Outfront usually uses its blog platform to write about its clients’ most innovative, noteworthy, and exceptional out-of-home campaigns.
But recently, they wrote an OOH FAQ Introduction to Billboard Advertising. The post appears written to boost the website’s SEO traffic and seems unlikely to draw in much of an audience other than students–and self-acclaimed OOH experts who don’t know the basics.
The blog has many basic, frequently asked OOH questions, such as “How much does a billboard cost?” The answers to these questions are equally simplistic. In this case, the answer is “it depends.” Though Outfront also includes a list of cost variables, the post lacks information on how those variables affect cost and what those specific cost effects are.
Perhaps the answers to the FAQs are so simple because of the number of people entering the industry as immediate experts. Lately, it seems that many people claim they are OOH experts simply because they’ve somehow managed to get an OOH position.
But have they ever owned a billboard? Have they actually ever sold a billboard or OOH format of your choice, in most cases, the answer is ‘no’. Do they need to? Experience has become such a subjective reality. It matters. Social media and influence will only carry one so far, unless of course your Phineas Taylor Barnum or a follower of PT, who is cited accurately or not with, “There’s a sucker born every minute”. And these are the ones who need Outfront’s Intro to Billboard Advertising blog.
Another example: “How long does it take to put up a billboard?” Outfront says that the production process for printed vinyl used in traditional billboards can take several weeks, while digital billboards can go live immediately. We know from experience that it’s possible to put up a static campaign in a matter of days if you have the right team, and while digital billboards can go live pretty much immediately, there still needs to be a campaign and an objective for that campaign.
There are complex nuances in this industry that need to be accounted for. But perhaps Outfront has it right. With the number of people holding high positions in Outdoor without the experience and knowledge to back it up – maybe it is necessary to go back to the basics.