Advertising trucks: is this a hit or miss?
The level of sophistication in the advertising industry is getting higher as the competition for attention grows. Interestingly, advertisers are continually looking for means through which they hold consumers hostage for long enough to pass their message. As such, different avenues like advertising trucks are in use to grab as much attention as possible.
Advertising trucks are exploiting the decline of TV ad spending
Statistically, the domination of TV as a platform for advertising is declining. Also, digital platforms are experiencing increased ad blindness many people try to avoid the ad nuisance. One of the trending alternatives to TV ad spending is outdoor advertising. Notably, the logic here is that people are more attentive while outdoor, and hence, the ability to assimilate messages is high. Besides, many more consumers are paying to avoid ads on their TVs and digital platforms. Eventually, outdoor advertising might remain to be a significant avenue for advertising.
Interestingly, advertising trucks are one of the most prevalent means of outdoor advertising. The idea is that advertisers wrap ads on trucks and pass the message to the target audience during its journey. Notably, the trucks target audiences inside cars, especially during traffic jams. Considering that over 96% of Americans travel in vehicles during any given week, ads on trucks can reach so many people. Also, trucks offer flexibility in terms of how advertisers can position their message.
Ambient marketing reigns supreme in audience targeting
However, putting ads on trucks can be a nightmare sometimes. Trucks are not always on the move. In a day, drivers pack many times for refueling, lunch, or even for a rest. During such periods, people stop seeing the ads. As such, the message may not always be available for the target audience to interact with it. Additionally, ads placed on trucks are likely to suffer reputation disasters if drivers commit traffic offenses. For instance, when a truck driver causes an accident due to drunk driving, the brand behind the ad is likely to come under sharp criticism.
Further, ads placed on trucks do not offer flexibility for businesses that would like to rebrand. In the case of rebranding, advertisers will need to unwrap the ads from trucks and install others. This process is cumbersome and eats into the business’ profits. Besides, using trucks does not compare favorably to other alternatives like ambient marketing in terms of audience targeting. Notably, ambient marketing delivers messages into the hands of consumers. Additionally, this technique exploits the most unconventional tactics, like using hotel keycards to expose a brand. On the contrary, trucks display their ads to the public without particular targeting.
