A mobile billboard is a device used for

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a Product (business), product or Service (economics), service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of int ...

on the sides of a truck, trailer, bike, or other vehicle that is typically mobile. Mobile billboards are a form of transit media; static billboards and mall/airport advertising fall into this same category. Using a mobile billboard for advertising is called mobile outdoor advertising

Description

Most mobile

billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

s are dedicated, customized LED trucks with large bodies for displaying advertisements. Some of these dedicated units offer features such as external

sound systems Sound system may refer to: Technology media * Sound reinforcement system, a system for amplifying audio for an audience * High fidelity, a sound system intended for accurate reproduction of music in the home * Public address system, an institution ...

, illumination, LED panels and hot/cold boxes for product sampling, although they are illegal in many cities. Digital mobile billboard trucks have become popular, but the most capable in terms of gaining exposure are static mobile billboards. Static mobile billboards do not share advertising space. Some of the most cost effective mobile billboards are installed wraps on trucks and trailers that are in service delivering goods serving as multi-purpose vehicles achieving "green status" or "truck side advertising". Box-type trucks with panels enclosing the cargo space can be turned into a mobile 3D

display case A display case (also called a showcase, display cabinet, shadow box, or vitrine) is a Cabinet (furniture), cabinet with one or often more transparency and translucency, transparent tempered glass (or plastic, normally Poly(methyl methacrylate), ...

. Many companies use these trucks for

parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...

product launch New product development (NPD) or product development in business and engineering covers the complete process of launching a new product to the market. Product development also includes the renewal of an existing product and introducing a product ...

es, furniture displays, and general rapid-awareness creation. Almost anything can be placed inside of the boxes for display. For

micromarketing Micromarketing was first referred to in the UK marketing press in November 1988 in respect of the application of geodemographics to consumer marketing. The subject of micromarketing was developed further in an article in February 1990, which emph ...

campaigns, small-engine scooters and human walking

s are used for experiential marketing and direct to consumer marketing.

Effectiveness

Industry analysts, researchers and trade representatives have researched the effectiveness of mobile billboards. 90% of US travelers have noticed outdoor mobile media billboards. 3M and the

American Trucking Association The American Trucking Associations (ATA), founded in 1933, is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. ATA represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of motor carrier in the United States through a federation ...

noted 91% of the target noticed the text and graphics on truck advertising, and the Traffic Audit Bureau noted that on local routes monthly impressions ranged from one to four million hits. Product Acceptance and Research said 94% of respondents recalled seeing the Mobile Billboard, with 80% recalling the specific advertisement; the billboards resulted in a sales increase of 107%.

Utilisation

Mobile billboards are generally used due to the perceived benefits such as being able to deliver a message in places where traditional billboards are unavailable. They also offer a medium that does not get cluttered by other advertisements and are not generally seen near competitors. Many also find it advantageous that the message is less likely to be tuned out by drivers than other advertising mediums.

Legality

Some municipalities have strict laws against mobile advertisements. According to the London Hackney Carriage Act 1853 ( 16 & 17 Vict. c. 33) and section 9 of the

Metropolitan Streets Act 1867 The Metropolitan Streets Act 1867 ( 30 & 31 Vict. c. 134) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom applying to the City of London and all places and parishes then within the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Board of Works. Following ...

( 30 & 31 Vict. c. 134) it is not lawful for any person to carry any picture, placard, notice, or advertisement, on any carriage or on horseback or on foot in London except those which are approved of by the Commissioner of Police. In

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

, the use of wrap advertising on buses was prohibited by the road authorities. The reason behind the ban was that in an emergency, the windows might need to serve as an

emergency exit An emergency exit in a building or other structure is a special exit used during emergencies such as fires. The combined use of regular and emergency exits allows for faster evacuation, and emergency exits provide alternative means of evacu ...

and that the advertising would make the window harder to break with the

emergency hammer A glass breaker is a hand tool designed to break through a window glass in an emergency. It is a common safety device found in vehicles to aid in the emergency extrication of occupants from a vehicle, as well as in some buildings. Most glass br ...

Gaia Trafikk Gaia Trafikk was the largest public transportation provider in Bergen, Norway, Bergen and Os, Hordaland, Os, Norway until it merged with HSD forming Tide. Gaia was formed by the 1998 merger of Pan Trafikk, the bus company serving northern and ...

argued against the ban, pointing out that their tests showed that the thin wrap had no impact on the breakability of the window, but did remove the advertising which covered the windows.Livsfarlig reklame
("Life-threatening advertising")

Dagbladet () is one of Norway's largest newspapers and is published in the Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format. It has 1,400,000 daily readers on mobile, web and paper. Traditionally it was considered the main liberal newspaper of Norway, with a ...

, July 5, 2001, retrieved April 17, 2007

References

{{reflist Advertising by medium Advertising tools Billboards Public transport

Description

Effectiveness

Utilisation

Legality

See also

References