Outdoor, or out of home, advertising includes any type of marketing done outdoors to grab people’s attention. The most popular format is billboard advertising, but there are a range of other options, many of which now boast digital components.

Why is Outdoor Advertising Important?

There are so many answers to that question, each of which we’ll explore in depth. But the key takeaway is this. We spend a great deal of our lives outside our homes. Advertisers increasingly fighting to stand out amidst the clog of ads on analog and digital devices need a less-cluttered environment to deliver their message. Enter outdoor advertising.

• You can’t ignore the cost. Outdoor ads often have a lower CPM (cost per thousand) than other forms of media.
• Your company can use outdoor ads for a variety of purposes, ranging from branding to promoting a certain event.
• You can target the sort of mass audience you cannot reach with other forms of media.
• Outdoor advertising is also fun. Is that a reason to invest in it? Well, yes. Advertising should be memorable but it should also be Enjoyable.

The Top Forms of Outdoor Advertising

You could spend an hour trying to list all the forms of outdoor advertising and still leave a few out, since just about anything can become a channel for outdoor ads. But, according to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, these are the top categories:

• Billboards: Including traditional, bulletin billboards, digital billboards, mobile billboards and more
• Transit: Bus, train, subway, cab and other forms of vehicle-focused advertising.
• Street Furniture: Ads on bus shelters, kiosks, benches, parking garages, bathrooms and more.
• Cinema Advertising: Commercials before films begin and other ads around the movie theater.