Tag: advertising

Rethinking the Media Experience

Posted on by Grant Griggs
While recently replaced with a new design, OhioHealth’s large-format Wallscape has been a well-known landmark in the downtown of Mansfield for several years!

Remember when you would go to the mailbox to get the newspaper, or wait excitedly for the next issue of your magazine to get delivered? What about the hours you spent burning your favorite music onto a blank CD? And pictures – getting to thumb through a scrapbook of family photos and relive great memories. Feeling nostalgic yet?

Maybe it’s nostalgia. Maybe it’s just getting older. Or maybe, as our lives continue to become increasingly digitized, we’ve realized convenience isn’t the only thing we value.

The Resurgence of Tangibility

There’s a certain satisfaction in experiencing something in its physical format. Something that takes up real space, more of our attention, and immerses itself in our everyday surroundings. Vinyl records have found a new generation of collectors, all things “old school” have grown in popularity, and even print publications are finding opportunities to reconnect with readers. 

Take LIFE Magazine, for example. After years of mostly digitized publication, the iconic title is making a more consistent return to its original print-format in November 2026 with a new quarterly edition. Its revival isn’t just about “bringing back” an iconic magazine, it’s about bringing back the experience of print while creating something that lives beyond the pages themselves. And in a culture where we’re constantly consuming information in increasingly fleeting pieces, there’s something to be said for something we can hold, spend time with, and return to.

The Digital Dilemma: Gone Too Far?

For years, marketers have been encouraged to move everything online. Content has become faster to produce, easier to distribute, and increasingly personalized. We’ve found ways to reach people almost anywhere at any time. But in that process, did we become a little too focused on how many ways people can see our content, and not enough on how they’re experiencing it?

Digital platforms have opened up incredible opportunities for businesses of all size, industry, and caliber, and made the search for information significantly easier for consumers – there’s no doubt that it has been beneficial to both. However, the sheer volume of content everyone is exposed to online has created a new challenge: making something worth remembering.

HubSpot’s 2026 State of Marketing Report puts emphasis on this challenge. In its “Content Trends” section, 52% of marketers stated that AI has made content so easy to create that it’s becoming less effective overall. 53% of marketers struggle to differentiate their brand’s content in an AI-saturated market.

So, while we’re creating more content at an unprecedented speed, distributing it across more channels, and finding new ways to directly target individuals, we are still struggling to make content that truly stands out to our audiences. In short, maybe the answer isn’t always to create more – maybe it’s to pay more attention to the experience we’re creating instead.

A Change of Scenery for Consumers

Our audience won’t remember every single advertisement or piece of content they see, but they always remember the experiences that catch them off-guard, make them laugh, or give them something to ponder. And to avoid your experience getting lost in the noise online, why not make them engage with something in the real world?

If you live in Ohio, chances are you’re familiar with the “Hell is Real” billboard along I-71 between Columbus and Cincinnati. In fact, the Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati soccer rivalry is even named after it! What started as a roadside religious message has become a recognizable piece of Ohio culture, inspiring plenty of conversation, social media posts, and even a name for one of the region’s sporting rivalries.

The “Hell is Real” billboard has become an iconic reference to Ohio!

Think about that for a moment – a billboard has become part of a community’s identity. People recognize it, talk about it, take pictures with it, and associate it with a place. Whether you love it, hate it, or simply find it amusing, you remember it.

That’s one of the things that makes Out-of-Home advertising so interesting. Billboards exist in the physical world, alongside the everyday experiences that make up people’s lives. They’re part of a daily commute, a bus route, or a trip to the grocery store – familiar routes people take almost every day. And unlike digital ads that disappear from both feed and memory with a single scroll, billboards remain part of the environment that people engage in. A billboard can serve as more than a promotional message. It can be a creative expression, a nod to the community, or even a moment of humor. And while this interaction won’t have a click or comment recorded, something more meaningful will have been achieved.

Making the Best of Both Worlds

One of the most compelling aspects of physical media is its relationship with its environment. Magazines become part of a home’s décor. Photos become part of a family’s history. And billboards become part of the daily drive. Out-of-Home advertising offers an opportunity to create messages that feel relevant to the people who see them. Whether it reflects a community, refers to a local icon, or brings a little personality to a place people know well, it’s a way to show up where life is already happening.

Of course, we’re not suggesting canceling your streaming services and throwing your phone in a lake. Physical and digital channels don’t have to compete – rather, they can complement each other. But that also means understanding each medium well enough to not just repurpose the same piece of content on every channel. A billboard can introduce an idea that continues through social media. A print ad could inspire online conversation. A real-world campaign can give people something worth sharing with others digitally.

That’s where the human side of marketing comes in. Behind every impression, view, and engagement metric is a real person going about their day. Someone with routines, memories, favorite places, and experiences that exist far beyond a screen.

We have more ways than ever to reach people, but perhaps the real opportunity is to create something that will impact them in a meaningful and memorable way – even after they scroll or look away.

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Advertising with the Intention of Retention: Keeping Clients Engaged

Posted on by Grant Griggs
Republic Lumber billboard, Pole Barn Billboard
Billboards are a great medium for acquiring new clients and re-engaging previous ones!

A Q1 article released by marketing agency Genesys Growth reported that customer acquisition costs (CACs) have increased by more than 60% over the past 5 years across both the B2B and B2C sectors. As businesses of all sizes and industries work to maintain profitability amid tariffs, inflation, and other economic factors, the cost of attracting new customers continues to rise. However, Genesys also noted that retaining current clientele drives a 25%-95% increase in profits.

