Billboards Get Personal

A few years back, I received a call from a man named Eric, who was interested in purchasing some billboards. When I asked him what kind of business he was looking to advertise, he simply stated that he was in construction, and wanted to meet with me in person to discuss his options. Intrigued by the vagueness of his request, I agreed to meet with him at one of his construction sites, where he was laying cement for a sidewalk near Ulmerton Road.

When I arrived, he grabbed his lunch and sat down with me at a nearby picnic table. He apologized for the dried cement on his hands as he shook mine, and he wiped some sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. I asked him a couple of questions about what he was looking to accomplish with billboards, and what locations he might be interested in. He quickly stopped me, and proceeded to explain that he wasn't looking to advertise his construction business.

Over the next 15 minutes, with tears in his eyes, he explained that he wanted to use billboards to apologize for things he had done. Infidelities with multiple women, which had destroyed his marriage to his wife of 27 years. His confession had torn them apart and he was willing to try anything to put the pieces back together, including spending thousands of dollars on billboards to publicly profess his love for his wife.

It was one of the most memorable sales calls I ever made. When the billboards went up, everyone started asking what they were all about, and eventually the newspapers even picked up the story. I don't know what happened to Eric and his wife, or whether they were able to repair the damage that was done, but Eric's profession was a loud one.

Whether it be a statement about Geico's new low rates or a profession of love, it's undeniable that billboards make quite a statement. Digital billboards make it even easier and more affordable to put a personal message up for the world to see. Last February, we helped a man propose to his wife on a digital billboard (she said yes). This week, we arranged for a proud mother to congratulate her son on his high school graduation.

Everyone has something to say. With the flexibility of digital, we can put together daily (or even hourly) rates for people to shout it from the rooftops.

Now Hiring

Clear Channel Outdoor is looking to hire an advertising account executive. If you understand that selling isn't about pitching products, but solving prospective clients' problems, then we would like to consider you for an account executive position. A position is available for a creative, self-motivated, organized professional seeking a career, as well as financial growth. We offer excellent benefits and compensation packages commensurate with experience. Email your resume to ryanfrazier@clearchannel.com

Or, fax or mail your resume to:

Clear Channel Outdoor
5555 Ulmerton Road
Clearwater, FL 33760
FAX-727-571-1564

Sneak Peak: Art on Billboards

Tampa Bay's first ever Digital Billboard Art Exhibition will begin on Monday May 25th, but you can already preview some of the featured artwork in the slideshow below. Throughout the two-week exhibition, we will be adding profiles about each of the artists to the "Art on Billboards" page, which you can visit by clicking here.

Special thanks goes out to Melissa Poirier and Marina Williams for introducing me to ArtPool, where many of our featured artists' work can be found.

Artwork on Billboards

View more OpenOffice presentations from ryanfrazier.

700 Square-Foot Banner Ads

Tampa Bay area home sales hit a 22-month high in April, with 1,429 homes sold, the highest number since June of 2007. It also marked the fourth straight month of growth over prior month. Regardless of the incessant doom and gloom being delivered by traditional news media, things are starting to change.

The outdoor advertising industry has felt the effects of the sagging housing market. Home builders have shifted what marketing dollars they have left to quick-hit campaigns, primarily advertising online. Web-based advertising is a good way for builders to promote weekend sales, because they can create urgency quickly, without paying expensive production fees.

More recently, home builders have begun to supplement those banner ads with digital billboards, taking their message out of the home and into the marketplace, where business decisions are made. The two mediums have very similar features (flexibility, high reach, no production costs) and complementary benefits (reach people wherever they are) so it's not surprising that advertisers who pair the two are seeing such fantastic results.

Rock You Like A Hurricane

Offering relevant information, such as weather or traffic updates, is a great way to ensure people pay attention to your ad. The ability to display live content on digital billboards has been underutilized by local advertisers. Most people probably don't realize that any text or image that's on the web can be added as an automatically updating element on the sign.

In the Tampa Bay area, there is a huge market for windows and doors specifically designed to withstand high-impact winds. As hurricane season approaches, I've been thinking about how cool it would be to show a live 24/7 Doppler radar image of current cloud coverage as part of a campaign to promote the storm-proofing of homes. Over the course of such a campaign, drivers would make a point to check the radar as they pass each day, enhancing the effectiveness of such a branding campaign.

Effective advertising is essential to weathering the current economic storm. Adding live content to your outdoor campaign is a great way to set yourself apart from your competition, ensuring that your company's future will be bright and sunny.

There's An App For That

With more than 1 billion apps downloaded for the iPhone, it's clear that the multi-functional programs for your mobile phone are here to stay. According to the folks at Apple, there's an app for just about everything. So the question some people are asking is, "When will there be an app that gives consumers interactivity with digital signage?"

Think of the possibilities... As you pass a billboard for a restaurant, your phone could download a takeout menu. A billboard for an upcoming concert could provide you with a free download of a song by the performing artist. If you've used your phone to call Domino's in the last week, a billboard for Pizza Hut could send you a personalized message telling you why you should order from them instead. It's a little bit "big brother" but it seems like the obvious next step in the digital out-of-home revolution. It could also solve the problem of measurement.

