The 2015 Celebrate Israel Parade in New York City

Chalk up another successful event for Billboards2Go.com from this past Sunday. By utilizing two state-of-the-art mobile billboard units (moonlighting as parade floats) my company’s clients received a lot of “bang for their buck.” Not only does our mobile billboard’s huge sign space make a terrific canvas for a parade message, the quick production turnaround and reasonable rate is a much smarter alternative to the more complex, time consuming and costly traditional parade float.

About the Event:  From its humble beginnings, back in 1965 (traveling down Riverside Drive in New York City) grew a huge tribute marching up Fifth Avenue’s prominent parade route. According to this year’s figures, the Celebrate Israel Parade drew a crowd in the hundreds of thousands with thirty thousand participants. It was a sea of U.S. and Israeli flags, colorful balloons, marching bands, decorated floats and thousands of students grouped with vibrant matching tee-shirts, veterans and VIPs, such as Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo, all transforming Fifth Avenue’s typical bumper-to-bumper car traffic into a venue of joyful celebration.

I would like to take this blog opportunity to thank my clients for choosing Billboards2Go.com to represent their message at the event. StandWithUs.com and JDate.com are two highly regarded organizations with a strong belief that Israel is a nation that is a force for good in the world.

I personally believe Israel often gets a bad rap in the media and elsewhere. But if folks do their research, they will see Israel in a more positive light. Israeli-developed technologies range from cell phones and computers to the latest breakthrough medical procedures used every day around the world. Israel provides humanitarian assistance reaching many needy countries that require immediate critical aid. When it comes to disaster response, Israel has used its vast experience to assist countries impacted by natural disasters, terrorism, disease or war. Bar none, Israel is known for “making the desert bloom.” Israel has pioneered and shared its extensive agricultural techniques with the world. In addition, Israel contributes to a cleaner planet with cutting-edge renewable energy and water technologies. As nations struggle to make the best use of their resources, Israel’s technologies promise to improve the health and living standards of hundreds of millions across the globe.

Currently, the United States and Israel are close friends and allies. The continued strength of the U.S.-Israel alliance is rooted in the shared values of the two nations. So, if any nation deserves a day of celebration… Israel is the perfect candidate and the Celebrate Israel Parade up Fifth Ave was a wonderful tribute, which Billboards2Go.com was a proud participant!

Mobile Billboards Make Impressive Parade Floats!

What does JDate.com and StandWithUs.com have in common? Well, besides the apparent dedication to Jewish causes, they both will be represented at the “Celebrate Israel Parade” in New York City by Billboards2Go.com. Not only does the company’s mobile billboards make mean lean targeted advertising machines, they also double as quick, convenient, affordable and creative parade floats.

On May 31, 2015, the Celebrate Israel Parade will be traveling down Fifth Avenue from 57th Street to 74th Street (11am-4pm) The Parade will be on FOX MY9 from 12 to 2pm. It will also be live streamed on www.CelebrateIsraelny.org from 12 to 3pm. Quoted directly from their website: “This year’s 2015 Theme — “Israel Imagines.” The founders of Israel had a dream. They imagined a vibrant, independent and Jewish state that would not only be a haven for Jews from all over the world, but also one that would incorporate the best characteristics of its citizens: brains and brawn, creativity, determination, fairness and imagination – a state whose greatest natural resource is its people who could imagine that future – one that would benefit the whole world! Today’s Israel is a result of that dream. We invite you to use your imagination and creativity to highlight some of the things that Israel imagined and continues to imagine – some that have come to fruition and some still to be achieved.”

For a cost effective solution for representation in a parade, a mobile billboard makes sense on many levels. For one, it is quick to implement. Our basic standard turnaround is as little as 10 days. It is visually impressive with about 500 square feet of message space. In terms of presentation, Billboards2Go.com’s production team adds decorative tinsel to the lower section of the mobile billboard giving it the official parade float look. As for the printed banners, the creative may be anything the client needs from a simple message to a complex full color, high-resolution design. It's relatively quick and easy to print a 10' x 22' banner. For the more adventurous clients, (with a larger budget and more time) Billboards2Go.com production department offers 2-D and 3-D embellishments including moving parts and LED lighting effects.

