“Mention This Ad” Headlines on Billboards: Pros and Cons

As out-of-home advertising business owners, account reps, and designers, we’ve all likely had our advertisers inquire about posting “Mention This Ad” headlines on billboards as a way to track ROI in their advertising efforts.

In the evolving landscape of outdoor advertising, advertisers are continually exploring innovative ways to engage audiences. The strategy of using “Mention This Ad” headlines on billboard campaigns holds several advantages, however it also comes with its share of challenges.

Pros:

• Interactive Engagement: “Mention This Ad” headlines transform passive observers into active participants. By encouraging viewers to mention the ad, advertisers foster a sense of engagement, turning a fleeting glance into a potential customer interaction.

• Measurable ROI: One of the significant advantages is the ability to measure the effectiveness of a campaign. When individuals mention the ad, it provides a tangible metric for tracking response rates. This valuable data can help advertisers refine their strategies and allocate resources more effectively.

• Incentivized Action: By tying the mention to a specific offer or discount, advertisers can incentivize consumers to take action. This creates a direct link between the billboard exposure and a tangible benefit, driving foot traffic to businesses.

Cons:

• Limited Space for Information: Billboards are inherently constrained by space. While a “Mention This Ad” headline is attention-grabbing, it may limit the amount of information that can be conveyed about the product or service. Striking the right balance between engagement and conveying essential details is crucial.

• Tracking Challenges: While mentions can be tracked to some extent, it may not capture the complete picture. Some individuals might see the billboard, remember the message, but not mention it explicitly. This can lead to an underrepresentation of the campaign’s actual impact.

• Potential for Ambiguity: Depending on the creativity of the campaign, the call to action might be open to interpretation. Ambiguity in the messaging can result in varied responses, making it challenging to attribute the success or failure of the campaign solely to the “Mention This Ad” strategy.

• The use of “Mention This Ad” headlines on billboards introduces an exciting dimension to outdoor advertising. While it has the potential to boost engagement and provide measurable results, advertisers must carefully navigate the limitations to ensure a well-rounded and effective campaign. There are several rules to follow if your advertisers are adamant about running an ad like this.

“Mention This Ad” rules for a successful campaign:

• The ad must not contain too many words, graphics, information, etc. It must be as simple as possible.

• The offer (what the end user gets for actually “Mentioning The Ad”, must be very compelling. A deep discount for example.

• The advertiser needs to be vigilant in tracking the results. All of their employees need to be aware of the promotion and have a way to track it.

• Reasonable expectations: since out-of-home advertising is a very strong branding tool used for name recognition, it may not always work to promote specific products or services for short-term, lower-budget advertising campaigns.