Sponsor (Jan-June 1953)

Why an advertiser should he interested in outdoor as a metlium Mr. Fulton To place the sales appeal in the mind of the consumer, to make it stick, to make it expand into the having act this, in sim/ilesl form, is certainly the great ambition oj all advertisers. The tact that so many advertisers nourish this worthy ambition explains today's keen, healths competition lor the consumer's attention. One oj the ways to beat this competition is to position the advertising appeal advantageously as to time ami plate The place oj the outdoor advertising medium is the outdoor area the companion half oj the indoor area. And the time of the outdoor advertising medium is it hen America's 160 million consumers go outdoors nearly every day oj the rear or lor recreation. Outdoor advertising dominates this outdoor area, has no significant media competition in it. Outdoor advertising delivers a mass audience. Attending to a ict cut survey, approximately 83 .17' "/ the American people go outdoors every day. These outdoor Americans comprise men and iconien of all ages, occupations, ami income groups. And in addition to customers it includes a group vital to the suit ess oj any sales campaign: dealers, distributors, and retail salesmen. Thanks to the automobile, Americans get around more than any other people on earth. Last year, for example, they rolled up an estimated 865 billion passenger travel miles. Every day, all day long, outdoor advertising puts selling ideas into the minds ol this last tide of busy, active Americans as it ebbs and flows through the streets ami highways of the land. Outdoor advertising keeps narking all din long, dm after day. Each outdoor poster, for example, remains on display for a period of 30 days. It has been found that during this 30-day period in an average American city 91.1% of the population was exposed to the sales appeal of a No. 100 showing* 19.07 times. Here is all-essential repetition in an exceedingly high degree. Outdoor advertisements compel attention because they are strategically placed to command commercial streets and highways oj heaviest tin ulation and because they are big, dramatic, colorful. People tun read and understand outdoor' s short, telegraphic word anil pit lure message easily in the few seconds it takes them to ride in walk b\ an outdoor panel. Thus outdoor advertising is perfectly geared to the juice of modern living. The outdoor advertising metlium offers the advertiser today a seller of goods and servit es thai dominates one of the two areas in which the consumer lives — the outdoor area; a dynamic, colorful salesman that delivers the sales appeal dramatically, in its entirety, and with a degree of repetition that is truly unique. KERWIN H. FULTON, President Outdoor Advertising. Inc. in cover market. !:i!!:,iiiliiii!iiiiiiiii;i!iiiiiii!iiii;iiii;i!iiini!" Outdoor: The outdoor medium comprises three main forms, as Follows: 1. 24-sheel poster, of uniform size throughout the country, assembled in paper sheets on panels. 2. Painted display, hand-painted on either a panel facing or building wall surface. 3. Electric spectacular, or large flashing "Times Square" electric sign. I he organized outdoor advertising medium likes to conside] itsell aparl from such other outdoor advertising forms as skywriting, street vending h\ voice, store window displays, and a large classification of small signs usually called "commercial signs. Outdoor posters always displa) the name of the local compan) which erects and maintains them. Don I use the word "billboard" to an outdoor man. Its derived from the old-lime circus or theatrical use of posting hills on fences, trees, barns, and other places. The term "24-sheet" dates back to the time when onl) one plate size was available and the lull-size poster had to be printed in 24 single-sheel sections. Today it can be cut in either lo or 12 sections. The Traffic Audit Bureau measures or counts the circulation ol outdoor advertising. Its sponsored bv the 4A's, llir \\\. and the Outdoor Advertising Assn. of America. < irculation consists ol counting .">()'; of (he pedestrians and auto riders and 25$ ol the streel car and bus passengers. \t first glance this seems like gross overcounting, hut it been found reasonabl) accurate l>\ independent surve) ol specific marki i». Besides the TAB, such independent research organizations .i Marion Harpei Associates and Postei Appraisal Service also measure cop) remembrance and effectiveness. The TAB -tu.l\ of Cedai Rapids in L950, foi example, revealed the following about outdoor advertising: 1. 74.69e of the population was exposed to a No. 100 showing (enough posters to cover the market, or, in this case, six illuminated and eight regular panels) the first seven days; 91.1% the first 30 days. 2. 56.5% of the population was exposed to a No. 50 showing (half of above I the first seven days; 79.3rr the first 30 days. 3. Each person exposed received 19.07 exposures in 30 days (against 5.79 the first week I. 4. 98.79r of the population went outdoors at least once during the 30 days. The above documents three of the most important attributes of outdoor advertising: ll) circulation, (2) coverage, (3) repetition. The fourth, cost, is considered lowest among all major media — around 14^-per-M on a national basis, according to Outdoor Advertising, Inc. Three other interesting facts on outdoor: I 1 I It donated 75,000 full posters worth SI, 749,000 to public service messages in 1952; (2l two-thirds of the poster plants I population standpoint! have been audited by TAB or have applied for audits: I 3) best new reference on the subjeel i~ \\ \ s Essentials of Outdoor Advertising. How main actually remember your poster? TAB's L946 studj of Ft. Wayne came up with some interesting answers. First a check was made before the posters were displayed. I p to 54.6$ claimed to have seen them (Coca-Cola's, for example). Then alter the 30-day posting, another surve) was made and an adjusted formula was used to determine the actual remembrance. These remembrance figures ranged from 2.'>' , for Ocneral Tire to 44.59c for Standard Oil {No. 100 showings ) and from 24.8'. foj Kellogj: Corn flakes to 3.5.3 f J for Eska\ Dair\ Co. for No. ."ill showings. Coca-Cola's eight illuminated and 14 regular posters had 65.6' . remembrance. * * * 44 SPONSOR