It's no secret that consumers are harder to reach than ever before. Increased choices within traditional advertising channels (satellite TV, digital cable, satellite radio, an abundance of newspaper and magazine titles) have broken large audiences down into smaller and smaller fragments. Combine this trend with the exponential growth in technology that allows individuals to seek out only the content they want, when they want it, and bypass messages pushed at them. PVRs, iPods, satellite radio, online videos and the like make it easier than ever for consumers to ignore advertisers and the brand messages they are trying to deliver.

As a result of these trends, advertisers and agencies are challenged to find new ways to communicate with their desired audiences. In fact, looking at Q2 spending in 2007 versus the same time period in 2008, the three large traditional media outlets (broadcast TV, radio and magazines/newspapers) experienced advertising revenue declines: 1% drop for television; 5% decrease for radio; and 13% fall-off for magazines/newspapers. As you might expect, the biggest winner was Online. However, right behind that new media is one that's been around for a while...Outdoor. The same study indicated that Outdoor advertising actually experienced a revenue growth of 13% from 2007 to 2008.

Increasingly, all forms of outdoor, non-traditional advertising is finding its way into media plans for national, regional and local advertisers...which makes perfect sense. This alternative channel reaches consumers when they are on the go - which is pretty often. On the way to work. In the grocery store. Working out at their local health club. Getting a cup of coffee to make it through the afternoon. These executions become part of daily life and they can't be zapped. Well-designed and well-placed creative engages these consumers, either actively or passively, working to build brand and product awareness, which translates into sales.

Beyond Billboards

In the early days of outdoor advertising, the term 'out-of-home' meant just one thing: billboards. But since that time, the possibilities have become endless. Outdoor. Out-of-home. Non-traditional. Ambient. Alternative. No one category has been able to incorporate all of the opportunities that exist today...and will exist over time.

Alternative Media has grown to include traditional out-of-home elements (billboards, bus shelters, wallscapes) as well as emerging technologies (digital panels, kiosks, segways) and innovative executions (projections, street teams, subway tunnel 'animation').
With so many options out there, pulling together a campaign on the local, regional or national level can seem overwhelming. To help streamline this process, alternative advertising companies offer a single resource to these disparate opportunities. These teams actively reach out to media companies of all sizes and individual owners nationwide to obtain comprehensive collections of alternative advertising assets.