Philly cheesesteak is having a hard time dealing with the fact that billboard advertising is about as popular as the delicacy is in Philadelphia. Making up Pennsylvania’s largest city, Philadelphia houses approx. 1.56 million people and is the second largest city in the U.S.’s East Coast. Residing along the Delaware Valley is the metropolitan area of Philadelphia, where entertainment and shopping live freely. Philadelphia is reviewed as one of the most walkable cities in the U.S., which is a great insight to remember when creating billboards close to city streets and sidewalks.
Philadelphia has noticed new growth in their population which has prompted the City Planning Commission to release two new district plans and it was found that 51% of all jobs in the city are located in the greater Center City and University Center. This is important to take into consideration when looking towards billboard locations. If most of the jobs are there, then billboard placement will most likely be highlighted there as well. Let’s go over billboards on transit, a consumer profile, and where to billboard advertise in Philly.
Billboard Advertising on Philly Transit
Public transportation in Philadelphia is known as the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority or SEPTA. 1 million riders can be found using this service daily. SEPTA uses traditional billboard style print advertisements on the interiors and exteriors of their 2500 vehicles and over 200 stations and facilities. Unique to SEPTA, they use marketing opportunities like wrapped bus advertisements to convey advertising messages with their audiences. They embrace digital billboard advertising at most visited stations and inside their Silverliner V train cars. Their billboard advertising can be spotted on their Regional Rail, Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line, Trolley Line, Norristown High Speed Line, and other affiliations with the SEPTA journey. Philly’s primary transportation system really uses billboards and advertising to their full advantage.
Consumer Profile in Philly
Diving into the background of consumer culture in Philadelphia, let’s take a look at the housing and tech situation that could drive people to billboards, greater advertisements, and their influence. In 2016-2017, households in the metropolitan area of Philly spent an average of $65,436 per year. Housing was the largest expenditure category for the people of Philly, and averaged at around $20,932. Looking at what the typical household spend was, 14.5% of residents dedicated their budget to transportation costs. This is interesting to point out because it allows us to see that the commuter budget is one that’s highly prized, and billboard advertisements placed on their travels could be very valuable.
50% of consumers in Philly are worried about the intelligence stemming from their smartphones and online activity, according to data gathered from Accenture. They’re claiming that targeted ads are taking up too much of their space and data. This consumer report is valuable information in the world of outdoor billboard advertising because it shows that internet and digital advertising may not necessarily work on the people in Philly. Due to their pervasive fears about digital interference, they may shut down internet advertising altogether. This is when outdoor billboard advertising can step in and be a credible, reasonable source for consumer impact.
Where to Billboard Advertise in Philly
It’s known that highways are prominent areas to billboard advertise, and in Philly these highways are called Interstate 95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Billboards here have high traffic exposure and can meet the eyes of many a driver and passenger. Places like Fairmont Park and Pat’s Cheesesteak are spots in Philly that use selective billboard advertising to speak to their target demographics. The Roosevelt Mall and Citizens Bank Park are two great spots to erect billboards in as well. Roads pointing to the Independence National Historical Park or the Philadelphia Museum of Art can see billboards speaking with a more tourist market. The Reading Terminal Market and the Independence Beer Garden are other convenient places to billboard advertise in because they act as meeting points and conversation centers for people. Wherever the spot may be, billboard advertising in Philly is sure to leave a mark.
After looking at SEPTA billboard impact, the consumer profile, and a few particular places to advertise in, it’s clear that Philly has a billboard advertising culture that’s worth the bite.
