Pros
- High population locations
- Exclusivity
- Cheaper than digital
- Spaces in town centres – heart of the community
- An audience with a wide range of demographics
- Helps build brand awareness
- Energy Efficient
Cons
- Cannot be edited or changed during the campaign
- The cost may change drastically depending on the location
- Initial set up costs are needed
- Reprints if the boards are vandalised or damaged
Despite the onset of digital advertising screens, physical or static billboards remain popular largely due to their lower cost (physical billboards can cost as little as £20 or $26 per day). Advertisers will need to pay the initial set up costs in terms of printing the ad but after that it’s just upkeep and a monthly rental fee.
It’s worth noting that whilst the setup fees are higher than digital screens, it does usually mean that the adverts stay up for longer and are exclusively owned by one advertiser, making them a great way to build awareness within a community.
Having exclusivity and a longer display time enables advertisers to be extremely granular with this form of advertising – for example, a sportswear advertiser may opt for physical locations close to major sports stadiums or gymnasiums.
Another big win for static ads is energy efficiency – they require almost no energy to run and as a result have a much lower carbon footprint. This leads to cost savings and could be appealing to eco-aware brands looking to show consumers their green credentials.
On the negative side, static billboards are prone to damage from weather or vandalism. A tatty advertisement does no favours for a brand and could even render the ad unreadable. All of this means more downtime and extra costs to repair the damage.