One of the most critical aspects of advertising is outdoor media. This refers to a category of advertising tools placed in open spaces and public areas, aimed at capturing the attention of audiences towards specific products, services, or messages. Due to their strategic placement in high-traffic locations and public visibility, outdoor media have a powerful ability to convey messages effectively.

Outdoor media encompass all tools displayed outside the home in public environments and form an essential part of the advertising strategies of brands and companies.

Types of Outdoor Media

Outdoor media includes a wide range of advertising tools used in open spaces and public areas to attract audience attention. These media, positioned in strategic and high-traffic locations, allow advertisers to deliver their messages to a large number of people. Below are some of the most common types of outdoor media.

Billboards

Billboards are among the most common and well-known types of outdoor media. These large panels are typically located in high-traffic areas such as highways, urban intersections, and busy spots. Thanks to their large size and prominent locations, billboards can effectively display advertising messages in a clear and appealing way, attracting the attention of both pedestrians and drivers.

Overhead Billboard

Overhead advertising is another form of outdoor media. By utilizing empty spaces and the side railings of bridges, advertisements can be effectively displayed. Overhead billboards are particularly popular along highways and busy routes, where they can be seen from a considerable distance.

Straboards

Straboards are another type of advertising panel typically installed along streets and roadsides. With special lighting and attractive designs, straboards capture more attention than traditional signs. Although smaller in size compared to billboards, straboards remain highly impactful as outdoor media.

CLBs (City Light Boards)

City Light Boards (CLBs) are panels often installed on sidewalks, shopping centers, bus stops, and other busy locations. Thanks to their appropriate lighting and high clarity, CLBs are visible even at night. They are particularly suitable for advertising products and services that need to be seen throughout the day and night.

Metro Advertising

Advertising in metro systems is one of the best ways to reach urban audiences. This type of advertising includes posters, banners, and visuals placed inside trains, metro stations, and entrances. Given the high volume of metro passengers, these forms of outdoor media can deliver advertising messages to a significant number of people.

Bus Advertising

Advertising on buses is another highly effective form of outdoor media. By placing advertisements on bus exteriors, these vehicles become moving billboards capable of spreading messages across the city. In addition to the exterior, the interior space of buses is also used for advertising, which can have a stronger impact on passengers.

Bright Boards
Bright boards are large digital displays typically installed in shopping centers, urban squares, and high-traffic areas. Using LED technology, these boards showcase animated visuals and videos, which draw greater attention. Bright boards are an excellent choice for dynamic and engaging advertising campaigns due to their ability to quickly change content and display diverse advertisements as part of outdoor media strategies.

High Boards
High boards are another type of outdoor advertising panels, installed vertically at elevated heights. These boards are visible from long distances due to their elevated positioning, making them ideal for advertisements that need to be seen from afar. High boards are commonly placed on highways and near bridges.

Applications of Advertising

Advertising is one of the main and most powerful tools in the business and marketing world. Its primary purpose is to attract audiences, inform them, and persuade them to purchase products or use services. Advertising plays a critical role in brand development, increasing sales, and fostering business growth. Below are some of the key applications of advertising, especially outdoor media:

Increasing Brand Awareness

One of the most important uses of advertising and outdoor media is enhancing brand awareness. Companies and brands use advertising to introduce themselves to audiences and inform them about their products and services. Effective advertising helps embed a brand in the minds of its audience, making it easily memorable.
Example: Billboard advertising to introduce a new bottled water brand across the city.

Introducing New Products and Services

Advertising and outdoor media help companies present their new products and services to audiences. When a new product or service enters the market, informing customers about its features and benefits through advertising is crucial.
Example: An advertising campaign to introduce a new smartphone model, detailing its features to the audience.

Increasing Sales and Revenue

The main goal of most advertising efforts and outdoor media is to boost sales and revenue. Through advertising, companies can persuade customers to purchase their products or use their services. Effective advertising is designed to convince customers to take action.
Example: Seasonal discount ads for a store to increase winter product sales.

Building and Enhancing Brand Image

Advertising helps companies strengthen their brand image and identity. Brands use advertising to showcase their values and attributes, shaping how they want to be perceived by customers. Advertising fosters positive emotions and emotional connections between customers and the brand.
Example: Automotive companies advertising their focus on safety and innovation.

Competing with Other Brands

Advertising allows companies to compete with rivals in the market and improve their position. Effective and appealing advertising can help a company increase its market share and attract competitors’ customers.
Example: Comparative advertising between two shampoo brands highlighting the superior qualities of one product over the other.

Educating and Informing

Another key use of advertising and outdoor media is educating and informing audiences. Sometimes the goal of advertising is to provide useful information about products, services, or specific topics. This type of advertising helps customers make more informed choices.
Example: Awareness campaigns highlighting the benefits of using renewable energy.

Reminding to Customers

Advertising helps companies remind their customers about their offerings and encourage repeat purchases. This type of advertising is particularly effective for brands with high-frequency or daily consumption products.
Example: Beverage brands reminding consumers to regularly use their products.

Changing Attitudes and Behaviors

Advertising can also be used as a tool for changing attitudes and behaviors. Some campaigns aim to promote positive behaviors or discourage negative ones. These types of ads are often initiated by government entities, non-profits, or socially responsible companies.
Example: Campaigns to reduce smoking and promote healthy lifestyles.

Product Differentiation

In competitive markets, advertising helps differentiate products. Through advertising, companies can highlight the unique features of their products, showcasing why they are superior to similar offerings.
Example: A detergent brand emphasizing its superior cleaning power in ads.

Attracting New Customers

Advertising is an effective way to attract new customers. Brands can design creative and compelling campaigns to draw in new audiences and expand their market.
Example: Social media campaigns encouraging new customers to try products.

Building Customer Loyalty

Advertising helps companies maintain customer loyalty and encourage repeat purchases. Loyalty campaigns often include special offers, rewards, and incentive programs for existing customers.
Example: Membership card and loyalty club advertisements offering exclusive benefits to members.

Promoting Seasonal or Limited Products

Advertising is also effective for promoting seasonal or limited products. This type of advertising is highly effective for items available only for a specific period, helping boost sales during a short timeframe.
Example: Special promotional campaigns for Christmas or Nowruz products.

As one of the main tools of marketing, advertising plays a vital role in the success of brands and companies. Given the diverse applications of advertising, businesses can achieve various goals, such as increasing sales, building brand awareness, and strengthening customer relationships through appropriate strategies. Selecting suitable advertising methods and using them wisely can significantly contribute to the growth and development of any business.