“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,
Missouri” fi lm screenshot.
The Return of the Billboard:
Tips to Inspire Action
through Print
Billboards present an opportunity for everyone’s message of action to stand out from the
crowd. Here are some key trends and tips to consider for maximum impact using print and
signage.
By Sal Sheikh
In one of the most critically acclaimed fi lms of this year, the 2017 drama fi lm
Th ree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, a creative use of billboards brings
awareness to an important issue within a rural community. Similarly—in
real life—billboards have sprung up around the globe to deliver messages to
internationally renowned athletes, poke fun at reality TV stars, and drive global
change around important social issues. What does this all mean to us? Print
remains one of the most effective mediums with which to communicate.
Various sectors including wide-format
and graphic arts are experiencing
growth. According to Keypoint
Intelligence – InfoTrends’ Global Wide
Format Forecast, latex and eco-solvent
wide-format printer placements are
projected to demonstrate a compound
annual growth of 6% from 2016
through 2021. InfoTrends estimates
that the majority of wide format print
volumes are attributable to signs,
posters, point-of-purchase displays, and
banners. Additionally, a 2017 study by
Borrell Associates found that billboards
were one of the only traditional medias
projected to show growth in 2018 as
measured by local ad expenditures—
highlighting the breakthrough power
of print in what can be perceived as a
digital age.
Th is rise in print could be explained
by a 2016 survey by MarketingSherpa
in which 82 percent of internet users
reported that they trust print ads when
making a purchasing decision, more
than any other medium. When it comes
to the likelihood of a purchase, print
ranks as one of the top most infl uential
mediums according to a December 2017
study by Clutch.
Th e combination of these insights
24 Wide-Format & Signage April 2018 PrintingNewscom
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