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Human Billboards: How New Types of Marketing Can Help Your Business

Advertising on the radio and television can be expensive. If your advertising budget prevents you from buying costly airtime ads, you can still market your brand and attract new clients through innovative advertising techniques.

One of the most unique and innovative ways to get word out about your company and products is through human billboard advertising.

Recruiting people to help you advertise your brand can be a fun and engaging way to attract customers and imprint your business in the public’s collective memory.

If the idea of human billboards appeals to you, you can choose from any of the common methods used for this mode of advertising.

 

Street Corner Signs

Hiring people to stand on street corners and hold up signs emblazoned with a business name and logo is a practice that has long been used by entrepreneurs.

You can hire a person to stand on a busy intersection corner and hold up a sign that states your business’s name and your products or services that you have available.

You could even hire this person to dance or wave the sign to attract more customers. Young people who are looking for fast cash or even family members can make great candidates for this position.

This mode of advertising is far cheaper than buying ads on local media.

A Linkedin temporary tattoo decorates the forehead of Baptiste Vauthey at the 2010 Bay to Breakers race in San Francisco. Vauthey's father works for the company.

 

Temporary Tattoos

Another common means of advertising today includes enlisting people to wear temporary tattoos. You can get temporary tattoos custom made that spell out your business’s name or have your logo included and then hire people to wear these tattoos in visible parts of their bodies.

A person who walks around the city with your business’s name or logo tattooed on his or her face, arms, neck, or hands can attract new clients for you and also demonstrate that you are a cutting-edge entrepreneur who is not afraid to embrace popular trends.

 

Clothing

Many business owners order t-shirts, hats, and jackets with their companies’ names embroidered on these apparel items. Investing in this form of human billboard advertising is often cheaper than buying radio or TV air time.

Likewise, these items can be given out to new clients or as promotional items to the public. Each time a person puts on a t-shirt or hat with your company’s name on it, you reap the advantage of free advertising.

People will see your company’s name on the wearer’s shirt or hat and may be more likely to patronize your business.

 

Car Decals and Bumper Stickers

Giving away car bumper stickers or decals can be another great way to advertise your business cheaply. Many people are willing to put a sign on their cars or stick a bumper decal on their vehicles as a way of saying thanks for your products or services.

People who see cars with your business logo or name on cars are more likely to remember your company the next time they are in the market for the products or services you offer.

 

With the cost of radio and TV ads rising, you may wonder how you can advertise without spending a lot of money.

You can affordably market your brand and make a favorable impression on the public by using human billboard advertising to your business’s advantage.

 

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/smi23le/4613342990/

3 Comments

  1. Interesting method of advertising. I’m curious to find out how effective human billboard advertising is. Would be nice if someone could give some type of stats on this method of advertising.

    1. I am sure billboard advertising is not so new. When there was not internet, the fantasy of people produced great marketing ideas.
      Thanks for the comment, Denis.

  2. It has been used for quite some time, but as Erik said the fantasy is basically limitless and marketers always try to find new ways to better old ideas.

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