Monday, October 28, 2013

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 entrĂ©e. 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!


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Mobile Billboard in Drag Race at Raceway Park Englishtown NJ

Billboards2Go.com US Diesel Truckin Nationals 2013

by Bob Goodwin 



On September 14th, Andrew Miller (VP of Billboards2go.com) was the race driver behind-the-wheel at the US Diesel Truckin’ Nationals. Andrew did not drive the Billboards2Go professional dragster, but he did race one of the company’s diesel powered mobile billboards. (photo shown left) According to track officials, the annual event at Raceway Park in Englishtown New Jersey attracted over seventeen thousand people- it’s biggest turnout in 25 years.

The US Diesel Truckin Nationals is an all day "trucks only" event that features hundreds of custom, racing and show trucks, plus the Transportation Industry Service and Equipment trade show. The event culminated with a thrill show featuring jet powered trucks, dragster trucks and Monster trucks pouncing on and crushing several lines of junked cars. The event draws huge crowds of people who work in the trucking and related industries among many others, young and old who just love trucks. There is no other truck extravaganza like it. Best of all, the thousands of Truckers, Fleet Owners, Manufacturers and Fans all attended with a good frame of mind and a special camaraderie that seems to exists only between soldiers that have experienced the crucible of combat together. 

Andrew ran 5 passes down the packed-bleacher drag strip making it all the way to the semi-finals. His Billboards2Go truck raced the ¼ mile track at decent ET of 25 seconds and at a shattering top speed of about 52 MPH. He was in a good position to win in his category when he “red lighted” on his last pass. Additionally after each pass, Andrew stopped a few times in different spots on the return road in front of the bleachers and tossed HFI logo tee-shirts and caps to the overwhelmingly enthusiastic crowd. Between the races the Billboard2Go truck slowly cruised the pit areas and parked in prominent positions to get the best possible exposure for the client HFI.

You may be asking yourself, how can a billboard truck win any race when they seem to be slow and lumbering? It’s an easy answer… it’s called Bracket Racing (Google it). Bracket Racing is a form of drag racing that allows for a handicap between the predicted elapsed times of two faster and slower vehicles racing down a 1/4 mile drag strip. The effect of the bracket racing rules is to place a premium on consistency of performance of the driver/vehicle package rather than on raw speed and HP, which in turn makes victory less dependent on large infusions of money, and more dependent on mechanical tuning and driving skill.

The Billboards2Go mobile billboard truck featured a message from the HFI Isuzu Truck Dealership. According to the HFI VP Brian Costigan, the audience and method of placement of his ad was ideal in every way. They were very pleased with the massive targeted exposure opportunity for their company. So much so that HFI booked the event again (that day) for the 2014 race. Andrew says he doesn't know of any other advertising job that would be as exciting on so many levels. His personal feeling about truck racing and getting targeted media exposure at the same time for his client is summed up in a few words… “Daddy has to go to work now. See you later kids.”

Billboards2Go.com Mobile Billboard US Truckin Nationals Pit AreaBillboards2Go.com Mobile Billboard Truck Night Photo Etown


This article was written and submitted by Bob Goodwin, Customer Service Manager at Billboards2Go.com.  All inquiries about Billboards2Go.com media services may be sent to Andrew Miller, VP via email:  Andrew@Billboards2Go.com

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Two words of advice for advertisers still considering the 2014 Super Bowl: Act Fast.



The headline above was taken from a recent article published in USA Today. It’s in reference to the availability and high cost of advertising during the Super Bowl on broadcast TV. The article stated ad space for 30 second slots are selling for over 4 million dollars. That level of media budget is affordable to a select few brands with deep pockets.

What about the many businesses that would love to take advantage of the large audience the annual sports event attracts but are not rolling in dough? Billboards2Go.com has a creative solution… we are offering a different branding experience than TV during the game, but never-the-less a Super Bowl market audience. There is still time to book a mobile billboard campaign for the MetLife’s Stadium route for Super Bowl week - leading up to and during the game that includes reaching a captive audience driving into and out of the Meadowlands sport complex area, Jersey City Waterfront, Hoboken and the downtown Newark business district.

A smaller ad budget can win big during Super Bowl week. For just pennies on the dollar compared to other Super Bowl OOH ad space opportunities a brand will achieve optimum exposure with a mobile billboard ad. Billboards2Go.com still has a few mobile billboard units available for this event. The deadline for booking a mobile billboard campaign with us is September 30th - or depending on the availability of limited inventory.

Billboards2Go.com is a turnkey media provider. From award winning creative, high resolution banner production and state-of-the-art mobile billboard equipment, we offer everything it takes to get the exposure your clients’ need. We do all the work and you get all the glory. We’re reliable, effective and surprisingly affordable.

