Traditional vs Digital Billboard

Digital billboards or Digital-Out-Of-Home (DOOH) advertising is rapidly rising in the Out-Of-Home (OOH) industry in recent years. We are seeing more DOOH media appearing everywhere in Malaysia but does it mean that traditional billboards will eventually be replaced? 

The answer is simply a NO.

While DOOH does offer more creative capabilities utilizing fancy digital technology, what traditional billboards can offer is as attractive as well. Depending on the budget and purpose of advertisers, either one of the mediums would work effectively for different businesses when the right one is chosen.

By understanding and weighing the pros and cons of the two different mediums, advertisers will be able to choose the most suitable advertising method for their business. 

Traditional billboard – Pros

Exclusive space

Photo courtesy of Mediamatrix

One of the best features that a traditional billboard can offer is its exclusive space for one brand only. With the whole board dedicated to only a brand, the audience will easily remember the brand showcased. This is because dominating the billboard alone will make your brand appear special.

24/7 exposure

When your static billboard is up, it will be there through morning and night. There is no time restriction and this allows advertisers to widen their target audience. Whether it is a working adult commuting to work in the morning, or a youngster who is on his way home after a party at midnight, the advertisement remains visible to all. 

Long term brand recognition

Photo courtesy of Staek Photography

Putting your ads up on traditional billboards builds long term brand recognition as it will be there for a long time, 24/7 and without the interruption of ads of other brands. Advertisers usually go on a quarterly, half-yearly or yearly basis for people to recognize their brand in that period. 

Traditional billboard – Cons

Limited content

Content for a traditional billboard is fixed for a period of time. While it is possible to replace another ad within the contract period, the wait time is long and additional cost will be needed for printing and installation which is not recommended.

Higher maintenance

As traditional billboards use print materials, the printing can get dirty, wear off and peel over time especially when it is affected by the environment or weather. A constant effort for maintenance work would be required to maintain the quality of it. 

Fixed schedule

While it is advantageous for a traditional billboard to last all day without changing, scheduling your ads could be a plus point. Running specialized ads at a certain time, depending on factors like weather or traffic pattern could attract more attention but a traditional billboard does not offer this flexibility

Digital Billboard – Pros

Flexibility in changing messages

Photo courtesy of BigTree

The best feature that digital billboard offers is the flexibility in changing the content and messages whenever there is a new update. This allows advertisers to constantly update and upgrade the ads accordingly which will be more informative and appealing to the audience.

Higher creative capabilities 

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Photo courtesy of Malaysian Foodie

Digital billboard offers higher creative capabilities as it allows advertisers to integrate multiple contents such as videos and animations including 3D animations. Unique and creativity is a most important factor to run an OOH campaign. Thus, the space for creativity that digital billboards offer is advantageous. Also, the moving effects and striking colours that digital billboard presents will appear more attractive to the audience.

Customizable schedule

Photo courtesy of LEDtronics

Customizing a schedule for ads can target different audiences at the right time to increase the impact of your brand message. Digital billboards now are even able to synchronize across different billboards along the road, creating a special way to deliver messages. 

Digital Billboard – Cons 

Sharing space

Sharing a space with other brands might not make your brand appears unique. One of the reasons why big brands still go for traditional billboards is their exclusivity. It is also a more competitive medium as you will have to ensure that your ad is more attractive than the other brands showcased to stand out.

Limited exposure time

As space is shared among other advertisers, there is a limit to exposure time generally ranging from 10 seconds to 45 seconds for each ad depending on the location.  

Higher cost

Digital billboards are generally more expensive. The production value for the dynamic display is high which might not be ideal if you are looking for a more cost-friendly option. 

Key points:

	Traditional billboard	Digital billboard
Cost	Generally cheaper but Has additional installation and printing expenses	Generally more expensive but Cheaper option with shorter exposure time available
Space	Exclusive space without sharing	Sharing space with other brands
Exposure	24/7 exposure	Limited to a certain time frame
Appearance	Billboard material can get dirty, wear off and peel off over time	Not affected by outside factors
Creative capabilities	- Static printing image - Designs and messages can extend past hard dimensions	- Able to integrate videos, animations - Moving effects with eye-catching colours
Content	Content is fixed and unchangeable unless more cost is incurred.	Flexible in changing different messages
Schedule	Not applicable	Customizable schedule for ads to appear at a certain time

The bottom line:

Traditional billboard and digital billboard both have their benefits and drawbacks. There is no say in which is generally better but one of them could be more suitable for your business. This can be measured by the allocated budget, desired location, target audience and goals of your marketing plan.

Easing OOH advertising process: 

If you are having trouble choosing between both, hit Firstboard and they are up to send a free personalized proposal for your business.