While many advertising strategies are focused on attracting new customers, there may be another opportunity worth considering: advertising with the intention of retaining clients long-term and encouraging repeat purchases.

Retaining Clients Can Reduce Acquisition Resources

When it’s time to plan a marketing strategy for the year, a significant portion of resources are allocated towards the acquisition of new customers. And while bringing in new clientele is important for continued growth, the cost of these efforts continues to rise. At the same time, businesses may be overlooking an audience they’ve already invested time and resources into acquiring – previous clients.  

A largely discussed topic among both businesses and consumers is the importance of building and maintaining trust. A new prospect begins as a cold lead and may require multiple touchpoints with the business before feeling comfortable enough to make a purchase. A previous client, however, has already established a sense of trust based on their prior interactions with the business, and can be considered a warm lead. That existing relationship and trust may mean less time and resources are required to encourage another purchase, making long-term client retention an opportunity worth exploring when drafting the marketing strategy.

Reminding and Re-Engaging for Repeat Purchases

While maintaining a relationship with this audience may require fewer resources than acquiring a new prospect, the most effective retention strategies require more involvement. Once a client purchases a product from a business, they may not think about that business again until a need or want prompts them to make another purchase. However, the relationship doesn’t have to be a “one and done” interaction. As established in marketing psychological concepts such as the Mere Exposure Effect, creating opportunities of repeated exposure to a brand can contribute to familiarity and lead towards greater preference over time. By continuing to put a brand, product, or service in front of consumers, businesses can remain familiar and recognizable even when an immediate purchase isn’t necessary for the consumer.

Re-engaging with previous customers can be equally important to generating repeat purchases. Now that multiple opportunities for this audience to encounter the brand and offerings have been established, the next step is to give them a reason to act. This could include promoting seasonal or new products, creating events they can attend or participate in, inviting opportunities for feedback, or offering specific discounts or promotions. The main objective is to introduce something that gives consumers a reason to return.

The re-engagement of this audience can lead to not only repeat purchases, but also to positive reviews, referrals, and word-of-mouth recommendations – beneficial byproducts that can extend towards the retention and acquisition of current and new customers.

Retaining Clients Through Advertising

Though repeated exposure is a widely known and utilized marketing strategy for both acquisition and retention of clients, it’s important to be mindful of how these exposures are delivered. In recent years, consumers have reported experiencing increased digital ad fatigue, which could be correlated to businesses relying more heavily on hyper-targeting across digital platforms like social media and search engines. Too much repeated exposure across too few platforms, no matter what the intention, can begin to make the campaign content feel too intrusive or easier to overlook.

One way to diversify that exposure is through utilizing tangible forms of advertising, such as billboards. Rather than competing for attention within a crowded digital feed, out-of-home advertising can provide a consistent, physical presence along the routes consumers already travel. Additionally, a billboard’s messaging versatility gives the opportunity to utilize multiple targeted ads at once, providing previous customers with multiple new reasons to consider making another purchase.

This strategy applies across both B2B and B2C businesses, with consideration towards the repeat purchase paths looking slightly different from each other. For a B2C business, re-engagement may look more direct than its alternate sector; to re-engage, introducing a seasonal offering, influencer feature, or promotional offer can lead directly to additional purchases. For a B2B business, retaining and re-engaging may take longer, with consideration toward the budgetary structures and individual needs of each client. To encourage re-engagement, highlight the benefits of investing in a longer-term relationship. For example: a cleaning company could promote the value of a routine cleaning plan by advertising their complimentary service inclusions that are otherwise an additional charge for one-time services. Alternatively, seasonal promotions and sales can be just as effective to B2B sectors as they are with their B2C counterparts.

For businesses looking to retain previous clients, the goal isn’t to simply remain visible – it’s to build a series of touchpoints that move the customer from recognition to renewed interest. Billboard’s versatility as an advertising medium can play a role in each stage of this strategy, and help businesses turn a previous customer into repeat business.

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Why Brand Awareness Impacts Your Business

Posted on by Grant Griggs
Billboards are a great medium for instilling highly effective brand awareness for your company or organization!

Imagine if someone asked you to hire a moving company you’d never heard of before. Or, eat at a restaurant with a name unknown to you. Would you say yes if you couldn’t check reviews, ask any follow-up questions, or do any kind of research? For most people, the answer is probably no.

This response isn’t necessarily because the business is bad – there’s just not enough information to build trust or confidence. And when we’re faced with any level of uncertainty, many of us will often avoid the cause of that as much as possible. We choose the restaurant whose parking lot is full every time we drive past it, or the moving company whose trucks are always parked in someone’s driveway.

In today’s world, where information is available in seconds and consumers have countless options at their fingertips, unfamiliarity creates hesitation. Before prices are compared, quotes are requested, or reviews are read, it’s essential that your audience and the public know your business exists.

Awareness Happens Before Action

Brand Awareness isn’t about convincing consumers to make a purchase in the moment.  Most often, consumers aren’t ready to make any form of commitment to a business they’ve just been introduced to. However, once that initial introduction has been made, a business can begin building a foundation of trust that will likely lead to a purchase.

