Many decades ago, when I was a kid growing up in the Midwest, a milkman in a white uniform would deliver two large glass bottles to our front porch on Mondays and Thursdays. In the 1960s, 30% of all Americans received milk this way. However, as supermarkets began to replace smaller grocery stores, consumers started buying their milk during their weekly grocery shopping. A man in blue carrying a brown leather bag would also appear at our home from Monday to Saturday to deliver letters and occasional magazines through a slot on our door. The milkman has all but disappeared due to changing consumer attitudes and societal changes, but the mailman is still a consistent and welcomed visitor in our neighborhoods.
Consistency is important in our society. It removes uncertainty and leads to trust. In the advertising industry, clients need to feel assured that their campaigns will run as scheduled and deliver what was promised. In the out-of-home (OOH) industry, posting clients’ creative for the allotted time in the correct locations makes outdoor advertising a dependable option. However, in my many years of experience as a national rep in the OOH industry, we have not been consistent in delivering uniform images to our customers. As client needs evolve, the OOH industry needs to recognize these changes and ensure its vendors and offices offer speedy delivery of quality photos in this new social media world.
Consistency is key to gaining and retaining new business, but unlike the era of the milkman, we need to adapt to changing client needs and expectations as our industry moves into an exciting future.
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