Billboard pricing – You can place your brand on billboards and make them alive with Augmented Reality!
A Comprehensive Guide to Billboard Advertising Costs in Various U.S. States
Billboard advertising is a powerful tool for out-of-home (OOH) marketing, offering a broad audience reach. However, pricing can vary significantly depending on the location, driven by factors like traffic volume, population density, and local demand. This blog breaks down billboard advertising costs in different states, highlighting both high-priced and more budget-friendly areas.
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia’s Competitive Pricing
In Pennsylvania, Philadelphia is the largest and most expensive market for billboard advertising. As the fifth-largest city in the U.S., Philly has a high population density and diverse demographics.
• Average Cost: Billboards in Philadelphia generally cost between $3,000 to $12,000 per month, with prime locations near Center City or along I-95 commanding the higher end of the spectrum.
• Other Cities: Smaller Pennsylvania cities like Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Allentown have billboard rates between $1,500 and $5,000 per month.
Why It’s Competitive: Philadelphia is a major media market with a large commuter population and a rich cultural history, attracting both local businesses and national brands. Its dense traffic patterns ensure high visibility for well-placed billboards.
Washington: Prime Billboard Locations in Seattle
Seattle, a major tech hub with a large commuting population, is the leading city in Washington for billboard advertising. Its highways and downtown areas, particularly around Pike Place Market and I-5, have high demand.
• Average Cost: Billboard prices in Seattle typically range from $4,000 to $12,000 per month, with premium spots near Pike Place Market or along the I-5 corridor commanding the higher rates.
• Other Cities: Outside of Seattle, cities like Tacoma and Spokane offer more affordable billboard rates, ranging from $1,500 to $4,000 monthly.
Why It’s Expensive: Seattle’s thriving tech economy and high commuter traffic make it an attractive location for brands aiming to target tech-savvy professionals. The city’s traffic congestion ensures that billboards in prime locations receive prolonged visibility.
Massachusetts: High-Impact Billboards in Boston
Boston is a crucial market for billboard advertising in the northeastern U.S., with prime spots along highways and in the historic downtown area.
• Average Cost: Billboards in Boston typically cost between $5,000 and $20,000 per month, with rates escalating near landmarks like Fenway Park, Downtown Crossing, and major highways such as I-93 and I-90.
• Suburban Areas: In smaller Massachusetts cities like Worcester and Springfield, billboard costs are more budget-friendly, ranging from $1,500 to $4,000 per month.
Why It’s Expensive: As a hub for education and healthcare, Boston boasts an affluent, highly educated audience, making it a top choice for advertisers. High traffic and tourism, particularly during major events like Red Sox games, further boost billboard visibility.
Colorado: Denver’s Expanding Billboard Market
Denver’s rapidly growing population and economy have made it a popular destination for billboard advertising, especially given its status as a major hub for outdoor recreation.
• Average Cost: Billboards in Denver generally cost between $2,000 and $10,000 per month, with premium locations near Coors Field, Union Station, and major highways like I-25 commanding higher fees.
• Other Cities: In smaller Colorado cities such as Colorado Springs and Fort Collins, billboard rates are considerably lower, usually between $1,000 and $3,000 per month.
Why It’s Growing: Denver’s expanding population and influx of new businesses make it an ideal market for long-term billboard campaigns. Additionally, its proximity to the Rockies attracts advertisers focused on travel and outdoor activities.
Billboards were already overrated
The US has the most vibrant advertising market in the world. By year end 2019, the ad spends by US companies could hit $200 billion. It comes as an icing on the cake of an industry that has seen growth in more than a decade. While the lion’s share of the total ad spends in the US could shift to online platforms going forward, legacy systems are still holding strong. Notably, traditional media like billboards are facing dire times ahead. It is because much of the attention of the target audience is on digital platforms.
Despite this reality, billboards are still in use. As of August 2019, there were just over 342,000 billboards on display on the side of US highways. However, billboard pricing is contingent on the location. Billboard pricing in US is extremely high. For instance, a single display in Boston costs between $11,000 and $23,000 for four weeks. In a medium city like San Diego, one needs at least $15,000 for a four-week display. However, in a small town like Milwaukee, just $4,000 is enough to pay for a billboard display for four weeks.
From the preceding, billboard prices are punitive for businesses in large cities. Unfortunately, the correlation of billboard pricing with audience targeting is low. In the US, many billboards appear on the sides of highways and huge buildings. Notably, the ads placed on the billboards target drivers and passengers in cars and trains. Unfortunately, many, if not all, drivers on busy highways would instead focus on the road than read a billboard. Otherwise, the inattention to the road might result in many accidents. On the other hand, many passengers on trains and cars focus on touching and swiping at their smartphones. In a word, the majority of the target audience is less attentive to billboards. The billboard pricing does not correlate with the brand recall.
Further, there is no way advertisers can say with much confidence that they know who will use a particular highway for four weeks. Therefore, it is merely a matter of faith, which does not convert to engagement for the message. Unlike other advertising techniques like ambient marketing, billboards cannot reach a specific audience. Instead, it relies on the generalization that, in the end, produces scant impressions.
Billboard pricing needs to be re-calculated
By the end of the crisis, billboard companies may not only be counting their losses in billions of dollars, but many of their customers might have moved on to embrace other more pocket-friendly advertising alternatives. These alternatives are indoor-directed and have proven to be equally effective, perhaps even more effective than the conventional outdoor methods. Aside from the fact that they are more expensive, it is difficult to track engagement for out-of-home ads. In fact, small businesses face more challenges trying to get a marketing space in the highly competitive ad industry.
The New York Times aptly described the effect of the pandemic on outdoor advertising as a ‘seismic shock’. Even Coca-Cola is among the companies that have limited their ad campaigns during the coronavirus crisis, the New York Times report says. Long story cut short; a lot of companies are hitting the brakes on billboard ads and other forms of OOH advertising, and are also pulling back until the coast clears.