While the end goal of the process is for a purchase to be made, consumers must be made aware of the brand and what to associate with it. These points of exposure, often referred to as “touchpoints,” could consist of social media posts, billboards, radio ads – basically anything that publicizes that company, its brand, and what they sell in some capacity. Without these touchpoints, consumers would have little exposure to most products and services and would limit their purchases to only what they’re familiar with. In short, these touchpoints are essential to build trust – whether directly or indirectly – and influence the growth of a business.

Measuring Awareness

There is much argument about which medium provides the most effective form of awareness – however, it is considerably difficult to accurately measure the effectiveness of most formats. While social media ads can provide analytics and insights, how many consumers that were listed as impressions absorbed the post, and didn’t simply scroll past it? Or, how many people listened to the radio ad, instead of muting the volume or changing stations? And that’s without considering the number of consumers utilizing streaming services instead of radio – which arguably has a similar problem, with consumers paying for ad-free streaming on those platforms.

While there is a perception that billboards don’t offer quantifiable analytics, that isn’t necessarily the case. Each billboard location has an estimated impression count based on a formula that incorporates traffic data provided by the Department of Transportation and a defined period of time, typically one week. A knowledgeable billboard representative should be able to provide the daily traffic count for a particular location, as well as its estimated weekly impression count, giving advertisers a clearer picture of the potential audience their billboard can reach.

Billboards Support Brand Awareness

With consumers desiring more to interact with technology less, billboards provide a great opportunity for advertisers to continue to reach their audiences. In fact, the tangibility they provide greatly increases consumer trust, consumer recognition and consumer engagement. In an age where scammers are running rampant online, viewers appreciate that the ads and images seen on a billboard are more likely to be from a real business than any ad online. Moreover, research from the Out of Home Advertising Association of America suggests that billboards have become the “human medium” through offering a shared, in-person experience to the audiences that are exposed to an ad on a billboard structure. This prioritization of the viewer over the algorithm continues to expand billboard advertising’s popularity among consumers.

Believing in Brand Awareness

It’s understandable why so many businesses have hesitation in utilizing brand awareness as a strategy for their marketing. Businesses, like consumers, have hesitation towards what they consider “the unknown.” Without being able to consistently and acutely track a campaign, it can be harder to quantify your results and determine whether the tactic is working.

Rather than the challenge being to find an advertising medium that can accurately pinpoint consumer intent, it’s accepting that consumers don’t make purchasing decisions in a straight line. It would be considered uncommon for someone to see a business for the first time and immediately become a paying customer. Instead, decisions are formed over the course of days, weeks, or even months via repeated exposure to that business. A person may drive past the same billboard every morning on their commute, notice a company’s logo in their social media feed later that week, hear someone mention that business in conversation, and only then decide to visit its website when the need finally arises.

After a purchase has been made, it’s often impossible to identify which singular touchpoint or advertising medium ultimately made the difference. However, focusing too heavily on finding that one defining moment overlooks how consumers make decisions. Every interaction, whether a billboard, social post, or verbal recommendation plays a key role in building familiarity, confidence, and trust over time.

Brand awareness isn’t about producing an immediate sale or providing a traceable path to conversion. It’s about ensuring that when the need eventually arises, your business is already familiar and trusted by the consumer. The businesses that consistently invest in brand awareness aren’t placing blind faith in an unmeasurable strategy; they’re investing in a form of marketing that will result in recognition that benefits their business long-term.

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Is Modern Marketing Becoming Too Complicated?

Posted on by Grant Griggs
Billboards are a great medium for creating real-world marketing experiences for consumers!

If you look up “marketing news” today, you’ll most likely find an entire list of articles discussing Artificial Intelligence – how it’s changing SEO, reshaping search behavior, and dissolving the analytics that many marketers considered to be key in determining success. Despite AI having completely reshaped many standard digital marketing tactics, it is merely the newest piece of a much larger framework that has been changing the industry over time.

Objectively, modern-day marketing has become increasingly complex. Businesses and marketers are expected to understand and navigate SEO, AEO, webpage crawling, AI citations, algorithm updates, trend cycles, conversion tracking, engagement metrics, keywords, and more. If marketing is fundamentally the process of understanding people and delivering something of value to them, then today’s marketing landscape is beginning to resemble a conspiracy theory board riddled with red string. And if the system has become overly “engineered” to the point of obscurity, it raises an important question: has modern marketing become too complicated for its own good?

The Shift from People to Platforms

A common theory in marketing is that the most effective campaigns are often the ones consumers don’t immediately recognize as marketing. The goal was to create something entertaining, useful, informative, or emotionally resonant enough that consumers would willingly engage with it. The product or service would become associated with the experience, and when people connected with it, the brand naturally followed.

Today, many businesses find themselves marketing to something entirely different. Search engines, AI chatbots, recommendation algorithms, and web crawlers are fed information that may – or may not – eventually be presented to a potential customer. However, success often depends upon satisfying a growing list of technical requirements: authority scores, relevant keywords, question-and-answer formatting, schema markup, alt text, and countless other ranking factors. The result is often bland content that feels more focused on algorithmic approval than earning consumer attention.

At the same time, consumers are becoming increasingly vocal about ad fatigue. They’re either skipping ads, scrolling past sponsored content, or tuning out any promotional messaging as a whole. The introduction of AI has only added another layer of hesitation and skepticism, as consumers now become wary of perceiving fake content as genuine.

If consumers are already frustrated by increasingly complex and impersonal marketing tactics, should the solution really be to add even more layers of technology and automation to the mix? Or is it something else completely?

