Driverless cars are coming. The question is no longer if, but when. Whether the first breakthrough model comes from Google or Tesla or Ford, they’re well on their way. Once this happens, what impact will it have on the out-of-home industry? Here are three ways that driverless cars will change OOH.

BILLBOARD RESTRICTIONS LIFTED

Most municipalities currently have restrictions on OOH for fear of distracted driving. Outdoor ads can only be so bright. They can only be so large. They can only move so much. These restrictions exist because of legitimate safety concerns. While they may keep people safe now, they’ll have no place in the future where cars drive themselves.

This means OOH will be bigger and brighter than ever. Designs will be allowed to incorporate full motion and movement. We’ll likely get those giant holograms we’ve seen in the movies for years. Instead of being limited so they don’t attract all of our attention, they’ll now be trying their best to dazzle us.

IN-CAR VISUAL DISPLAYS

Autonomous cars will ease restrictions on ads outside of cars, and the same can be said for ads inside cars. All newer cars have a dash screen and in-car ads on these screens already exist. Again, the opportunity here is currently downplayed because of safety concerns.

Once those are gone, we can expect full digital commercials and games to be displayed on our dash screens. In fact, expect each seat in the car to have its own dedicated screen. Each passenger in the car will be delivered personalized and interactive ads, perhaps even interfacing with their mobile devices.

IN-CAR AUDIO

There are some passengers who would just as well take a nap or read a book once they don’t have to pay attention to the road. Outdoor advertisements and screens can’t impact people who aren’t looking at billboards and screens, right? How do we reach these people?

Thanks to location data, audio is already used to supplement OOH in certain markets. Self-driving cars allow this to be taken to the next level. Imagine your favorite supermarket jingle starting to play inside your car as you near the billboard a mile before its parking lot. You look up and an outdoor ad reminds you to pick up eggs and chocolate chips on the way home. A pop-up box on the dash screen asks you if you want to make a stop.

There is no question self-driving cars will allow for more dazzling outdoor ads, more engaging in-car displays, and more relevant in-car audio. The truly exciting thing is how future technology and location data will allow all three to work together to create more personalized and attention-grabbing OOH advertisements. Driverless cars will undoubtedly help usher in a new era of OOH.

Our CEO, Ken Sahlin, was recently published in MediaPost. In “Is Marijuana Advertising Going Mainstream?” he discusses his views on Constellation Brands Inc. investing nearly $4 billion into Canadian marijuana grower Canopy Growth Corporation last month. What does this mean for the OOH industry? Is it a sign that marijuana advertising is about to move from the back streets to Main Street? According to Ken:

“OOH is particularly well suited to weed, since it is locally regulated, great for activation and building awareness, and low cost when compared to other advertising options. Just look at MedMen. It spent $2 million on a campaign — largely featuring outdoor ads — in an attempt to de-stigmatize marijuana use. The campaign received national news coverage. But, beyond de-stigmatizing marijuana users, the campaign also helped bring marijuana advertising into the mainstream.

“The real question is how outdoor advertising vendors will respond. Marijuana does carry a certain stigma, and some vendors are reluctant to allow marijuana advertising. However, the latest data from Pew Research Center states that almost six in 10 Americans support marijuana legalization. That is almost double the rate of legalization support back in 2000, signaling that public opinion of marijuana is slowly headed in a more positive direction. In practice, there doesn’t appear to be much push-back so far. Billboardsin, a large online outdoor advertising marketplace, has successfully placed ads for five marijuana-based businesses in three months with zero rejections.”

This article was originally published by MediaPost. You can continue reading the full article here.

Are you a real estate agent weighing your advertising options? While you have a lot to choose from, billboards and other out-of-home advertising formats — such as bus, train, taxi, and kiosk ads — are a smart investment for both fledgling and established agents. Let’s take a look at some of the ways billboard advertising can give you a new lease on your professional life.

