By John Malmo
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkno/local-wkno-935537.mp3
Billboards: Revisited, by John Malmo
Memphis, TN – I know I sound like a broken record. But, doggone-it, some folks are just not listening. I've talked about the huge amount of money wasted on billboards that nobody can read. Then what do I see all over town? Billboards for the Grizzlies that you can't read.
Each one has one or two visual elements that compete with copy that's too long and in all capital letters. You know all those words they try to hide at the bottom of political TV ads? They're always in all capital letters. Everyone but art directors knows it's hard to read all-caps. In three or for words they're fine, but no more than that.
For a lot of reasons, Grizzlies success is important. Spending money on billboards you can't read is a waste of precious ad dollars. For any advertiser. A billboard is fourteen feet high by forty-eight feet long. It should be easy to read from at least 200 yards.
So draw a billboard design that's five percent of the size of fourteen by forty-eight feet. Then stick it on the wall of a distance that's five percent of 200 yards. If anyone in the room cannot read it easily, go back to the drawing board. Remember, people are going to be going about forty miles per hour when they see your billboard.
John Malmo is a marketing consultant who concentrates on helping business owners grow their businesses with effective marketing. To reach Mr. Malmo, hear and read more of his commentaries, or ask him a direct question, go to askmalmo.com.