How Effective is Outdoor Advertising in the UK?

The sheer number of outdoor advertisements is surely a testament to their effectiveness, but just how effective are they? The team at Clear Channel go into detail in this post.

It develops trust

Consumers obviously want to know they can trust the organisation they’re planning on giving their hard-earned money to/signing up with. Consumers are often surveyed on their thoughts and feelings regarding advertising, and out-of-home is the medium that often comes out of such surveys in the best light. In fact, it has a 55% level of trust amongst respondents, compared to 44% for search adverts and 33% for banner advertisements on websites. If people are more trusting of outdoor advertising, then they are more likely to take the message of your outdoor advert on board, which increases the chance of them engaging with your brand.

Repeat viewings

People often travel the same route everyday, often more than once. To and from work, to the centre of town and back - if your advert is on a well-travelled route, people will see it repeatedly, which means your advertisement will be drummed into their minds. Further to this, it’s estimated that 92% of the UK population see bus shelter advertisements every week - a staggering number and evidence of the enormous potential of an outdoor advertisement.

Word spreads

If an advert is particularly striking, or funny, then people are likely to tell their friends about it. You’ll have had the same conversation before regarding commercials on TV - “have you seen the latest Nike advert?” for example - if you see an advert that sticks in your mind, you’re likely to tell others about it. In fact, The Arbitron National In-Car Study in 2009 showed that 56% of people will tell their friends about a funny outdoor advertisement they have seen. This means more people are aware of your message and your brand, which can only be a good thing.

Attention is increased outdoors

If we’re sat on our sofas in front of the TV after a hard day at work, we’re unlikely to be completely focused on what’s happening on screen - we might be eating, talking to family or friends, or just scrolling through our phones. However, research by COG Research and the Outdoor Media Centre has shown that our awareness is heightened by 33% when we’re out and about, meaning we’re more likely to take in the message of an outdoor advertisement.
The question of whether OOH advertising is effective in the UK can be answered with a resounding ‘yes’. However, it’s not as simple as putting any old advert on a billboard and waiting for the interactions to roll in. Your advertisement needs to be carefully planned, from the design and content of the ad itself to the location and timing of the display.
Clear Channel Direct are experts in the planning and execution of advertising campaigns across the UK, using our portfolio of advertising displays in excellent locations to ensure campaigns get noticed. From digital bus shelter displays to our enormous Storm screens, we can provide the perfect display for you - simply get in touch with us today and we’ll be more than happy to help.