Doing More with Less

When marketing was at its peak, it was simple, direct, and prioritized the consumer. Now, the main focus is on the number of mediums used to hyper-target one individual, with no tactics involved to build trust. This is where consumers started to feel their privacy was being breached.

To remedy the amount of distrust being felt by consumers online, why not revert to an advertising medium that remains both simple and direct?

Billboards play a pivotal role in building brand awareness without invasive tracking, hyper-targeting, or complex optimization strategies – and that’s what makes them so effective in the modern marketing landscape. Not only do they offer a simplified and direct way to advertise to consumers, but they also allow for ample opportunity to make the ad specifically for consumer experience – not chatbots, search engine crawlers, or any form of optimization technology. Just effective ads being presented directly to a mass audience during their daily commute.

And despite their simplicity, billboards are known to be a strong contender in terms of effectiveness – boasting an impressive 86% ad recall rate and a 78% engagement rate among consumers (Out of Home Advertising Association of America)! Those numbers serve as a reminder that effective marketing doesn’t always require more complexity.

As businesses and marketers alike continue adapting to new technologies, platforms, and consumer behaviors, it’s worth remembering that the goal of marketing has never fundamentally changed. Consumers still want to discover businesses they can trust, products and services that solve problems, and brands that feel familiar. The methods may evolve, but the object remains the same: to connect with people. Billboards continue to excel at that simple objective, helping businesses stay top-of-mind through clear messaging and repeated exposure.

In conclusion, as marketing continues to become increasingly focused on systems, algorithms, and automation, the brands that stand out will be the ones that never lose sight of the people they’re trying to reach.

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Shifting the Scales Back: Reclaiming Brand Experience in an AI-Filtered World

Posted on by Grant Griggs
Billboards are a great medium for creating real-world marketing experiences for consumers!

Artificial intelligence has surged into nearly every corner of marketing – and as of early 2026, that momentum has only intensified. Content is faster and easier to produce, campaigns are easier to scale, and brands are communicating more than ever before. For some businesses, these developments have been a game-changer. But at what cost?

Despite this newfound scalability and efficiency, the disconnect between businesses and consumers has become exceedingly apparent. In the pursuit of looking polished and producing high volumes of content, brands risk losing sight of what actually matters: creating meaningful points of connection, not just contact.

When Efficiency Starts to Dilute Experience

When efficiency begins to be the primary goal of a business – especially the sectors that work closely with the public – it often comes at the expense of consumer experience. AI excels at speed and scale, but when widely adopted in the same ways across industries, the result can feel indistinguishable. Messaging begins to blur together, regardless of the brand behind it.

At the same time, success is increasingly measured through metrics and performance data. While these insights are valuable, they can also create distance. Behind every data point is a real person, and when interactions feel reduced to numbers, audiences are less likely to feel seen, valued, or motivated to engage.

Reclaiming the Brand Experience

Reclaiming the brand experience starts with a shift in priorities. Instead of focusing solely on output, brands must re-center their strategies around connection, presence, and intention. When so much communication is filtered, optimized, and automated, authenticity becomes a major differentiator. Brands that show up in ways that feel tangible, thoughtful, and more “human” will be the only ones to stand apart from the noise.

Why Billboards Matter in an AI-Filtered Landscape

This is where traditional media – specifically billboards – resolve the mass brand experience problem in a meaningful way. Unlike digital mediums, like social media and AI chatbots, billboards deliver messages without being personalized or reshaped by algorithms. In fact, billboards create a sense of mass connectivity through everyone having the same direct interaction with it.

Billboards don’t depend on user data, platform changes, or shifting visibility rules. Instead, they rely on being rooted in the real world and being seen by real people. You never have to question whether a billboard advertisement is real or not, and nowadays, that matters.

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Is Billboard Advertising Worth It?

Posted on by Grant Griggs
Billboards can be a strong medium for marketing and advertising purposes

If you’re considering billboard advertising, you’ve probably asked yourself whether it’s worth it for your business.

The short answer is yes – but, it’s most effective when it’s approached with the right strategy and a clear set of expectations. Billboards don’t behave like digital ads that generate immediate clicks or conversions. Instead, they build visibility, familiarity, and trust over time. For businesses focused on long-term growth at the local or regional level, that kind of consistent exposure is incredibly valuable.

At its core, billboard advertising works because of repetition. Audiences encounter your message regularly during their commutes, daily routines, and travels. That repeated exposure builds recognition, and over time, recognition turns into trust. When a consumer is ready to make a decision, they’re far more likely to choose a name they already know.

ROI for Billboards

The value of billboard advertising isn’t always immediate, but it is measurable in meaningful ways. Businesses that invest in consistent outdoor advertising often see increases in branded search activity, website traffic, and increased foot traffic!

Just as importantly, billboards reinforce brand legitimacy by placing your business in a highly visible, public space. That visibility signals credibility and strengthens how your audience perceives your brand across every touchpoint. In today’s competitive landscape, that perception alone can influence how customers evaluate and choose between businesses.

In fact, client Legacy Marble & Granite shared:
“Since launching our billboard campaign with Lind Media, we’ve seen a noticeable increase in showroom traffic, including from markets outside our usual reach. It’s been an effective way to expand our visibility!”

It’s also worth noting that billboard advertising is one of the oldest forms of marketing still in use today. And, it hasn’t just survived – it’s remained highly relevant. While many traditional advertising channels have declined with the rise of digital – such as print, television, and radio – out-of-home advertising continues to grow. According to the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA), the industry surpassed $9 billion in annual revenue in 2024 and has recorded 18 consecutive quarters of growth. That kind of sustained momentum reflects one simple truth: real-world visibility still works.

