Methods of efficiently improving outdoor advertising in Russia

Good day!

Outdoor advertising is one of the most popular kinds of advertising in Russia.

So, how can you direct people’s attention to your outdoor advertising? How can your billboard stand out from your competitors? A great many advertisers think about how outdoor advertising can boost competitiveness.

Let’s have a look at the illustration below of the most common size of billboard (3x6 meters). Such kind of advertising structures are situated practically everywhere in Russia.

Brandmauers(large-size outdoor advertising) are also widely usedin the city streets of Russia.

Let`s speak about some popular outdoor advertisement installation:

1) outdoor advertisement installation in locations with public transportation or where people gather – the goal is maximum number of contacts.

2) outdoor advertisement installation in locations where the client’s targeted audience gather – for instance, advertising of auditing or accounting services in proximity to the tax authorities’ offices - the goal is contact quality, not quantity.

In our agency, we are often faced with situations when international companies install outdoor advertising of products just outside the location of some thematic exhibitions.

The goal of each company is to realize a large profit with the minimum of cost, and the marketing manager has the same goal. The marketing manager has to make the most out of every advertising opportunity. Every enlightened marketing manager works to increase conversion (i.e. the difference between the number of those who have seen an advertisement and the response list), whether that be a web site or outdoor advertising.

In this article I will describe some methods which let you significantly increase the efficiency and competitiveness of outdoor advertising in Russia. Through experience we have accumulated our own “know-how” and we are ready to share it with you.

So, let’s speak about certain methods which can help you to make your billboard more efficacious:

1. Cover your billboard with light-reflecting coating. At night, in headlights or in the streetlights, the board becomes iridescent with different shades, and this attracts people’s attention- pedestrians and drivers. Normal billboard covering does not have such an effect. The billboard, therefore, is highly noticeable, even in bad visibility conditions. The cost of this cover isvery low. For a small price you get a billboard that sets you apart from your competitors. Besides that, this cover can be reliably and easily applied, even in low temperatures. I got to hear about this method from my client, whose head office is situated in Irkutsk, where he saw the benefit of light-reflecting coatings.

2. A method of unexpected factor. This method can be used everywhere in mass media: TV, internet marketing, outdoor advertising. Unexpected factor is a widely accepted method in NLP or other manipulative techniques.

What do we do in advertisement? Consider this example: “The company Ivanov Inc. offers slippers - wholesale and retail”. Let’s try to rephrase this text and _make it more effective: «“Help! We were kidnapped! Look for us in Ivanov Inc.!” – say naughty slippers”». Surely, this advertisement would give better results. Especially, if you mark the phrase “WE WERE KIDNAPPED” on the billboard.

Also we can cite as an example an advertisement of an eccentric Russian businessman Oleg Tinkov. He rolled out new product (new brand of dumplings) to the Russian market with the help of this layout:

Translation – “Your favorite dumplings”.

A signboard of Voronezh store ENKOR, that trades building equipment and tools.

3. On a billboard use as few words and_ graphic items as possible. A typical pedestrian or driver has only 3 (three) seconds to understand what the billboard offers. Just imagine that you have only 3 seconds to catch a potential client!

Sometimes you can find a billboard where the whole business proposal is described. This is a mistake. Your potential client should have the opportunity to understand the subject of the advertisement in 3 seconds or less. That is why the billboard should be easily understandable.

4. Using Russian letters.

I am often faced with Russian language advertisements of foreign origin and I can easily see that it was created by not Russian specialist. The main problem with foreign (especially Asian) advertisements in Russia is the printing type that is used by Asian designers. As a rule it looks unaesthetic, at least in Russia. Therefore, it is important to get the advice of a Russian designer regarding the printing type to be used for an advertisement.

That is why you should elaborate your advertisement strategy!

But do not be afraid to experiment or make mistakes, because mistakes are our study.

Also I would like to bring your attention to White Papers 'How does the media-buying market in Russia work? A media buyers’ quick guide for effective work in Russia. Our E-book is written for professional international media buyers. All professional media buyers are very familiar with their local market and its characteristics. But when they are faced with the challenge of entering a new market, they need to have a grasp of the peculiarities of this new arena.

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