Think about it: when you are waiting at a bus stop for a specific bus to arrive, what do you look at? Besides your phone and perhaps some of the scenery, you probably look at the advertisement encased in the bus shelter itself. Now, imagine if your own business was being advertised in that space…
As you have probably now gathered, your company could amass a lot of valuable exposure when its branding and messaging is placed where bus users – including both drivers and passengers – can easily see it. Nonetheless, bus shelter advertising does have its limitations in certain circumstances.
What major selling points apply to bus stop advertising?
One simple reason to seriously consider this kind of advertising is its relative affordability. This would make it easier for your marketing team to invest in placing ads in a large number of locations up and down the country – or just the county, if you are running a more geographically-targeted campaign.
Bus stop ads can actually be more fitting than broadcast or print ads for such a campaign – as you could more effectively target specific towns and cities rather than just broader regions. For example, you can spend more of your marketing money on reaching out specifically to target customers in Leeds without having to pour money into boosting your brand exposure elsewhere in West Yorkshire as well.
Bus stop advertising can also continue working its magic on your corporate profile right throughout the day and night – with drivers and potentially even many passengers seeing your marketing messages repeatedly over that period. In getting your ads into multiple bus shelters, you can further strengthen these benefits.
So, what drawbacks of bus stop advertising should you heed?
Compared to – say – a billboard, a bus bench advert is rather limited in the amount of space it offers you. Therefore, if you do buy bus shelter advertising space, you will need to figure out how you can convey your message in a succinct but appealing way. Otherwise, your ad could end up rather blunt in effectiveness.
This point is especially worth underlining when you consider that, as StartupGuys.net warns, many drivers and pedestrians “might only see your ads for a few seconds while passing by.” The site notes that attempting to “design ads that are going to make an impact in a flash can be a bit of a challenge.”
Thankfully, though, modern technology could come to your rescue here – as one way you could make your product stand out from a glance is by renting advertising space on digital screens. These would allow you to add immediately eye-catching animation to your ads’ imagery.
These particular advertising opportunities are also more widespread than you might have realised. Keep in mind that Clear Channel, the leading provider of UK-based bus shelter advertising, offers bus stop advertising space on roadside screens located in 146 UK towns and cities – including London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Cardiff and Glasgow. That adds up to plenty of chances for your brand to make an impact.