A Guide to Grand Rapids Out-of-Home Advertising
Making a BIG Impact in Your Local Market
In an age of high-speed digital ads, content marketing, email campaigns, and social media outreach strategies, traditional Out-of-Home advertising can be a neglected aspect of many media plans. This is unfortunate because this tested and proven advertising method - consisting of media placed on billboards, bus stops, public transit, sports arenas, parks, and more - is becoming anything but outdated.
Outdoor advertising is growing at an incredible rate, with ad revenue increasing 38 percent in the Q2 of 2021 alone. In this guide, we’ll dive into OOH advertising, its benefits, and some of the opportunities that S4 Connect can provide for outdoor advertising in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the surrounding areas of West Michigan.
What is Out-of-Home (OOH) Advertising?
Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising is any visual advertising found outside of the home. This can include billboard advertising, ads placed in public spaces like bus stops and parks, and even mobile varieties, such as ads on public transportation. OOH advertising is one of the most proven and reliable forms of marketing, and it has decades of studies and successful marketing campaigns that back up its effectiveness. OOH advertising continues to expand in today’s marketing spaces, with major companies like Amazon, Apple, and McDonald’s cashing in on its benefits.
Types of OHH Billboard Advertising in Grand Rapids, MI
There is an incredible variety of methods and media that can host OOH advertising. Some of these include:
- Static & Digital Billboards
- Bulletins
- Walls & Murals
- Bus Shelters
- Park Benches
- Urban Furniture
- Airports
- Buses
- Taxis
- Arenas
- Shopping Malls
These advertising options can be highly effective if employed at the right place and time.
Grand Rapids Billboards
(Static & Digital)
Billboards are classic of OOH advertising and can serve as the ideal means of getting your brand image out to your target audience. Located in high-traffic areas for maximum visibility, billboards are available in two main varieties: traditional static billboards and more modern digital billboards.
Static billboards are typically leased for longer terms; the continued exposure helps reinforce your brand message in the minds of passing cars. These cost-effective ad options can increase the visibility of your message in your geographic area.
On the other hand, digital displays offer a much higher degree of flexibility because changing the graphics is done in a matter of a few seconds. This allows you to tailor your marketing towards current promos, upcoming events, or represent your brand throughout any amount of time.
Public Transport Advertising
Mobile billboards in the form of taxis, buses, and even the Rapid Transit system all make for excellent OOH ad platforms. Ads posted on the exteriors of buses and taxis turn these vehicles into moving carriers of your message, spreading your brand across town, while copy placed at bus stations and inside the Rapid Transit system give waiting commuters extra exposure to your ad campaign.
Wallscapes & Murals
Designed for maximum impact and long-term exposure, wallscapes and murals offer an artistic, high-impact alternative to billboards in downtown Grand Rapids. Highly visible to both pedestrians and commuters, wallscapes are best used in heavily-trafficked areas with maximum visibility. If done correctly, these methods of OOH advertising can become well-known city fixtures and the source of talking points for locals and visitors alike, further increasing brand awareness.
Benefits of Out-of-Home Advertising in Grand Rapids
With a metro population of over 1 million people, Grand Rapids is Michigan’s second-largest city. Grand Rapids has a thriving culture full of business, arts, and attractions. The hustle and bustle throughout the Grand Rapids area make it an excellent locale for Out-of-Home advertising. There are countless opportunities for billboards, both static and mobile, and even more iconic locations visited daily by an ever-growing number of locals and tourists. With a diverse and expanding population, finding your target market in Grand Rapids is easy.
Contact S4 Connect and our team will help pair your message with the perfect Grand Rapids Out-of-Home advertising location to move your business forward.
Target Marketing Abilities
The best use of Out-of-Home advertising should meet your target market where they are throughout their day. For example, a new restaurant opening downtown could best reach their target audience by using billboards along the freeway catching cars headed in that direction. OOH advertising allows you to use your market research to determine where and how to reach your demographic.
OOH Can Target Specific Demographics & Audiences
The possibilities of targeted OOH advertising are endless. No matter your target demographic, there is a location and method to meet them throughout their day. Knowing your audience is critical - from age and occupation to culture and hobbies, targeted advertising is only effective if it’s aimed in the right direction.
