Mobile Billboard Truck: Here Is Why You Should Avoid It

Instead of Mobile Billboard Truck, Marketers have been using In-Hand Advertising with Augmented Reality. Contact us to find out more.

A survey conducted by the platform Numerator indicated many industries are shifting their marketing tactics. Mobile billboard trucks started becoming obsolete and less popular due to the lack of targeting, lack of control of the reputation of the drivers, and inability to prove how many people are visualizing the ads. Emerging tactics like Advertising with Augmented Reality surged to replace the old-school tactics.

The first part of this article describes the emerging advertising tactics. The second part elaborates on the pitfalls of using mobile billboard truck

Advertise with Augmented Reality

After the advent of this immersive technology, businesses have discovered innovative ways to approach clients. Now brands are introducing their business statements using AR advertisements in print media. Augmented reality is the integration of digital elements into our real-world environments. In other words, it is a combination of both real and virtual worlds.

This new wave of AR technology is being used to transform the advertising industry. In a survey featured on Art Labs done by Snapchat, 73% of people can easily understand AR advertisements whenever and wherever they see them. The same survey says that 75% of the global population will be frequently using AR by 2025.

With the help of AR, marketers can provide informative, engaging, interactive, and personalized content to shoppers to attain better sales and greater customer loyalty. All thanks to scene tracking AR technology and in-store navigation that turn your store into a place where customers want to come over and over.

Reach the audience with an unconventional advertising vehicle

Marketers can use In-Hand Advertising vehicles to place Augmented Reality Ads on QR Code and place them on shopping bags, hotel key cards, pizza boxes, coffee cups and bar coasters.  Catching up the customers with augmented reality QR codes is the new mantra of smart marketers. Little treats like a gift coupon upon QR code scan and featuring personalized offers through QR codes are just the perfect way of connecting with people on a win-win level.

Memorable advertising experience

Good marketing is built out of great consumer experience, and a remarkable consumer experience requires brilliant advertisement. Marketers can put augmented reality QR codes to expand their art beyond boundaries. A neuroscience study conducted by Neuro-Insight in partnership with Mindshare UK and Zappar that AR drives high levels of visual attention in the brain (almost double that of non-AR tasks). What is stored, or encoded into memory is 70% higher for AR experiences

AR provides a unique opportunity to connect with customers in ways that traditional print, radio, and television cannot. Augmented Reality enables advertisers to engage with consumers at a far deeper level than ever before. Instead of passively viewing a static ad or watching a video, people can now interact directly with brands.

One of these concepts uses pizza boxes as advertising space. Think of this as a small moving billboard that gets delivered at the consumer’s home. Studies demonstrated that this type of ads can evoke an 80% recall rate (8 out of 10 households individuals remember to see an interactive ad on the pizza box) with an average ROI of 150%. This means, that for every 1 dollar the advertiser invested in a pizza box advertising campaign, they received at least an additional 2.5 dollars of sales. For more details see the article Estimating the ROI of Pizza Box Marketing.

 

AR and Door Hangers

 This concept guarantees definite impressions of your brands on prospective customers because our approach delivers the brand directly into the hands of your target audience at their homes.

Your advertisement is printed on door hangers and distributed to households in the zip code or areas that were selected according to the marketing campaign. Adzze technology solutions are used to target demographic profiles such as income, age, ethnicity, and marital status so that we hit your exact target market ensuring the door-hanger delivery. In addition, the segmentation method enables you to evaluate annual spending criteria so that you have a better insight into the spending behavior of the target audience.  The consumers will be positively surprised if the door hanger brings them value as coupons or discounts. The advertiser must partner with capable door hanger distributors to ensure to track the door hanger delivery to the targeted addresses. Typically, the return of the  Door Hanger Advertising investment is 3x, which means for every $1 invested, the advertiser receives $3 back.

Why should you avoid a mobile billboard truck?

The cost of using a mobile billboard truck for ad campaigns is high, and there is no guarantee of achieving the expected return on investments (ROI). It is because such ad campaigns do not enable businesses to pinpoint the exact demographics of the consumers that they would like to reach. As such, the level of brand engagement and direct action that results from the campaign is very low.

Effective media should enable a clear way to track the number of impressions.  Traditional OOH advertising as billboards display lack of targeting and tracking possibilities. The fact that many highway drivers cannot focus on the ad message generates a low engagement with the target audience.  The costs of mobile digital billboards depend on format, circulation, demographics, and impressions. Traditional billboards have high costs, low ROI cost varies from $14,000 to-20,000/month in larger markets.  Some cities imposed a ban of billboards due to visual pollution. Unconventional agencies provide alternatives to the targeting issues with approaches such as mobile billboards, digital OOH, ads on trucks, and other ads in places people don’t expect to see as flags, backpacks, inflatable objects, gas pump, and balloons.