Setting the Right Expectations

When billboard advertising doesn’t feel “worth it,” it’s usually not because the medium failed—it’s because expectations or strategy were misaligned.

One of the most common misalignments is expecting immediate, trackable results that are associated with digital advertising. While immediate results can happen, billboards are not designed to function as short-term lead generation tools. Their effectiveness builds over time through consistent exposure and audience familiarity. Campaigns that run for shorter durations often don’t reach the level of impact associated with long-term placements.

Creative also plays a critical role in performance. Messaging that is too complex, wordy, or difficult to read at a glance will struggle to make an impression. With billboard advertising, clarity isn’t just important, it’s imperative.

Optimizing Your Billboard Campaign

Billboard advertising delivers the most value when it’s supported by a clear strategy and realistic expectations. The strongest campaigns aren’t rushed; they prioritize simplicity, consistency, and audience alignment.

Working with industry professionals can significantly improve campaign performance. An experienced Account Executive can help ensure your campaign runs for the right duration and reaches the right audience, while a Creative Production Team can guide you in designing messaging that is optimized for real-world viewing conditions.

With the right guidance and a well-executed strategy, billboard advertising becomes a long-term driver of visibility, credibility, and growth – making it a worthwhile investment for businesses looking to establish a strong and lasting presence.

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Your Media Mix is a Statement: Here’s What Billboards Say About Your Brand

Posted on by Grant Griggs
Billboards can be a strong signifier of Brand POV

If you’ve spent time on LinkedIn recently, you’ve likely noticed the growing conversation around “Brand POV.” In a marketing environment shaped by AI-generated content and algorithm-driven distribution, differentiation no longer comes from producing more content – it comes from having a clearer perspective.

A brand’s Point of View (POV) is a distinct – often opinionated – stance on industry or cultural topics, rather than simply a promotion of products or services. It defines a brand’s worldview. At its best, it builds deeper, value-driven connections by establishing shared beliefs. It’s sometimes called brand stance, brand voice, or thought leadership. Regardless of the label, the idea is the same: strong brands don’t just sell – they stand for something.

The brands gaining traction today aren’t simply posting more often. They are expressing conviction. They have a defined way of seeing their industry, their customers, and their role in the market.

What is often overlooked, however, is that brand perspective is expressed not only through messaging – but through media choice.

The platforms a company invests in communicate just as much as the creative itself. A brand that prioritizes performance-driven online campaigns signals a focus on optimization and efficiency. One built primarily on influencer partnerships communicates social proof and cultural alignment. An organization that leans heavily into owned email channels signals control – and direct access to its audience.

Choosing billboards communicates something different.

In a marketing ecosystem dominated by personalization, micro-targeting, and constantly shifting algorithms, billboards operate outside that system. They are public, shared, and unfiltered. They are not dependent on feeds, engagement rates, or platform volatility. They cannot be skipped, blocked, muted, or scrolled past. A billboard exists in the real world, visible to an entire community at once. That choice alone reflects a belief in presence over personalization and visibility over volatility.

There is also a deeper psychological signal embedded in physical media. Online campaigns can be paused in seconds. Creative can be revised instantly. Budgets can be reallocated overnight. Billboards, by contrast, require commitment. They are planned, produced, and installed. They remain visible day after day. That permanence communicates stability and confidence – particularly meaningful in industries built on trust, such as healthcare, legal services, finance, and public leadership.

In an increasingly fragmented online landscape, where every consumer sees a different feed, billboards create a shared experience. The same message, in the same place, for the same market. Shared visibility builds cultural presence in a way hyper-targeted ads cannot replicate. It positions a brand not just as a participant in platform conversations, but as a visible fixture within the community itself.

This is where billboards as Brand POV become especially compelling. In an era where efficiency and optimization dominate marketing discussions, choosing broad, physical visibility is a strategic declaration. It signals that a brand values market presence, long-term memory, and public legitimacy. It suggests a willingness to be seen – not just clicked, skipped, or silenced.

Your media mix is never neutral. It reflects how you believe brands grow, how markets are won, and how trust is built. Billboards, when used intentionally, communicate seriousness, confidence, and commitment to a market.

And in a time when differentiation is increasingly difficult to manufacture, that may be the strongest point of view a brand can have.

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From Awareness to Action: The Role of Billboards in the Marketing Funnel

Posted on by Grant Griggs
billboard advertising home improvement company
Billboards are an advantageous asset to include within your marketing funnel.

Marketing funnels are becoming increasingly central to the modern marketing strategy, particularly as brands adopt more layered approaches across email, digital, and other media. While funnels are often discussed in a more digital context, their effectiveness is not tied to any single channel.

At its core, a marketing funnel is driven by touchpoints. The more consistent and strategic those touchpoints are across multiple mediums, the more effectively prospects move from awareness to consideration and, ultimately, action.

Outdoor advertising plays a critical role within this framework.

Billboards introduce and reinforce brand messaging in high-frequency, real-world environments—often before a consumer engages with digital or direct marketing efforts. When integrated into a broader, multi-channel funnel, billboards strengthen early-stage awareness while supporting downstream performance across email, search, and paid media.

Understanding how billboards function within the marketing funnel reveals why they remain one of the most effective tools for guiding prospects from awareness to action.

