The Billboard Buzz

The High Price of Being Ignored Missed Impressions = Missed Opportunities A billboard may be in the perfect location, but if it’s hard to read or visually cluttered, you’ve wasted that high-traffic real estate. According to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA), billboards generate an ad recall of 70% or more  when done right, but poor design can reduce that by more than half. The Speed Test: You Have 5 Seconds Drivers glance at billboards for an average of 5–7 seconds . If your design doesn’t communicate instantly, it fails. Fonts that are too small, images without context, or excessive text can all compromise clarity. Brand Erosion Over Time Consistently bad creative does more than waste money—it hurts your brand. Billboards are large-format reputation builders. A blurry, dull, or awkward design makes your company look unprofessional, even if your service is excellent. The Most Common Creative Mistakes 1. Too Much Text Your bill...

If You’re Not Ready, You’re Already Behind Search has officially entered a new era—and it’s not subtle. With Google’s AI Mode now fully rolled out and Deep Search picking up steam, the way people search (and how Google responds) has changed. This shift is more than a feature update—it’s a complete reconfiguration of the search engine behavior we’ve been optimizing for over 20 years. If you're running SEO the same way you were even six months ago, you're leaving visibility—and conversions—on the table. We’ve been tracking this transition across live campaigns, watching as traffic patterns shift, user behavior evolves, and traditional strategies become obsolete. The takeaway is clear: businesses that adapt now are gaining ground quickly. Those waiting for “proof” are already watching rankings fade. Let’s break down what’s changing and how you can pivot before it’s too late. AI Mode: Search Just Got Smarter (and Tougher) Google’s AI Mode isn’t ju...

Budgets Are Tight, But Bulletins Are Booming Ad budgets are shrinking. Attribution is more complex than ever. And digital platforms are drowning in noise and inflated pricing. Yet, one channel is standing tall above the rest—literally. According to the latest June 2025 Select Media & Entertainment Activity Report from Media Monthly, bulletins in the out-of-home (OOH) category deliver the lowest cost per thousand impressions (CPM) among all advertising channels, ranging from $3 to $10. That makes them the most cost-efficient large-scale advertising format in the game right now. Quick Note: What Is CPM, Exactly? CPM stands for Cost Per Mille , or Cost Per Thousand Impressions . It’s one of the most common ways to measure the efficiency of advertising. A $10 CPM means you’re paying $10 every time 1,000 people see your ad . Lower CPMs mean you’re reaching more people for less money, which is precisely why bulletins are getting so much attention in 2025. How Bu...

Search engines have always shaped the way businesses market themselves. The landscape is shifting dramatically, from Google's dominance to AI-driven search like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE). Digital marketers are now faced with a critical question: How can their offline marketing strategy, especially billboards, adapt to keep their brand visible? If your business depends heavily on website traffic generated through search engines, recent changes are probably causing you headaches. Google’s latest AI enhancements and new search interfaces significantly reduce website clicks. This shift, known as "zero-click searches," means users get answers right on the search page without visiting your website. However, there’s an effective tool to offset these digital challenges: billboards . Why Search Engine Changes Matter Search engines have long been a dependable traffic source. Historically, businesses have relied heavily on clicks generate...

The rollout of Search Generative Experience (SGE) by Google is rewriting the rules of visibility. Local businesses that once relied heavily on organic clicks are now watching traffic dip as AI overviews take center stage in search results. However, while digital impressions shrink, one traditional channel is rising in value: billboard advertising . SGE isn’t killing search. It’s just changing how people discover, remember, and engage with brands—and in this new world, top-of-mind awareness matters more than top-of-page placement. Billboards are built for this moment. What Is Google’s SGE and Why Should You Care? Google’s SGE introduces AI-generated overviews that sit above or replace traditional search results. These summaries aim to answer user questions instantly—often without requiring any click at all. Key Features of SGE: AI-generated answers at the top of results Reduced visibility for organic blue links Fewer clicks to business websites...

Without Fail Every week, we hear the same two questions from business owners, finance teams, and decision-makers who aren’t deep in the weeds of marketing: “How long does brand marketing take to work?” “What happens if we need to pause it?” These are fair questions. Running a business means watching every dollar, and when budgets get tight, marketing is usually one of the first things on the chopping block. But here's the thing—cutting brand marketing doesn't just stop future growth. It can undo a lot of what you’ve already built. If you’re in it for long-term growth, your mindset around brand marketing must shift from “campaign” to “commitment.” Why Brand Marketing Doesn’t Pay Off Immediately There’s a reason seasoned marketers rarely panic over immediate results: they know how the system works. Brand marketing doesn’t operate like a faucet—you don’t just turn it on and expect a flood of new business the next day. Yes, some buyers may be rea...

Measuring digital ads used to be easy. You’d set up some tracking pixels, install cookies, and watch the data roll in. You knew who clicked, where they came from, what they did on your site, and how long they stuck around. That’s not how it works anymore. New privacy laws, platform changes, and tech updates have flipped everything upside down. You’re now working with fewer signals, more gaps, and strict rules around user data. That doesn’t mean you can’t measure results. It means you’ve got to change how you do it. What Changed and Why It Matters In the past few years, digital privacy rules have exploded. Countries have passed strict laws, big tech players like Apple, Google, and Meta have made major changes, and users have started blocking more trackers than ever before. Here’s what’s different now: Third-party cookies are going away. Google Chrome is removing them for good. Firefox and Safari already did. Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) f...