Advertising trucks and the pitfalls

Advertisers have been using alternatives to static billboards as vehicle advertising or digital mobile OOH. However, the use of advertising trucks during the ad campaign has risks as impact on reputation. When the truck carries the brand on the road, it plays the role of a brand ambassador. Any potential incident might risk other people on the road. If the truck driver misbehaves, the brand might suffer in terms of reputation. It is because the audience will associate bad behavior with the business. In addition, advertising trucks have several pitfalls as low return on the ad investment, difficult tracking the outcomes, and low brand recall. Advertising on trucks cannot pinpoint the exact audience that a business would like to reach. As such, the ad campaign might generate thousands of impressions per day, but only a handful of them will lead to direct action. Find out more about the different types of digital mobile billboard advertisements available today.

Using a mobile billboard truck enables your ad campaign to reach deeper into the target audience. If you decide to use delivery trucks, they can allow you to reach customers at the point of purchase. As such, you have a unique opportunity to drive brand engagement that could result in direct action.

Nevertheless, the ad campaign faces a risk that many businesses little anticipate. Whenever the truck emblazoned with your brand is on the road, it plays the role of a brand ambassador. Therefore, all that happens during the ad campaign is construed as representing your business. It includes nasty incidents that might irk other people on the road. If the truck driver misbehaves, your business will suffer in terms of reputation. It is because the audience will associate bad behavior with the business.

Also, the mobile digital billboard ad campaign projects a bad image if the billboard is old and tattered. A dilapidated billboard or a cracked digital board speaks to the business’ inattention to small things that matter. Customers use such incidents to form a solid opinion about the business, which affects the likelihood of them engaging with the brand. Use our tips to maximize your success when creating your first digital mobile billboard advertisement.

Technology Integration

In today’s digital world, truck advertising can be more than just mobile billboards by incorporating interactive technology. This adds a dynamic element to outdoor advertising, making it more engaging, measurable, and impactful. Here’s how brands can elevate their truck ad campaigns by leveraging the latest tech innovations:

Augmented Reality (AR) Integration

AR is one of the most exciting ways to make truck advertising more interactive. Brands can turn a static truck ad into an immersive experience by using AR. For example, passersby can scan a QR code on the truck with their smartphones, launching an AR experience that overlays digital content onto their environment. This could include a virtual product demo, an interactive game, or a 3D model of the featured product.

Use Case: A fashion brand can display its latest collection on a truck, and scanning a QR code allows users to see the clothes in AR on a virtual model. This boosts engagement and drives users to the brand’s e-commerce site for purchases.

Real-Time Location and Geo-Targeting

Geo-targeting allows advertisers to tailor their message based on the truck’s real-time location. By using GPS, truck ads can display content relevant to the neighborhoods or regions they pass through. For instance, a food delivery service could offer discounts to people within a certain radius of the truck, promoting local restaurants or meal deals.

Use Case: A truck could travel around a university campus, offering special student discounts for a local pizzeria, with a real-time countdown to claim the offer before the truck moves on.

Digital Displays and Live Streaming

Another way to boost interactivity is through digital LED displays on trucks. These dynamic screens can show live content, such as social media feeds, sports events, or product showcases. The display can engage pedestrians or drivers by encouraging them to participate in real-time activities, such as contests or giveaways.

Use Case: A beverage company could live-stream a concert on the truck’s display as it travels through busy areas, enabling users to engage with live promotions and events.

Interactive QR Codes and Gamification

Gamification is a great way to engage consumers, and adding it to truck advertising can turn an ordinary campaign into a memorable experience. Placing QR codes on the truck allows users to scan and join games or challenges that unlock discounts, special offers, or exclusive content.

Use Case: A retail brand could promote a treasure hunt where users track the truck’s location via a mobile app and scan QR codes at different points to collect rewards. This boosts both online and offline engagement.

Social Media Integration and User-Generated Content

Truck ads can integrate social media elements to drive engagement and encourage users to share their experiences online. Brands could invite users to take selfies with the truck and post them with a designated hashtag, entering a contest for a prize. This user-generated content (UGC) can significantly increase a campaign’s reach.

Use Case: A cosmetics brand might feature an interactive mirror on the truck, inviting people to take selfies, share them on social media, and win products using a campaign hashtag, merging physical and digital marketing for viral buzz.

Mobile Data Collection for Personalized Experiences

Brands can gather user data through mobile interactions with the truck, personalizing experiences based on that information. For example, when users scan a QR code, they could be asked to enter details like their email or preferences, which would allow the brand to send personalized offers.

Use Case: An electronics brand could promote its latest gadgets by encouraging users to scan a QR code and input their information. In return, they receive personalized product suggestions, exclusive discounts, and invites to test the products at nearby stores.

Benefits of Interactive Technology in Truck Advertising:

• Increased Engagement: Features like AR and QR codes actively engage the audience, creating a memorable brand experience.
• Real-Time Metrics: Tech integration enables brands to track interactions and gather valuable data, making it easier to measure campaign success.
• Enhanced Brand Recall: Interactive content, such as games or personalized offers, leaves a lasting impression, boosting brand recall.
• Broader Reach: Combining truck ads with digital interactions extends the campaign’s reach through online sharing and engagement beyond physical boundaries.

Conclusion

Interactive technology transforms traditional truck advertising into a more engaging, data-driven experience. By integrating AR, geo-targeting, digital displays, and gamification, brands can connect with audiences in fresh and dynamic ways. This not only enhances engagement but also provides measurable insights into consumer behavior, making truck advertising an innovative and impactful marketing tool.