Editors of Media Life Magazine conducted a survey among media buyers and media planners about how their Clients understand outdoor advertising, what they know about it, and what they don't know?

Many respondents complained that Clients don't understand that outdoor advertising is more than just billboards.
Many also complained that Clients don't realize how much impact outdoor advertising can have.
One of the questions asked was: "If you could make your clients know and understand more about outdoor advertising, what would that 'more' be?"

The surveys were anonymous, but sometimes there's a tone suggesting that Clients - advertisers, confuse many concepts related to outdoor advertising. Here are some of the more interesting responses given to surveyors by media planners.

• Outdoor advertising is the last mass medium.
  It cannot be turned off and cannot be ignored, as it has the lowest CPT
  (cost per thousand) among all media. Why don't Clients appreciate this?
• Outdoor advertising is more than just a billboard.
  Greater emphasis should be placed on creative design to utilize its potential.
• Clients should understand that the reach built by outdoor advertising and the frequency of its impact are just as important as selecting individual, best-exposed locations.
• Format and visual impact are very important.
• Outdoor advertising works best in combination with other media.
• Outdoor reaches different audiences at different times of the day.
• It can be used to support various marketing strategies – it can generate engagement, encourage participation in something, or interaction. It can work great with online advertising.
• Outdoor advertising drives traffic to shopping malls and retail chains, stores, and restaurants.
• In outdoor poster design, the main rule is: the simpler, the better.

That's how it looks in America – and how is it here?
Pretty similar overall.
If I were to list a few issues regarding outdoor advertising that I would like to bring to our Clients' attention, they would be the following topics:

1. CREATIVE DESIGN - a weak point of many outdoor campaigns. Poster designs are not adapted to the parameters of the medium, do not take into account its format, location context, the distance of the observer from the advertising medium, whether the observer is moving and at what speed.
2. NON-STANDARD approach – outdoor offers many unique possibilities, outdoor advertising is more than just a billboard, an x by x meter advertising board. Any non-standard elements attract attention and increase the impact of OOH campaigns.
3. AUDIENCE – we are becoming more mobile, the consumption time of traditional media is shrinking in favor of new media. Outdoor advertising, however, is an exception here. Moreover, outdoor seems to be a good complement to the Internet and mobile advertising, can generate interest and direct traffic to websites and mobile applications.

I wonder how a similar survey would turn out if conducted among media buyers and media planners in media houses in Poland?

Is there something you would like your clients to know and understand about outdoor advertising?