Questionnaire Findings

The results of my billboard questionnaire findings are that my billboard has got to target my target audience directly but can also have an appeal to others for example to parents who would buy it for their daughters. My billboard will consist of a plain and very simple design so it is not too overcrowded but is still eye catching. My billboard will be positioned in all town centres near the shops and also in busy public transport areas such as bus stations, this is because the majority of teenage girls rely on public transport as they are too young to drive. The textual content on my billboard will be a small amount as the questionnaire showed most people don’t pay that much attention to the text part of it.

By conducting this questionnaire it has ensured that I have taken the general publics opinion into account, by doing this I can understand what it is they want to see and expect from a billboard, consequently ensuring that my billboard reaches full potential and fulfilling its purpose to advertise my teenage fashion and beauty magazine to the specified target audience.

Questionnaire

To decide on features and layouts for my billboard I have decided to conduct a questionnaire. I have asked 10 people varying in ages from 16-30, to make the results easier to understand I have converted the numbers into percentages and put them onto a pie chart totalling up to 100%, I created the pie charts on PowerPoint along with the comments beneath them, then converted them into images to put onto my blog. The results of my findings are as followed

QR Codes on Billboards

QR codes are a great way for people with smart phones to get directly to a website they are looking for. With the increasing number of people with smart phones QR codes are becoming more and more popular with companies advertising their products; some companies are even using this QR code as the only thing on their billboard.

This billboard advertisement for Calvin Klein has replaced a few of their more “racier” billboards that are unsuitable for younger members of the public, so for those who still wish to view it they simply just have to scan the QR code on their smart phone.

QR scanning is an excellent form of modern day billboard advertising, however it is not completely effective, as even through there is a growing number of people with smart phones, not everyone who views the billboard has one or can even be bothered to scan it, therefore the billboard is not meeting its full potential or its entire target audience. Therefore if there was to be a billboard like the image below it would be almost pointless as it wouldn’t be fulfilling its full potential, and can be seen to some people as a waste of advertising space.

For my billboard I will be using a QR code however it will not be the centre point of my billboard but it will mean that the link is still available for those members of the public who wish to access it and as my target audience is teenage girls, the majority of teenage girls have a smart phone so they will be able to use the QR code and the enticement of having that little something extra that they can accesses independently will add to the excitement of the product however for those who don’t have a smart phone access they will still have the billboard to view the advertisement.   

Targeting the Audience

Targeting the right target audience is vital to the success of a billboard and the product it is advertising. Companies target their audiences by showing them things that appeal to them, that are eye catching and that demonstrate the product in the best possible way. By ensuring that my billboard targets the right target audience will create more business for my magazine.

My target audience is teenage girls; by advertising something that appeals to them it is the right way to generate their interest. For example my magazine is about fashion and beauty so my billboard will not be an image of something like a racing car which is completely off topic and un-relatable to the stereotypical teenage girl and to my magazine.

This billboard advertisement of vogue.com is simple and effective; it has a black background with white writing, the larger writing is the main aspect of the billboard the address of vogue.com, underneath is smaller writing "Fashion as it happens" describing what the purpose of the website is, and then right at the bottom is the small print which the advertisers don’t really mind if the audience do not see nor remember, so the size of the text on this billboard has been structured through its importance. The usual vogue logo so it generates instant recognition, and an image of a model wearing the latest trend in clothes.

The billboards structure follows the rule of third technique, where the layout can be easily separated by 3 lines situated equally apart going both vertically and horizontally, this is so that the billboard has a good balance and the content is not too over crowed in a certain place and creates more interest in the composition.

This billboard links directly to the theme of the magazine and is appealing to the vogue target audience. For my billboard it will stick to the theme of my magazine and will most likely follow a design similar to the example of vogue.com above.

 

 

Ideas for my Billboard

The minimalistic technique becomes eye catching to the audience and is much more straight to the point, rather than an over crowed billboard with too much to view at once and the simple design would have a much larger influence as the audience has longer to focus on a certain object, teenagers are my target audience so rather than over crowd them with information it would be simple and easy to determine the point of my product.


The placement of my billboard will most likely be a high street therefore it will be a 2D billboard. The focus of my billboard is to advertise my magazine which will be based on teenage fashion/beauty therefore its situation in a high street will be ideal and no need for it to be 3D, the high street is ideal to advertise my billboard for my magazine because teenagers are normally around the towns, shopping with friends and is the perfect place to catch peoples eyes and attention. My billboard will also be illuminated at night time with certain features being emphasised through the lights.