Increased Local Travel Incentivizes Billboards
Billboard services are one of the few physical media marketing forms projected to grow, not shrink, in 2022. As local travel increases, more commuters are exposed to billboard advertisements, increasing their effectiveness and value as a service.
Digital Burnout for Consumers
Typically, consumers receive upwards of a dozen or more ads on their electronic devices throughout the day. These ads come in the form of pop-up ads, spam email, and sponsored pieces built-in to social media and video streaming services. After too much exposure to this kind of marketing, a kind of ‘burnout’ can occur. The mind becomes less receptive to these targeted ads. Billboards avoid this entirely and can help get your message through where a typical digital ad would fail.
Grand Rapids Opportunities for Billboard Advertising
Billboards are, in effect, a blank canvas for your advertising needs. Whether your goal is to sell products and services, hire new talent, or promote your brand awareness and image, billboard advertising can help spread your message by hosting it in a spot seen by countless commuters each day. The flexibility offered by traditional billboard advertising and the creativity of the S4 Connect team will help you crush your marketing goals.
Market Products, Services & Special Events
One of the most common uses for billboard advertising is marketing for local products, services, or events. New product launches, services, and events are all excellent opportunities for a billboard campaign around Grand Rapids. Digital displays for Out-of-Home advertising also allows you to update them frequently to keep up with your most current promotions.
Job Postings
Job postings present a unique way to use billboard advertising’s audience targeting power. If you’re looking to hire, hosting your ad on a billboard near Grand Rapids’ booming downtown will ensure that your job posting will be seen by thousands of people every day.
Think creatively and work with S4 Connect, a leading Grand Rapids billboard advertising company, to determine the ideal location and style to reel in qualified candidates in no time.
Spread Social Campaigns
Nothing spreads a message loud and proud like posting it for all to see. Brand messaging and imagery play a crucial role in consumer decision-making. Taking the space to let your customers know what you stand for can go a long way towards building your brand. Similarly, social campaigns can spread awareness of their cause, with calls to action and directions for more information.
Where are the Best Opportunities for OOH Ads in Grand Rapids?
As Michigan’s second-largest market, Grand Rapids offers a number of opportunities for all varieties of OOH advertising. Located in West Michigan, the city of Grand Rapids is a booming metropolitan area full of industry, tourism hot spots, and events centers. Several major highways and freeways run right through town, bringing considerable local and out-of-town traffic through the heart of the city.
Interstates & Highways
Several interstates and highways weave their way through the Grand Rapids metropolitan area, providing the perfect spot to host brand messages to the more than 100,000 daily commuters that drive into the city for work. Key interstates and highways include the I-96, I-196, I-296, and U.S. Route 131.
I-96 and US-131 Produce High Amounts of Traffic
As main roads in and out of central Michigan, I-96 and US-131 are traveled by more than 200,000 vehicles daily. This offers sky-high levels of exposure for any OOH advertising along these major routes. These billboards are in a prime location for elevating your brands exposure.
Tourism Hubs
If your ad campaign is focused on tourists, there are plenty of spots to use OOH ads to appeal to out-of-towners with your brand message. Grand Rapids is home to several sports arenas, parks, and other destinations. These include the Gerald R. Ford Museum, Belknap Hill, and the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, all of which draw in a significant number of visitors. Heading downtown, spots like the DeVos Place Convention Center serve as central tourist hubs.
Sports Arenas and Parks in Grand Rapids
Sports arenas and parks are prime locations for OOH advertising, and the ones hosted by Grand Rapids are no exception. John Ball Park, the Deltaplex, and Van Andel draw in thousands of visitors per month, providing a perfect place for your brand’s advertising.
Contact S4 Connect for More Resources on Grand Rapids OOH Advertising
In today’s age of marketing, billboard advertising is as alive and well as ever. S4 Connect is a top-rated Out-of-Home marketing and advertising company in the Grand Rapids, MI, area. We have provided high-quality, locally-focused marketing services to our Michigan clients for years.
While some ad agencies only focus on the latest and greatest in marketing technology, we believe in taking a more comprehensive approach. Our services range from low-tech static billboards to high-end premium tech assets to ensure that your maximizing the ROI for every penny you spend on marketing. Contact the marketing pros at S4 Connect to see what OOH advertising can do for your West Michigan business.