Top-of-Funnel: Building Awareness at Scale

The top of the marketing funnel is focused on visibility and brand recognition. At this stage, the goal is not immediate conversion, but building familiarity.

Billboards excel in this role because they deliver:

  • Visual memorability that supports brand recall
  • High impression volume in consistent, high-traffic locations
  • Unavoidable exposure in environments with limited ad clutter

Unlike other ad formats that can be skipped, muted, or scrolled past, billboards create passive but repeated exposure. This exposure establishes a mental reference point for the brand, making future interactions—such as email campaigns or digital ads—feel more familiar and credible.

In multi-layered marketing funnels, billboards often serve as the first touchpoint that primes audiences for engagement across other channels.

Mid-Funnel: Reinforcing Consideration Through Frequency

Once awareness is established, the middle of the funnel focuses on consideration. This is where prospects evaluate brands, messaging, and perceived trust.

Frequency plays a critical role at this stage.

Repeated billboard exposure reinforces brand presence during a prospect’s daily routines, supporting message retention without requiring active engagement. When paired with email marketing, paid search, or social media campaigns, this repetition increases the likelihood that prospects recognize and respond to digital touchpoints.

Example:

  • Touchpoint A: A prospect regularly passes a billboard during their daily commute, building passive but repeated brand familiarity.
  • Touchpoint B: Later, that same prospect receives an email or encounters a paid digital ad from the brand.

Because the brand is already recognizable from the billboard exposure, the digital message feels familiar rather than intrusive—often resulting in higher open rates, stronger click-through performance, and increased overall engagement. Rather than competing with digital tactics, billboards reinforce them by maintaining consistent visibility throughout the consideration phase.

Bottom-of-Funnel: Supporting Action and Conversion

While billboards are often associated with awareness, they also contribute to action-oriented outcomes when integrated into a full-funnel strategy.

At the bottom of the funnel, billboards can:

  • Encourage direct behaviors such as website visits, phone calls, or in-store traffic
  • Reinforce calls to action already introduced through digital channels
  • Support time-sensitive promotions or events

Strategic messaging—such as simple URLs, brand names, or directional prompts—ensures that billboards remain conversion-supportive without overloading the message.

When prospects encounter a call to action across multiple channels, the cumulative effect increases confidence and reduces friction at the point of decision.

Billboards as a Strategic Component

Marketing funnels are no longer linear or channel-specific. They are built through coordinated touchpoints that work together to guide prospects forward.

Billboards remain a powerful part of this ecosystem. By delivering consistent, high-frequency exposure in the physical world, they strengthen awareness, reinforce consideration, and support action across digital and direct marketing channels.

For brands investing in multi-layered campaigns, billboards are not an add-on—they are a strategic partner in moving prospects from awareness to action.

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Traditional and Digital Billboards: Understanding Format, Function, and Impact

Posted on by Grant Griggs
billboard, roadway, landscape
Digital and Static Billboards have different uses that make both key assets for your marketing strategy.

In outdoor advertising, the right billboard approach can transform a brand from simply present to truly dominant in the market. With both static and digital formats available, the decision is less about comparison and more about alignment—selecting the format that best supports your objectives, audience, and message. Each offers distinct advantages, and understanding how to leverage them allows brands to build campaigns that are intentional, cohesive, and effective.

Traditional Billboards: The Foundation of Brand Presence

Traditional billboards create a durable market footprint, maintaining continuous visibility that supports brand recall and long-term equity. With messaging that remains consistent over extended periods, they provide an always-on presence that steadily builds familiarity, trust, and credibility among passing audiences.

This format is particularly effective for anchor branding, directional messaging, and advertisers seeking to establish dominance within markets. By leveraging repetition and longevity, traditional billboards help brands appear established and ever-present. A clear, evergreen message delivers broad reach with minimal complexity—making traditional billboards a dependable foundation for high-impact advertising.

Digital Billboards: Flexibility, Visibility, and Frequency

Digital billboards represent a modern evolution of outdoor advertising, offering unmatched agility and immediacy. Their ability to update messaging instantly—makes them ideal for campaigns that need to stay current and adapt messaging by hour, day, or week. Located in high-traffic areas, digital billboards deliver elevated visibility, while rotation and dayparting allow brands to communicate multiple messages clearly, dynamically, and in real time.

Additionally, digital billboards are placed in high-impact locations throughout each market—often along the busiest corridors – where they are clearly visible to passing traffic. Paired with technology designed to perform in all weather conditions and at any time of day, this ensures the message stays visible when it matters most and continues to make an impact.

Traditional and Digital Together: A Smarter, Stronger Strategy

While each format is effective on its own, combining traditional and digital billboards creates a more balanced outdoor strategy. Traditional placements anchor the brand, delivering steady exposure that builds memory and reinforces market presence. Digital placements activate urgency, allowing messages to shift, respond, and stay timely—bringing momentum to the overall campaign.

This synergy ensures campaigns feel intentional rather than fragmented. Together, they support broader use cases, stronger recall, improved return on investment, and a polished brand perception. By leveraging both formats, advertisers can create outdoor campaigns that are dynamic, cohesive, and built to perform across multiple objectives.

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Planning for 2026: Making a Marketing Strategy that Supports a Changing Environment

Posted on by Grant Griggs
Lind Media offers premium billboard advertising throughout the state of Ohio!

