Outdoor advertising billboards have become a part of our everyday travel background noise. They’ve become an obvious part of our surroundings that we hardly notice. Interactive billboards are unique in this regard. An interactive billboard is a kind of advertising that needs audience engagement. It’s an ad that will adapt or improve as a result of the consumer’s interaction with it. Whether it’s activating a smartphone to view a hidden message on the billboard or shifting their body posture to view the advertisement at a precise angle to show the promotion, interactive billboards have proven to be extremely popular in a short amount of time.
Demand for Interactive billboards
In today’s contemporary era man has raised from bullock- cart to the technological advancement, so advertisers must think out of shell-like advertising through interactive billboards that will involve the audience and make their advertisement recognizable over a longer period. It is noticeable that people are overloaded with different advertisements at different locations due to numerous upcoming brands. So, innovative advertising concepts are required to do something different from competitors and increase customer engagement levels. Interactive billboard advertising is one of the greatest methods to accomplish this.
What is Interactive Billboard Advertising?
Interactive advertising is a more significant display method that persuades people to interact with billboard ads and make the connection between the target audience and the brand. It enables companies to create and grow communication with their customers. It is one of the best ways to influence them, so they actively watch an ad and react to it instead of just seeing it as a rush of billboards and ignoring it easily.
In this blog, we will discuss the lighter and darker side of interactive advertising that every marketer should know before practicing an interactive way to market a brand along with the specific examples of interactive advertising.
Examples
1.Women’s Aid London – Bruised Woman On Billboard
In London, Women’s Aid unveiled an interactive billboard to promote its cause. The billboard depicted a woman with cuts and bruises on her face; as passersby looked at her, the wounds on her face began to heal and vanish. This was done to send a message that instead of turning a blind eye to domestic violence, people should take action. A text message was also sent to anybody standing near the billboard, urging them to donate to Women’s Aid.
2. Fading Fast – Peel off tattoo installation
Fading fast, a tattoo removal company in Toronto created an engaging and innovative interactive billboard to demonstrate how simple it is to remove tattoos. They designed posters portraying tattooed persons who could be de-tatted by pulling a tab. These tattoos were certificates for discounts on the company’s services. Pedestrians may walk past, peel off their tattoos, and be offered a 50% discount on tattoo removal.
3.KitKat – Have a Break
KitKat put billboards that vibrated when people leaned against them for the launch of the brand’s famous “Have a Break” campaign in Colombia, providing passers-by with a brief, stress-reducing massage, and literally “having a break”.
4. Adidas – world’s first liquid billboard
In conjunction with the brand’s recent introduction of its inclusive swimwear collection, Adidas revealed the world’s first-ever liquid billboard in Dubai. Local women were enticed to jump in and swim in a water-filled billboard at one of Dubai’s most popular public beaches. The first-of-its-kind stunt honors Adidas’ efforts to provide a larger range of technical apparel for athletes worldwide, while also instilling confidence in women and demonstrating the company’s dedication to making the sport as inclusive as possible.
5. McDonald’slds – walking drive-thru McFlurries experience
The concept of a walking drive-through is both intriguing and unique. It’s even more exciting as a part of an interactive billboard advertisement! Passers-by were able to stroll up to a window operated by a McDonald’s employee and receive a free treat. The entire design was inspired by driving along the side of a restaurant while waiting in line at the drive-thru, complete with real people blended into a billboard! This gives fast food restaurants a lot of room to experiment with new ways to promote via interactive billboards.
Why use interactive advertising?
Interactive billboard advertising has established popularity amongst various mediums in a very short period. A few reasons are stated below:
- They assist in bringing the customer and the product closer together. In today’s social media-obsessed market, firms are putting in extra effort to guarantee that their marketing messages draw customers closer to their products or services. This method has been found to boost consumer loyalty to a brand, product, or service by making them feel more linked with the company.
- They’re innovative and exciting and create an organic social media buzz. They attract people to participate in the advertising process. With customers becoming more connected, it just takes a short period for an interactive billboard to grab people’s imaginations and attract attention from all over the world.
