While much of the focus in the out-of-home (OOH) industry has centred on digital over the past two years, new research by OOH agency PML Group points to the positive impact that advertising on classic billboards can have for brands.
The study was part of PML Group’s ongoing iQ programme, and investigated the effectiveness of billboards in conveying fame, trust and desirability for the brands using them.
Some 84% of the 300 Dublin respondents agreed that advertising on billboards made brands more famous with agreement levels peaking at 91% among 25-34 year olds.
Respondents were also shown to have trust in the medium and the brands on it, with more than half of respondents agreeing that advertising on billboards added to a brand’s trustworthiness. This trust figure was slightly higher among males and younger age groups.
A traditional strength of billboards is their size and the potential for brands to showcase product benefits on a large, pure canvass. This is reflected in the fact that 70% of the sample believe that ads on billboards make a brand more desirable. Again, this figure was highest among 25-34 year olds, at 77%.
According to Colum Harmon, marketing director, PML Group: “Our research clearly shows that the classic large format billboard still resonates with consumers. Their scale, quality and locations have positively influenced the criteria we’ve measured in this piece. While the medium harnesses the potential of digital formats, we cannot underestimate the power of classic formats to deliver long term effectiveness for brands, reflecting the research of thought leaders in this area such as Binet and Field.”
The research was carried out among 300 16-54 year olds in Dublin with fieldwork by Ipsos MRBI.