As organizations are bringing Q4 of 2025 to a close, the marketing landscape is undergoing another period of rapid transformation. Emerging technologies, evolving consumer expectations, and a heightened emphasis on authenticity are reshaping how brands approach visibility and connection. As organizations begin planning for 2026, many are reassessing which channels can deliver meaningful, lasting impact within an increasingly saturated environment.

Within this reevaluation, the role of reliable, real-world touchpoints – including out-of-home formats such as billboards – have regained prominence as part of a more balanced and human-centered strategic approach.

The Shifting Dynamics of Social Media & Consumer Trust

As marketers observe this changing landscape, one theme has been echoing across their LinkedIn conversations: consumer trust in social media is becoming increasingly volatile. What was once the centerpiece of many advertising strategies is now facing heightened scrutiny by the masses.

According to the 2025 Digital Trust Index from the Thales Group, “global trust in digital services is decreasing or remaining stagnant at best – even among highly regulated industries.” The report adds, “As a result, consumers are increasingly skeptical, which highlights a broader trend: digital – which includes social media – can feel unstable or untrustworthy for many people.”

This is where real-world visibility becomes more valuable than ever.

Objectively, social media continues to be one of the most dynamic advertising channels available to businesses of any size. Yet these findings underscore an important shift: brands increasingly need to cultivate balanced, diversified marketing ecosystems that don’t rely solely on digital platforms to sustain their presence. In an era of growing hesitation toward digital spaces, real-world visibility isn’t just complementary – it’s essential.

The New Approach – Human-to-Human Marketing

This evolution reflects a broader trend: consumers want messages that feel transparent, credible, and relevant to their lives. They’re more likely to engage with brands that meet them where they are – physically, socially, and emotionally – rather than only on screens or through curated digital feeds.

In response to shifting consumer expectations, many brands are moving beyond single-channel campaigns and embracing more diversified, human-centered strategies. Instead of thinking strictly in terms of B2C or B2B, organizations are reframing their approach as human to human, prioritizing authenticity, meaningful engagement, and real-world connection.

By incorporating a mix of channels – digital, experiential, in-person, and out-of-home – marketers can build ecosystems that balance reach with trust, consistency with creativity, and efficiency with authenticity. The most effective campaigns for 2026 will be those that consider people first, rather than just metrics or impressions, and creating engagement that feels genuine, memorable, and human.

Looking Ahead – Billboards an Essential Channel

As marketers embrace more human-centered strategies, the role of real-world visibility becomes increasingly important. Out-of-home advertising, particularly billboards, offer a consistent, high-impact touchpoint that complements digital and experiential efforts. Unlike feeds, streams, or algorithms, billboards provide uninterrupted, in-the-world presence that captures attention naturally and repeatedly.

The numbers reflect this influence. A 2025 study conducted by OAAA and Morning Consult found that 78% of consumers took action after seeing a billboard, demonstrating the tangible impact of physical media. In an era of fluctuating trust and attention fragmentation, billboards offer stability, reach, and visibility – qualities that make them a valuable anchor for multi-channel, human-centered campaigns.

For 2026, incorporating billboards into a marketing mix doesn’t just broaden reach – it strengthens messaging across channels, reinforces brand presence, and supports engagement that feels real and authentic. As marketers plan for the year ahead, OOH remains a medium that delivers both visibility and credibility, making it an an essential component of thoughtfully diversified strategies.

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A Deep Dive Into Billboard Creative

Posted on by Grant Griggs
This billboard designed by OSU – Mansfield Campus is a great example of one of the creative concepts discussed in this blog!

When it comes to billboard advertising, simplicity isn’t just a design choice – it’s a strategy.

An Introduction To Billboard Creative

In today’s fast-paced world, drivers have roughly 10 seconds to take in your message. Billboards on the roadways cannot be ignored and are seen repeated not only by those driving the same traffic patterns but also new drivers to the area. That means your design has to do more with less — and the best billboard creative knows exactly where to focus.

At Lind Media Company, we’ve spent decades helping brands across Ohio make a lasting impression. And over time, one thing has become clear: the most effective billboards don’t try to say everything — they focus on one clear, memorable idea.

The Familiar “Comfort Zone”

Many advertisers — even experienced ones — tend to include a little bit of everything on their billboards. It’s understandable! When you’re proud of what you offer, it’s natural to want to share it all.

But billboards are a unique medium. they don’t allow for deep storytelling or multiple calls to action. Trying to include too much can unintentionally dilute the impact of your message. That’s where Lind Media’s creative team can help — by turning your many strengths into one bold, unified statement that truly stands out.

Finding Your Focus

The key to billboard success is focus. We know that every business has a lot to be proud of — but on a billboard, clarity wins every time. Instead of trying to highlight everything you do, choose one defining message that best represents your brand.

Ask yourself:

  • What’s the single most important takeaway I want people to remember — the one product, service, or value that best defines my business?
  • If someone only remembers one thing about my business, what should it be?

Ideally, the answer to both should be the same. If you’re focusing on a specific product, highlight what makes it memorable — something that sets it apart and gives people a reason to remember it. Maybe it solves a problem, offers something unique, or represents what your business does best. Whatever it is, make sure that single idea shines through clearly in your creative.

Once you identify that one idea, commit to it completely. Every image, color, and word should work together to reinforce that single point. This is the best place to start for all of your campaigns. Billboards make the strongest impact and will drive traffic to other mediums.

The New Rule: 3 Elements or Less

You’ve probably heard the “seven words or less” rule before — and it still applies. But we like to take it one step further.