We are a trusted media vendor to many major brands as well as countless small businesses within the NY/NJ/CT/PA markets. We are a mobile billboard company you may rely on. To learn more about our proof-of-performance and other unique features of our quality advertising media service, please visit our web site atwww.Billboards2Go.com. Hope to see you at the parade!

Hello Outdoor Media Buyers,

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year. Thank you for considering our media service. To show our thanks we are offering a set of mobile billboard advertising banners as a FREE GIFT to you (with any 5 consecutive day or more campaign in the north eastern New Jersey market. ) That's a huge savings and a great way to start the new year with effective exposure for your brand, business or special event. 

To take advantage of this gift, please book your mobile billboard ad campaign before January 30th, 2015. *Offer may be used anytime within the next six months.

We hope you're ready for another big year ahead. Wishing you great success and happiness in 2015!!

Best Regards,
Andrew Miller, VP

andrew@billboards2go.com

*Some restrictions may apply. Contact Andrew Miller for further details.

A Mobile Billboard for a Montel Williams TV Commercial

According to many, If you can make it in New York, you should be able to make it anywhere. That's because New York is the most dynamic and competitive city in the world, at least that is what the "Global City Competitiveness Index" states. Other cities ranking high on the list include London and Paris.

While the sheer size of New York's economy may play a part in its high ranking, the index takes a variety of factors into account, including a city's quality of life, human capital, as well as its business and regulatory environment. Although it should, the ranking does not specifically account for the heavy traffic throughout most of the city’s roads. Everyone knows the traffic in New York City is appalling. You have to deal with crazy taxis, buses and trucks and seemingly suicidal bikers and pedestrians. Keep in mind that pedestrians will cross wherever and whenever they want.

The story of New York is unarguably one about its people: who they are, where they reside and work, how they live and play. New York City offers incomparable museums, attractions, restaurants, hotels, theaters, entertainment and shopping. The amount of visitors (international and domestic) to New York City in 2013 was 54.3 million and they spent a whopping $38.8 billion.

Now that I painted a vivid picture of New York, in particular Manhattan, you need to imagine working here. In this town, “time is money” -  a term coined by Benjamin Franklin. Imagine again that you are going to shoot a TV commercial in Midtown at Columbus Circle by the Time Warner building. The sheer logistics is overwhelming and the red tape extensive! For the producer (in this case, the legendary TV talk show host, Montel Williams) the stakes are extremely high. You have a certain window of opportunity to get it right the first time. With a huge crew, many extras and lots of equipment costing a small fortune, the need for everything to go smoothly as clockwork is a prerequisite.

That is where Billboards2Go.com comes in… The TV commercial shot this past month called for a large billboard to be the backdrop of the event as well as driving around the city (as shown in the photo above.) A custom fabricated display with several lighted mirror stations stood at the base of the truck . This is where the “ordinary women off the street” would try the advertised beauty product “Derm Exclusive.” The commercial took three days to shoot and lasted several hours each day. The billboard featured Dr. Andrew Ordon, Board-certified Plastic Surgeon and TV Host.

Why Billboards2Go.com opposed to another mobile billboard vendor? The reason is simple; Billboards2Go.com offers a top quality product and service at competitive rates. Besides the fact that we use specially designed billboards that may elevate the sign frames for extra exposure, our high resolution printing capacity is perfect for up close presentations. Our reputation as a turnkey, reliable business partner who is familiar with the Manhattan market was also a key contributing factor to participating in the Montel Williams project.

When the stakes are high and the time is of the essence, Billboards2Go.com delivers!  Montel Williams found that working with Billboards2Go.com was a smart move. We contributed to the overall success of the project by being on time and ready to work as promised. The director of the commercial, Chris Strand was quite impressed with our presentation and stated the billboard looked fantastic and he would be happy to work with us again… Chock up another satisfied customer! 