Interactive billboards play a dominant role in marketing brands, they build a personal connection with viewers increasing the likelihood that customers will remember their ad message. It engages a wide range of target audiences and gets them familiar with the brand and is successful to put a long-term impact on the target audience that establishes relationships with customers which automatically leads to:
The following are some of the other instant benefits that brands receive as a result of adopting interactive billboards:
Improved performance
- Due to factors such as increased view time and engagement, interactive billboard advertisements generate up to 3 times the conversion rates as compared to traditional billboards.
Effective data collection
- Interactive billboards offer in-depth data of the consumers that provide granular information. This helps refine future marketing efforts.
Advantages of Interactive billboards
Let’s discuss some root causes for that is why interactive billboards are so popular :
- Two-way communication method
Due to globalization, there is cut-throat competition among brands, every company is doing hard to send their message to the exact demographic and ensure their message reached the target audience. Interactive billboards interact with customers and the action of people toward billboard advertising shows the connection of customers with the company and turns the audience into loyal customers of the company. So, interactive advertising help to connect the consumer and the product or service of the company that uses interactive billboards.
- Unique way to influence customers
It is a brand new way to involve people and market your business because it is not like someone is pushing and trying to attract customers to buy a particular brand’s products. It is a smooth way to connect with people on a personal level and people enjoy that interaction with a brand which ensures that the companies using interactive billboards are naturally considered superior over others that are still stuck on static billboards. They are improving brand awareness and building long-lasting relationships with customers. So, do not try to do things 10% different only but jump to the next curve to earn more from others.
- Overall Growth of business
Interactive billboards minimize the losses that might happen due to the poorly coordinated advertising and make the company feel relaxed that they could face the new product hurdles such as rejection of new products from consumers. Most importantly, a direct link between all the factors like two-way communication between brand and customers which aware customer about the brand and make them loyal customers. Loyal customers lead to positive word of mouth means the brand becomes popular which leads to the bulk of sales and overall growth and reputation of the business.
- Stronger impression leads to competitive advantage
Interactive advertising has a more memorable impression very quickly because they are specifically designed to grab people’s attention which is very hard due to the hectic schedule of audiences. Companies are trying their best and want to attract customers by hook or by crook which is important to be successful in the business world because the customer is the king. Companies that take initiative by using interactive billboards are popular all over the world, it generates social media buzz for their business and adds value to your brand.
Disadvantages of Interactive Billboards
- Time-consuming
Campaigns on interactive billboards need time because it is not kind of to print pictures on billboards, it is associated with interaction that how people interact, and where it is possible that more interaction towards the brand. This kind of advertising demand proper planning, and analysis of potential customers who will interact at any cost.
- Costly
No doubt it provides a plethora of benefits, but its starting cost is high which is obvious because a lot of money is needed to make innovative interactive billboards. One cannot do all the tasks and needs to hire specialists and fresh blooded people who give better and innovative ideas that how to make connections with a new generation.
- People’s participation
Interactive billboards need the active participation of the viewer means people must interact with the brand. The advertisement on screen ultimately changes or reacts to the actions of the people that try to interact, which is somehow harder due to the hectic schedule of the people. So, efforts may go to waste.
Conclusion
Due to technological advancement, there is a need to do creative tactics on billboards too. Although interactive advertisement has some flaws like being expensive and time-consuming.As we know the moon has also a dark spot that is acceptable, thus by ignoring the dark side of interactive billboards we should work on it to be creative. Its start-up high cost will cover with positive word of mouth and large sales or profitability which is only possible by adopting interactive techniques and using the interactive advertisement which is one the best ways to engage the target audience and attract them towards a particular brand.
References
- https://sendpulse.com/support/glossary/interactive-advertising
- https://www.adweek.com/creativity/bruised-woman-billboard-heals-faster-more-passersby-look-her-163297/
- https://www.lbbonline.com/news/adidas-launches-worlds-first-ever-liquid-billboard
- https://broadsign.com/blog/our-favourite-billboard-ads/
- https://movia.media/moving-billboard-blog/how-interactive-ooh-ads-create-everlasting-bonds-with-consumers/