Think of your creative in terms of three simple elements or less:

  • One image – A single, bold visual that instantly connects to your message.
  • One message – Short, clear, and memorable.
  • Your Brand – make sure you have your logo and/or key elements of your brand visible!

That’s it. Three clean, purposeful elements that work together — not compete for attention.

Because when you remove the clutter, what’s left has impact. Every element earns its place, helping your billboard make a stronger, faster impression that sticks with drivers long after they’ve passed by.

Designed How People Really See Billboards

Drivers typically have 10 seconds to take in your message. Your design should communicate instantly — with large fonts, clean contrast, and a clear focal point. The goal isn’t to say everything — it’s to spark curiosity, create recognition, and inspire follow-up.

Apple Hill Orchards was able to achieve a strong design with a minimal amount of elements!

Think of your billboard as a snapshot of your brand — a simple, memorable reminder that encourages people to learn more when they’re ready.

The Modern Contact Shift

Not long ago, a phone number was a staple on every billboard. But today’s consumers behave differently. Rather than pulling over to make a call, most people will search for your business name after seeing your board — whether through Google, your website, or even social media.

That’s why a clear, visible business name or logo can often be more powerful (and practical) than a long list of contact details. For small businesses, that can feel like a big leap — and it’s understandable. But as long as your brand is easy to recognize, you’re already giving people what they need to find you. This streamlined approach removes clutter, strengthens your design, and matches how real audiences actually connect today.

Your brand is your contact line — and when it’s strong, it speaks louder than any string of numbers.

Simple. Bold. Memorable.

At Lind Media, we believe great billboard design is about clarity, creativity, and confidence. The strongest campaigns don’t overwhelm — they captivate. They use simplicity to stand out and focus on connecting.

So next time you’re planning your billboard creative, don’t think about how much you can fit. Think about how much you can focus — and trust us to help you make every impression count. Ready to get started? Contact us today to start your campaign!

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Planning Your First Billboard Campaign – Steps for Success!

Posted on by Grant Griggs
Utilizing billboards is an effective way to get your brand in front of thousands of viewers fast - not only that, but setting up your campaign is pretty easy, too!
Utilizing billboards is an effective way to get your brand in front of thousands of viewers fast – not only that, but setting up your campaign is pretty easy, too!

An Introduction To Billboard Advertising

Ready to make your brand stand out with billboard advertising? Great choice! Billboards are one of the most effective forms of advertising available, giving you the power to reach thousands of people every day, strengthen brand recognition, and make a bold impact in your community. If you’re new to billboard campaigns, the process may seem overwhelming at first—but with the right strategy, it’s simple and rewarding.

At Lind Media Company, we specialize in helping businesses of all sizes plan successful billboard campaigns. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started!

Step 1: Set Your Budget

Every strong advertising campaign begins with a clear budget. A good rule of thumb is to dedicate about one-third of your overall marketing spend to outdoor advertising. This ensures your brand gets meaningful visibility while leaving room for other marketing channels.

But Billboard advertising is flexible, and we’ve worked with businesses both large and small to craft impactful billboard strategies with a variety of budget allocations. Whether you’re starting with a single digital billboard or running a multi-location campaign, setting your budget upfront just helps ensure the right plan for your needs.

Step 2: Define Your Goals

Ask yourself: What do I want to achieve with this campaign?

  • Do you want to increase local brand awareness and stay top-of-mind in your community?
  • Or are you aiming to expand into new markets and attract new customers?

Your goals not only shape your message and design, they also help our experienced account executives create a smart billboard location plan. With our rotational billboards, your ad can move across multiple high-traffic boards in your local market for maximum visibility, or rotate between markets to help you break into new territories. This flexibility ensures your campaign works exactly where it will make the biggest impact!

Step 3: Craft Your Message

Once your goals are clear, it’s time to create your message. Remember, drivers only have a few seconds to notice and understand your billboard, so your wording needs to be simple, powerful, and memorable.

Best practices for billboard messaging:

  • Focus on a single idea (a product, promotion, or brand awareness).
  • Keep it short—seven words or fewer is ideal.
  • Use bold, memorable language people can recall after driving by.
  • Humor can be effective, as long as it fits your brand.

Think of your billboard as the headline of your marketing campaign—it grabs attention and sparks curiosity, while your website, store, or social channels provide the full story.

Step 4: Design for Impact!

Your billboard design is just as important as your message. Clean, bold designs always outperform cluttered ones.

These are great examples of what to do and what not to do when designing your billboard - simplicity is key!
These are great examples of what to do and what not to do when designing your billboard – simplicity is key!

Tips for effective outdoor advertising design:

  • Stick with one striking image or graphic that reinforces your message.
  • Use high-contrast colors so your text is easy to read.
  • Incorporate brand colors, logos, or taglines for instant recognition.
  • Choose large, legible fonts designed to be read from a distance.

Ready to Launch?

Your first billboard campaign doesn’t have to be stressful. By setting a budget, defining clear goals, crafting a strong message, and keeping your design simple, you’ll be on your way to creating a campaign that drives real results.

And you don’t have to do it alone. Our account executives bring extensive experience in billboard advertising strategy and will be there every step of the way—from planning your campaign to selecting the best billboard locations and answering any questions along the journey. With our expertise and reliable support, you can launch your campaign with confidence knowing your brand is in good hands.

Ready to plan your first campaign? Contact us today to start!

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