Selecting The Right Size Billboard

Choosing the right billboard for your campaign is crucial and with the different sizing options available it can get overwhelming. Below we have broken down the most commonly used options for billboards in South Africa.

Billboard structures are strategically located along main arterials throughout South Africa. The average consumers automatically assumes that billboards are limited to larger format highway sites. This is most definitely not the case, smaller format sites are located within high LSM suburbs and are used to target various attractions like shopping malls, schools and more.

South Africa encompasses various informal settlements and taxi ranks. This has given rise to various OOH advertising opportunities that are unique to the general outdoor advertising scope. Although billboards located in these areas are sized to specific proportions general roadside billboards follow a similar pattern.

 

3m X 6m (Alternatively known as CITILITES) billboards are the most utilized format within the outdoor advertising industry and there are many reasons for this.

  • These sites are positioned within suburbs on a national scale. This allows for pinpoint targeting as opposed to large traffic highway sites that are less specific.
  • Production is significantly cheaper on these sites due to the size being 18 square meters.
  • Many billboard companies offer FREE rotations because there are so many frames that are the same size (IE no need to reprint banners)

Many brands select Citilites for their outdoor advertising campaigns and the results speak for themselves. Generally located within a short runup to an intersection ensures slow moving traffic when approaching the billboard.

Larger format highway sites are located on main highways throughout South Africa. These sites are large enough to stand out from the fast moving traffic and keep your brand out of the general clutter. The most commonly found structures along highways are:

5m X 20m

4,5m x 18m

4m x 16m

Many media owners have started the transition from static to digital on these structures. When the above structures are illuminated and positioned correctly it is impossible for consumers to not notice your creative which guarantees a bold brand presence.

As the name goes, this medium literally involves wrapping a building with your brands creative. The moto within the outdoor advertising space has always been ‘The bigger the better’. There are no specific sizes for this medium because the structures are fitted according to the building. These sites are somewhat out of place and it is impossible for consumers not to be impressed by the size of your brand’s creative. South African CBDs are swamped with really large structures and media owners have capitalized on this opportunity. Iconic sites like the Vodacom Tower have become talk on the streets due to their sheer size.

Many media owners have erected unique sized billboards for various reasons such as bylaws, pricing and engineering concerns. Whether you are a media buyer, marketing manager or director of a company make sure to select the correct size billboard that will suit your brands image, pocket and target market