Domino’s Pizza Brings Their Recruiting Efforts To The Busy Streets of New York City

Domino’s Pizza Corporate hired Billboards2Go.com in May of 2014 as a part of their marking strategy for a job recruitment effort. With a bold and clever mobile billboard advertisement stating Domino’s can put “dough in your pocket” - the billboard unit successfully targeted specific neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx recruiting for Delivery Drivers, Bikers and Assistant Managers.

Billboards2Go.com is proud to work with a fast food innovator and powerhouse like Domino’s Pizza. Each day, more than 1 million customers enjoy hot, delicious Domino’s Pizza products on every inhabited continent on Earth.  Domino’s Pizza operates over 10,000 stores in more than 70 countries. For Domino’s to turn to Billboards2Go.com for assistance with their recruiting effort shows they understand that Billboards2Go.com is a trusted and effective media source to the food industry.

Over the past decade, Billboards2Go.com has worked with a variety of companies from retail, financial, automotive and entertainment; but food brands have always been the most critical when it comes to presentation. That is why many top companies in the food industry consistently rely on Billboards2Go.com to represent their brands to the public with new, state-of-the-art mobile billboards.

Another unique aspect of the Domino’s Pizza ad message was a tag line “Enter “billboard” as your referral source to get a free cake on your next order.” The clever additional copy helped identify the effectiveness of the media placement and execution on the client’s side. As far as effectiveness, the Domino’s Pizza executive who hired Billboards2Go.com said after the campaign completion that the mobile billboard recruitment effort was very successful and working with the Billboards2Go.com staff has been a wonderful experience. What’s better than that!

Gambling on the Super Bowl with a Mobil Billboard Campaign

       

            Gambling on 800-GAMBLER.com was no gamble at all. As it turned out the NJ state sponsored gambling addiction hot line and help center took a shot on the Super Bowl and won big time. The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey hired Billboards2Go.com to run their first-ever mobile billboard awareness campaign. According to the CCGNJ organization’s “Information Specialist” Alice Ostapiuk, the mobile billboard they hired for a seven consecutive day campaign during the Super Bowl week was a true success. When the Gambler mobile billboard campaign ended, Alice said to Andrew Miller, VP of Billboards2Go, “Thank you for a job very well done, it looked great and many people saw our mobile billboard.”

The billboard was part of the Council’s campaign to call attention to the help available through the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline for sports bettors with gambling problems. Between January 28 and February 3, 2014, the billboard traveled a route around Bergen, Hudson, Essex, and adjoining areas, highlighting exposure to the local hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, business districts, commuter hubs as well as bumper-to-bumper traffic on major roadways. On Super Bowl Sunday, the mobile billboard traveled around the Met Life Stadium area as well as the above mentioned venues.

The Council was seeking to reach some of the estimated 35,000 NJ residents who are believed to be compulsive or problem gamblers who bet on sports. “Our message is that there is hope and help for this treatable addiction. With the Super Bowl being in NJ and the increasing availability of gambling opportunities in our State, there is a need to get out information to gamblers and families who may be struggling on their own.”

Typically, only deep-pocketed brands can afford Super Bowl placed advertising — as most media professionals know, a 30-second TV spot costs about $4 million, not including the cost that goes into developing an ad, securing a star if necessary, and producing it. However, considering the added amount of people coming into the area during the several days surrounding Super Bowl week, it was an outstanding economical opportunity for a select few brands to advertise with a mobile billboard campaign. According to the New York/New Jersey Super Bowl XLVIII host committee, visitors to the area have spent an average of $600 per person per day during the 10-day period surrounding the game and brought in over 600 million dollars to the local NJ/NYC economy.

CCGN was not the only non-profit organization with Super Bowl ad aspirations. Billboards2Go.com also ran several different mobile billboards for “ChooseNJ.com.” Founded in 2010, Choose New Jersey is a part of the state’s award-winning economic development organization; The Partnership for Action which consists of Choose New Jersey, the New Jersey Business Action Center, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the Commission on Higher Education. Together, they nurture economic growth throughout the state by attracting jobs and investment.

