Gas Station Advertising

When most of us think of poster advertisements, we generally think exclusively of the promotional posters for movies. While posters are undoubtedly a trademark of movie promotion, poster advertisements have begun to wiggle their way into other industries. In recent months, I’ve noticed a marked increase in the number of posters I see at bus stations, gas stations and in the men’s room.

Although many people are turning to the internet as a cost effective way to market their business, the problem is that everyone has the same idea. The internet advertising market has become saturated, and most people simply overlook advertisements on the web. Placing poster advertisements in places that have heavy foot traffic and a captive audience is a marketing maneuver that is sure to having staying power.

The most important part to starting a new business is committing to it.  There will be tough times, and the most difficult time is when you are just starting out.  Many people who have the idea of starting a business fail because they give in or give up when it appears their business is failing.  The business will fail in the beginning, because no business receives widespread notice and acclaim upon its formation.  The key to having a successful business is exposure; consumers must know you exist, and that the products or services you offer are reliable and valuable.  Exposure happens over time, and requires commitment from the business owner.

Given the necessary amount of time, and through smart practices like consulting experts, guides, or even hiring a marketing firm like Pacific Media to advertise your products and services, a new business can become successful and highly lucrative. The ball begins in the owner’s court, and remains there.

If you’ve visited a college campus or a large metropolitan area in the recent past, you’ve undoubtedly noticed a popular form of advertising: the use of sidewalk chalk. Whether it’s to promote a campus political event or to generate hype for a standup comedian at a club downtown, this form of advertising is unobtrusive and innovative. Unfortunately, this method has some drawbacks as well. Not everyone will be looking down at the pavement as they walk by, and what happens if it rains?

Sidewalk advertising utilizes strategic location in very high-traffic areas – parts of the city where people are virtually guaranteed to notice. In some areas, the penalties for stenciling and painting sidewalks can be steep, but authorities are rather lax in other places. In any case, many companies are already making the leap to this revolutionary advertising technique. And that could include your competition.

Looking back on my days in college, there are a handful of classes that a genuinely enjoyed. The kind of class where the professor’s lecture was inspiring and you couldn’t copy his notes fast enough. Ah, the good old days of education. From what I can remember, my favorite class was taught by Dr. Fred Pinklestein, advertising 101.  It wasn’t the simplicity of the structure and the assignments that won me over; it was the breadth of the subject matter.

I can even recall our first day of class. We filed in through a narrow hallway, which then expanded into a mighty auditorium. Dr. Pinklestein was seated in the front of the room with his hands neatly folded, waiting to begin lecture. And above him the board read, types of advertising. He introduced us to the basics of the advertising world that day. It’s been years since I sat in that classroom as a student, but I use the principals I learned in that class every day.

Commercial messages and political campaign displays have been found in the ruins of ancient Arabia. Egyptians used papyrus to create sales messages and wall posters, while lost-and-found advertising on papyrus was common in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Wall or rock painting for commercial advertising is another manifestation of an ancient advertising form, which is present to this day in many parts of Asia, Africa, and South America.

The tradition of wall painting can be traced back to Indian rock-art paintings that date back to 4000 B.C. As printing developed in the 15th and 16th century, advertising expanded to include handbills. 17th century advertising started to appear in weekly newspapers in England. These early print advertisements were used mainly to promote: books and newspapers, which became increasingly affordable with advances in the printing press; and medicines, which were increasingly sought after as disease ravaged Europe. However, false advertising and so-called “quack” advertisements became a problem, which ushered in the regulation of advertising content.

One tactic referred to as stealth marketing causes an interaction with the target audience and product without them even knowing they are the target of a marketing campaign. Such a tactic has even included paid actors requesting that a group of people take their picture or even video games with gadgets ‘made’ by a particular company. Some controversy has been caused but this type of non-traditional advertising because certain ways of implementing this type of marketing has said to make the intended audience feel insulted because of the way their marketing ploy was implemented.

But not all non-traditional advertising is created the same. Even with a majority of intended viewers ignoring straight forward advertising there are ways of grabbing consumers attention and the most effective ways of advertising have been geared towards connecting with the intended demographic. Creativity is a huge part of capturing attention but also exposure time, with limited distractions. So where do people spend a significant amount of time that will allow for this type of exposure? Full-color poster bathroom advertising has certainly shown this type of potential with 1 to 3 minute exposure time and the potential for a viewers undivided attention. After all there is not much else to stare at other then then straight in front of you.