Simple but Effective

This billboard advertising Heineken beer is a perfect example of how a simple picture of the product itself can be effective. The billboard is straight to the point and explains the product in general. The three dimensional concept features a hand seemingly coming out of the background about to grab the bottle of beer. When I design my billboard I aim for it to be plain and simple and too the point.

This is another great simple yet effective billboard design. The add shows an overweight man tipping the sign over due to his weight, the billboard is advertising a fitness centre, therefore the contrasting image with reason for the billboard makes it even more eye catching with it being tilted.

I really like the idea of the contrasting image with the reason for the billboard and hope to use a similar idea with my own.

2D Billboards

2D billboards, otherwise known as the original billboards are simply the plain images that do not have parts physically coming off of them. They are more common on high streets and train stations to avoid vandalism to the 3D billboards. They are still just as popular and just as effective in successful advertisement as 3D billboards, they are usually straight to the point and minimalistic with contrasting colours and large font, yet grab just as much attention from the audiences.

Piccadilly Circus

Billboards or “hoarding” started in Piccadilly circus in the early 1900’s, the signs used to cover the majority of the area but now only cover one building. The earliest signs used incandescent light bulbs; these were replaced with neon lights, as well as moving signs.

The earliest signs used incandescent light bulbs but then these were replaced with neon lights, as well as moving signs. The very first Neon sign was for the British meat extract Bovril. From December 1998, digital projectors were briefly used for the Coke sign, the first to be computerised. However the 2000s saw a gradual move to LED displays and it meant completely replacing neon lamps by 2011. The number of signs has reduced over the years as the rental costs have increased. Using these lights with the billboards attracts attention to the signs and makes them much more eye catching.

Liberia

  Few people read the newspapers in Liberia. The rest have huge public billboards at the side of the roads that tell them what the government wants them to know, how it wants them to behave.  Simplistic propaganda it may be, but if these messages do get across, the country will be a better place. These billboards create interest not just in Liberia but around the rest of the world also, therefore the billboard however controversial has done its job.

3D Billboards

3D billboards are mainly situated in busy areas, mainly cities. They differentiate from the ordinary 2D billboards by standing out, literally.  They make what they are advertising much more interesting to look at, which means that they are talked about a lot more meaning that the billboard has fulfilled its purpose. 

Although much more expensive to produce than a 2D billboard, they create much more of a “buzz” and attract much more attention therefore creating much more business for the company.

Billboard Limiting Laws

In the UK, billboards are controlled as adverts as part of the planning system. To display an illegal advert (that is, without planning permission) is a criminal offence with a fine of up to £2500 per offence (per poster). 

All of the large UK outdoor advertisers such as CBS Outdoor, JCDecaux, Clear Channel, Titan and Primesight have numerous convictions for such crimes.

Not Always Commercial

Not all billboards are used for advertising products and service non-profit groups and government agencies use them to communicate with the public normally to obtain donations, volunteer support or to change consumer behaviour.

In 1999 an anonymous person created the God Speaks billboard campaign in Florida "to get people thinking about God", with witty statements signed by God. "Don't make me come down there", "We need to talk" and "Tell the children that I love them" were parts of the campaign, which was picked up by the Outdoor advertising association of America and continues today on billboards across the country.

1900's

In the 1900s, there was a boom in national billboard campaigns. Big advertisers began mass production of billboards for the national market. From toothpaste and soaps, to breakfast cereals and sodas, billboards were made to advertise in big bold pictures and images.

In 1913, the practice of filling "open boards" with public service advertising has continued to this day. During the war, there was a concerted effort from the industry to help in the mobilization. While in peacetime, the concern was focused on efforts to generally improve the way of life.

The Egyptians Influence

Thousands of years ago, the Egyptians used a tall stone obelisk to publicize laws and treaties and to celebrate and commemorate special events. This is the early form of outdoor advertising. With the advent of publication through the obelisk, people have their first advertisement. Political and more it may seem, but still advertising nonetheless.

Outdoor Advertising

Outdoor advertising is advertising that reaches the public outside of their home. The public are constantly online where advertisements are pushed into their faces all of the time, so it is in complete contrast with broadcast and internet.

All billboards are competing for audience’s attention so they have to become eye catching however not distracting enough to cause a road traffic accident

What is a billboard?

An advertising billboard, otherwise referred to as a hoarding is a large advertising structure generally placed in high traffic controlled areas as to attract more attention of pedestrians and commuters.

Billboards help many businesses, especially small ones, in advertising and marketing products and services. When it comes to companies that do not have the money to spend on TV or radio commercials, billboards are the cheapest and it reaches far more people than any other form of advertising medium.