The “for-profit” organization, “Stevin Singer Jewelers” also took advantage of the influx of spectators to the area with two mobile billboard units. One promoting a Valentine’s message “They’re Real and They’re Spectacular” referencing the gold dipped roses available at their Philadelphia store as well as on-line. The second mobile billboard displayed a more general message promoting their web site, ihatestevensinger.com. The ad design was similar to the ubiquitous black and white billboards known to many in the Philadelphia area as the widely controversial as well as a successful media campaign started by owner Steven Singer over ten years ago.

              To sum up this article about the Super Bowl week exposure with a mobile billboard, one thing comes to mind…value! The quality exposure generated during the seven days surrounding the Nation’s biggest sports event was priceless. With approximately 500 square feet of advertising space traveling to the most populated areas such as Newark, Hoboken, Jersey City and Manhattan, the advertisers received a great deal of bang for their media buck. For a fraction of the cost of tradition media, Billboards2Go.com delivered a genuine Super Bowl audience for their clients.

FREE... may be the most appealing word in advertising!

St. Edmond's Academy Students in front of their Billboards2Go.com mobile billboard.

An economic motivation is where price is the main motivating factor. And “FREE”… to the ears of a consumer is one of the most beautiful sounding words they can hear. Although, the word "free" may be a double-edged sword for retailers. As an experienced media provider, I am often asked to come up with a “hook” for an ad and I always turn to what I believe is one of the best emotional motivators available, and that is to give something away for free. The word FREE typically catches our attention. Moreover, when used the correct way, almost always helps the retailer increase their bottom line.

If using the word FREE in an advertisement automatically guarantees sales and profits, everyone would be giving away FREE products and services. Free needs to be used with caution. And remember, there is an old rule in marketing, “Never give away something you sell, unless you have a reliable plan to make a profit doing it.”

You could learn that old rule the hard way when your advertisement backfires and becomes a recipe for regret. The best advice to ensure success of your “free” giveaway is to tie it to some kind of commitment to your product or service. The last thing you want is a flash mob that quickly raids your retail establishment, grabs whatever free items available, and turns around never to be heard from again. Not only did you not make any profit in that case, you probably lost future sales as well, all because you did not have a well thought out marketing plan.

So how do you make a profit giving away things for free? Number one; make sure the giveaway will induce a sale of one of your products and or services. For example: Free is a powerful tool when used properly. As with a mobile billboard promotion we recently created for the Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grill in Long Island NY, the word free is combined (and in my humble opinion) with another beautiful sounding word… Beer. The objective of the restaurant is to build a larger lunch crowd. A Free Draft Beer is a relatively inexpensive promotion for a restaurant when attached to the purchase of a main entrée. The hook will certainly motivate a receptive local audience to stop by the Greene Turtle for lunch. It's the proverbial "win win." The responding customers love receiving a free beer, appreciate the savings and the restaurant gets a lot of new business they may otherwise have missed out on.

Another recent entry into the world of “Free” is a mobile billboard campaign we are currently running for the St. Edmond’s Academy in Wilmington DE. (Photo shown above.) They've gone one-step further by offering "Free Tuition." Actually, the fine print is 6 months free tuition. Although, the perceived value is extremely high for a private school’s tuition, they are offering it as an incentive to enroll students for at least a full year. The offer of free tuition is from January to June and it's being marketed to public schools in their local area within a radius of about 20 miles from their academy. For the next few weeks, the mobile billboard will get exposure near the targeted public schools where parents are dropping-off and picking-up their kids. The billboard will also reach out to "parents" who may be found at local supermarkets and shopping malls.

With the huge clutter of different products and services available to consumers an understanding of how people are motivated to buy is essential to effective marketing strategies. Motivation works as a complex process and a tag-line of Free often works well. If you represent a product, brand or service that may benefit from a mobile billboard campaign with a “free something” hook, let us know and we will be happy to create an effective mobile billboard advertisement for you. By the way, our design services at Billboards2Go.com are... *FREE!