Stay In Budget

Much like the housing market, billboard prices can vary depending on where you are. Generally speaking, it’s safe to assume that billboards are surprisingly affordable. They’re cheaper than television, magazine, and newspaper advertising. Outdoor ads deliver the best value—in terms of cost-per-thousand impressions—of any type of advertising, including digital.

Choose Your Target Audience

Since billboards are physical ads, one of the most obvious ways to reach the people you want is to put billboards in the actual neighborhoods you are selling in. However, thanks to new technological advancements in mobile and location data, many billboard locations are now able to provide detailed demographic statistics, such as age, gender, and even household income. This ensures that you are able to reach the exact audience that you want to.

This article was originally published on BillboardsIn.com. You can continue reading the full article here.

Transit ads are the ads featured on and around public transportation and in areas near public transit. With the full range of options included, there are numerous reasons why big and small businesses invest in transit ads. However, before we explore the benefits, let’s better understand transit advertising by looking into the options.

Transit Advertising Options

Your campaign’s needs will determine which choice is ideal for you. Below are options offered through transit advertising:

• Bus Advertising: Bus advertising provides displays on the exterior that can be wrapped on the front, back, and sides of the bus and even ads that can cover the entire bus! Also included are interior advertising options fixated on handrails, ceilings, walls, seats, and more.
• Taxi Advertising: Taxi advertising presents options to advertise on the top, sides, and back of a taxi’s exterior. Advertising inside a cab is also possible with small posters and digital screens.
• Subway/Rail Advertising: Subway and rail advertising has similar options to interior bus ads. This medium includes posters lining the subway’s walls, handrails, and so forth.
• Airport Advertising: Airport advertising has several options like transit shelters, phone kiosks, banners, baggage carts, and so on!

Transit Advertising Benefits

Given all these options, it’s not surprising that there are plenty of benefits that come with transit advertising. For starters, people can’t ignore transit advertising. Unlike TV, Internet, or mobile ads, passersby can’t skip or turn off the ad. Your message gets the exposure it deserves.

Transit advertising also reaches diverse crowds in populated areas like cities, university districts, shopping centers, and airports. Additionally, through repeated exposure, these ads can make a more significant impact on frequent flyers and regular transit riders.

Aside from the audience reached, transit advertising offers flexibility to fit budgetary needs. With various sizing and placement options, there’s bound to be an ad space that’s within your campaign’s price range. It also garners high impressions to make for a low CPM!

Car and truck wraps are a form of advertising that utilizes the exterior of the vehicles as a way to reach consumers. They are not to be mistaken for mobile billboards which are a different form of vehicle-based advertising. Car wraps are advertisements that go onto personal or company-owned cars, while truck wraps are advertisements that go onto freight trucks.

Both forms present numerous benefits that make them an effective advertising method. For starters, car and truck wraps are displayed in a captive environment where consumers can’t “skip” the ad or change the channel or radio station. These wraps are even more impactful in slow traffic and at stoplights. Also, given their clear visibility and large mileage, these wraps generate thousands of impressions. This makes for a low CPM and gives you true value for your investment.

Now, we will take a closer look at car and truck wraps to see what they individually have to offer!

Car Wraps

Car wraps are advertisements displayed on cars from specialized companies or owned by individuals paid to have their cars wrapped in a company’s advertising. With wraps on individually-owned cars, you can select drivers whose driving styles fit your campaign’s needs. You can select drivers who typically drive in areas that are dense with your target audience. With wraps on company-owned cars, you can select one or multiple cars that will have customized routes. Also, with company-owned cars, you can choose to get an entire fleet to create an even greater impact.

In addition, car wraps offer different sizing options to help keep within your budget. Typically, car wraps have the following options: panel, partial, and full. Panel wraps include smaller-sized displays featured on either side of the car. Partial wraps use all the space on one side of the car. Lastly, full wraps cover the entire car in your advertisement.

This article was originally published on BillboardsIn.com. You can continue reading the full article here.