Thus far, I've mentioned consumer change, how outdoor advertising has evolved, the type of strategy you need to follow, and some of the brands that have effectively used outdoor. Now, the Professor will provide a brief description of the technical strengths and weaknesses of outdoor advertising.

Strengths:

1.    Delivers mass audience efficiently
2.    Provides stability and consistency of the brand's message
3.    Provides clarity of the brand's focus
4.    Allows strategic placement of the brand's message
5.    Cost on a CPM basis is significantly lower than that of any other advertising medium - in some cases by a factor of 10 or even 20

Weaknesses:
1.    Brevity - The nature of outdoor advertising makes it difficult to communicate product details, competitive advantages, and specific consumer benefits.
2.    Limited Availability - Construction of new billboards is restricted by costs, space availability, and rigid municipal codes and environmental regulations.
3.    Lack of Effective Measuring Tools - Unlike other advertising media, outdoor advertising has no truly reliable method to measure its effectiveness.
4.    Low Recall - Exposure can be very brief, minimizing message retention.
5.    Ugly Image - Because of growing environmental concerns, many communities have eliminated, reduced, or limited the volume and placement of outdoor advertising.
6.    Inflexible - Ads must be purchased an average of 28 days prior to showing to allow time for production and placement, prohibiting any corrections or additions that may result from changing business conditions.

While outdoor advertising (in all its shapes and sizes) can deliver your message efficiently and effectively, you must first look deep into your business and answer the following questions before you jump into the outdoor pool.

•     What image does your brand convey?

•     What is your brand's philosophy?

•     How do your products fit consumers' lives?

•     What is your competitive situation?

•     How effective is your current media mix?