did you guess what the coasters were yet? They were advertisements for a local engagement ring company, and the holes were used to measure a woman’s ring size. We thought this was very clever, and definitely one of the most unique ways to advertise that we had ever seen. It would have been very convenient if one of us was without our boyfriend and had wanted to drop hints about getting engaged!

I was out at a bar last weekend with a friend when I noticed that there were funny pictures posted all over the place. I had never seen these pictures before, so I was curious as to where they came from and who was in them. I looked at them while I waited in line to order a drink, while I waited for the bartender to pour my drink, and while I waited for my friend to come back from the bathroom. I finally figured out that they were all 8 ½” x 11” printouts of embarrassing photos of a guy who was having his 30th birthday at the bar.

Despite this being an unusual, funny idea, it really helped me realize the power and effectiveness of unique bar advertising. There were several points in the night when I was simply standing around waiting for something, and the photos gave me something interesting to look at while I waited. Imagine if your company’s ad was prominently placed in a bar for people to look at! The key is to make it interesting and even unusual, so it will hold your target’s interest longer and increase their chances of recalling it later.

One of the keys to advertising success is identifying your target market and finding a way to effectively advertise to that group. One of the most sought-after markets is people between the ages of 21-50 who have disposable income. What better way to ensure that you reach this group than to invest in nightlife advertising?

Advertising inside a hot nightlife spot ensures that young professionals will see your ad, and as a captive audience inside the venue, they’re more likely to look at it more than once and be able to recall it later. Also, nightlife advertising gives you the freedom to choose specific locations in which to advertise depending on your target market. You can target sports fans by advertising in a sports bar, college kid by advertising in a popular bar near a university, and high-income professionals by choosing a high-end lounge in a well-to-do area. The options are endless!

Most businesses start out small, and let’s face it, even when a business starts out with big funding there is no guarantee that it will succeed.  The key to small business success is getting noticed, but because you can’t afford Super Bowl advertisements, you have to think outside of the box.  Advertise your business in places your customers frequent, but don’t think this just means billboards, posters, and people waving cardboard signs.  Be creative when advertising a small business, think about sidewalk art, gas pumps, dartboards; these advertisements are noticed, while more conventional advertising is often ignored. 

It’s also a great idea to think about advertising online on websites your target customers frequent.  You can have great visibility and in turn, great sales by using contemporary advertising techniques.  If you’re not the advertising type, consider hiring an advertising company to do it for you; the return is often much greater than the initial investment!

For hundreds of years advertisements printed in magazines, journals, or on flyers was the only way to get the word out about your product.  However, in the digital age, when the world spends more time online than it does looking at all the forms of print media, digital advertising is king.  The exposure a company receives from digital advertising is much greater than that of print advertising, and it’s also cheaper.  Instead of spending an arm and a leg to purchase a page in a popular magazine, you can spread out that money between dozens of different websites.  When the next issue of that magazine or journal comes out, the amount of people reading the old one will take a dramatic hit, which wastes money.  However, websites aren’t time sensitive, and people will continue to visit the website and see your advertisement long after they’ve dropped a magazine.

If your company doesn’t have a website of yet, you shouldn’t be reading this, you should purchasing a domain!  Exposure on the web through links and searches will increase consumer awareness of your product and in turn your revenues. 

During the daylight hours most consumers are at work or in their homes, however, at night consumers venture out to bars, restaurants, and clubs.  Because of the overall increased activity at night, locations frequented during nighttime hours can be ideal locations for advertising.  Bar, restaurant, and nightclub advertising through dartboards, LCD screens, or even drink coasters provides maximum exposure and time spent with the advertisement.  In addition, advertisements are more likely to implant suggestions with consumers under intoxication. 

Focusing on nighttime advertising will overall increase your exposure to the general public, and allow you to target specific demographics of people and geographic locations throughout the United States.

Advertisers have a very interesting job.  They have to know not only what will motivate people generally, but what will motivate certain groups of people.  Studying the demographics of high-traffic businesses such as nightspots, health clubs, sports and music venues, malls and movie theaters can help them target customers and create effective marketing campaigns for the products of their clients.

Indoor advertisements get noticed by sometimes thousands of people in any given month.  If people have to wait in line, they will study displays and signs at or slightly higher than their eye level.  If the advertising firm has accurately assessed the consumers at a venue where their indoor advertisements, such as high-quality posters, are displayed, great success can be achieved through the advertising campaign.