Instead of providing a constant, annoying flow of text messages, which would be similar to email spam, the app could be something you would open as you pass a billboard. Advertisements that have the interactivity function could carry a stamp or symbol that indicates you should check your app for content. This would make the content available on demand, instead of cramming it down the consumer's throat. Someone with more advanced programming skills than me is going to invent this thing eventually and will probably make themselves a fortune.

Gathering Artists For Billboard Exhibition

ArtPool Gallery & Vintage Boutique in downtown St. Petersburg is one of the hidden gems of Pinellas County. Started by Marina Williams in 2008, ArtPool lets up-and-coming talent display their work at a very low cost, and allows the artists to keep 100% of the proceeds.

I spoke with Marina regarding our upcoming Digital Billboard Art Exhibition, hoping to spread the word that we will be using our billboards across Tampa Bay to display the work of local artists. Our goal is to generate interest in local culture and the arts, while beautifying the streets with something bold and meaningful. Her enthusiasm about the exhibition was contagious. I truly can't wait to see some of these paintings up in lights.

If you haven't been to ArtPool, you're missing out on one of the best additions to St. Pete culture. The gallery will host a launch party tomorrow, May 9th for "Zero: Modern Arts Directory", a sort of Yellow Pages of local talent.

Check back here for interviews and articles on participating artists, and if you or someone you know would like to display your work in our free Digital Billboard Exhibition, please call 727.299.2456 or email ryanfrazier@clearchannel.com.

The Doctor Will See You Now

Why is it that almost any television program set in a hospital becomes wildly successful? From General Hospital, to ER, to Scrubs, to Grey's Anatomy.... At almost any given time over the past few decades, there has been at least one hit show set within the walls of a hospital.

Truth is, you'd have a hard time finding more going on under one roof anywhere, than in your average metropolitan hospital. People being born, people passing away, people being diagnosed, people being cured.... The marketing department of a hospital has a challenging job. How do you support all the different departments and services that your hospital offers with one consistent ad campaign? What you need is an advertising medium that is flexible enough to deliver multiple messages and change on a dime.

The picture above shows how a hospital used an LED sign to announce the birth-weights of each new baby born in the maternity ward. Of course, this was executed before today's full color digital displays were introduced to the market, but the basic concept remains. A current billboard campaign in Tampa shows the number of lives saved in a specific hospital. Now, imagine if that statistic updated automatically with a real-time number. You could show the current wait time in the ER (providing it was short). You could alert the market at a moment's notice of a shortage in a specific blood-type. There are so many different ways to use the technology...

Your business has to adapt daily to keep up with the changing market. Why shouldn't your ad campaign be just as flexible as you are?

The Medium Is The Message

Intel is on the verge of launching it's most expensive advertising campaign in 3 years. The new campaign focuses on the corporate culture of Intel, introducing us to the "Sponsors of Tomorrow." From what I've seen so far, it looks like it could be a fun campaign.

But the element that has me excited is the way Intel plans to incorporate digital billboards in cities across the country. The billboards will pose the simple question, "What do you hope to see in the future?" and will prompt viewers to text in their responses. Once the responses have been reviewed for inappropriate content, they will be uploaded and displayed on the billboards.

It's important to note that I don't think Intel selected digital outdoor as a medium by mistake. In the words of Marshall McLuhan, "the medium is the message." Companies who want to be seen as forward-thinking, cutting edge leaders in their field should consider selecting a medium that matches the image they're wishing to portray. It will reinforce your company's values, and will ensure that the techies who can't help but slow down as they pass a digital billboard will notice you and what you've got to offer.

Amber Alert Cancelled

The Amber Alert for 14-year-old Krystal Borrego was cancelled Tuesday evening. The child was reported missing from the Homestead area, but the case was resolved. Officials did not put out any additional information.

Amber Alert: Krystal Borrego

Missing Person Info
Name: Krystal Borrego
Age: 14 years old
Gender: Female
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Skin Tone: White
Height: 5''2
Weight: 130 lbs

Last Seen: Monday, May 5th near 9th Court and Washington Avenue in Homestead FL.

UPDATE: According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, she may be with an unknown black male in a dark-red, 1990s two-door Saturn. Homestead police spokesman Ed Bowe stated that Borrego is bipolar and has a history of running away from home.

This message is currently up on all 13 of our digital billboards in the Tampa Bay area. If anyone has any info that might lead to the child's whereabouts, please contact 305-247-1535.

I'll Have What She's Having

I've seen some great TV commercials for restaurants. High definition footage of perfectly cut steaks, creamy pasta Alfredo, and the way the condensation rolls off the tomatoes and lettuce... But I've always wondered, why make the consumer's mouth water, when they can't do anything about it? They're sitting comfortably at home, probably having just finished their evening meal, and can't be expected to remember your :30 second spot tomorrow night.

One of the long-standing benefits of outdoor is the way it catches people's attention while they're away from home and in the marketplace, allowing you to reach a more convenient and susceptible consumer. Imagine driving home from work and seeing a brilliant, back-lit image of jumbo shrimp or chicken Parmesan. You're probably already thinking about how you don't feel like cooking, and along comes a sign beckoning you to "come in, sit down, and let us do the work!"

That's the power of outdoor advertising. Digital billboards take the concept one step further, giving restaurants the chance to display daily specials and price points. They can even show different designs at different times of the day, displaying quiche and coffee in the morning, burgers and wraps at noon, and salmon and sirloins in the evening. Make them crave what you're offering when they can actually do something about it instead of while they're watching American Idol on a full stomach.