Don’t wait for the last minute to be part of the historic event… “Act Fast.” Super Bowl XLVIII will be the 48th edition of the Super Bowl in American football, and the 44th annual championship game of the modern-era National Football League (NFL). It is scheduled to be held on February 2, 2014 at MetLife Stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey to determine the champion for the 2013 season. This would be the first Super Bowl to be played outdoors in a cold weather environment, the first in 38 years to be played outdoors on artificial turf and the first in which two US states (New York and New Jersey) will work together with hosting duties.


For further Information Please Contact Andrew Miller, VP of Billboards2Go.com via email Andrew@billboards2go.com or cell, 917-628-4953     www.Billboards2Go.com



Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Eye-popping custom fabricated billboards stand out from the crowd!

Our company's fleet of mobile billboards were deliberately designed to carry extra weight to offer the creative advantage for attaching custom 2D or 3D elements.

At Billboards2Go.com we strive to be your first choice for quality turn-key mobile billboard media solutions. In doing so, we are proud to announce that our production service is now offering unique design presentation opportunities.

To get noticed these days, advertisers often need to go to the next level to capture the more distracted, hard-to-please audience. When you need to command attention, we’re your front row ticket to success. Our talented design team can translate your concepts into a bold 2D or 3D mobile billboard, creating an eye-popping memorable experience for your audience. With as little as a small 2D extension designed to enrich a standard 10’ x 22’ board (as shown above with the Jagermeister bottle) or mind-blowing 3D elements, we have the skills to meet your conceptual demands and production budgets.

Our Custom Resources Include - but are not limited to:

Simple 2D Extensions, Large Vacuum-formed Elements, Custom Fiberglass Structures, LED Enhancements, Moving Mechanical Elements, Scent Dispensing Technology, Large Scratch-N-Sniff Areas, Theatrical Smoke, Continuous Bubbles, Amplified Sound and Local FM Radio Broadcasting

Our expert team knows how to produce a look that will last while parked for stationary display or in transit up to 60 mph down a highway. And with our exclusive telescoping billboard technology your message will be even more eye-catching.

It’s easy and straight-forward: Our clients submit a flat mock-up of their design and a portion is recreated into an attention–grabbing 2D or 3D enhancement that stands out from the rest of the board.

Your project deserves the most creative implementation possible and we’re ready to quote a custom fabricated project that will turn a lot of heads for a rate that is affordable. We can execute the whole experience from conception to installation in a matter of a few weeks or less, depending on the extent of the enhancements.

Let your imagination soar with the possibilities and let's make it happen!

Additional resources about 3D billboards Link

Monday, July 8, 2013

Got Speed?

New York City is well known as a gritty and tough place to grow up and make it. “If you can make there, I’ll make it anywhere” as Frank Sinatra famously crooned, is words of wisdom. Now, I’m sure many of you can relate to the hustle-n-bustle of being in the advertising business in this town, especially if you commute in and out of here every day. For myself I’ve been working in Manhattan for over 25 years and I’m still not use to all of its insanity. That’s where drag racing comes in for me. To some it’s a loud and useless sport and to others it’s a symphony of mans’ achievements in engineering. With a mechanical engineering background and a self described “motor-head” I fall on the latter side of the argument.

What’s the thrill of drag racing? Foremost, many people love the excitement of cars racing down a track, but fewer know just how these machines work. From horsepower of the engine, weight of the car, friction of the road, to air resistance, all of these aspects can be explained by physics when broken down into their various components. The thrill for me is born out of a combination of manipulating the shear horsepower, the high decibels and a competitive spirit.

As our race team’s active crew chief, drag racing has given me an outlet to make some noise, take advantage of my mechanical skills and have a little unique fun away from the hectic schedule of the media business. When my team and I arrive at a track we concentrate on one mission and that is to safely win races. In order to do that there are literally hundreds of variables that go into a successful run. From a well tuned engine to a focused driver, everything needs to be synchronized like a Swiss clock.

The atmosphere at the race track is thick and intense. Our racing category puts us up against seasoned professionals traveling over 150 mph in a matter of a few seconds. There’s little room for error and “safety” is our mantra. When our team driver Russell Arthur was a kid he was convinced that one day he was going to become an Astronaut. Although he was only about eight years old at the time his dream has gotten a little closer to being fulfilled. Now as a professional race car driver (and our graphic and production manager) he has gained the insight of what it must feel like for an astronaut at launch time. At the starting line of a race he experiences the intense g-force that is comparable to a rocket’s lift off.

To sum up this article I would like to add that drag racing is an art, albeit loud, the noise is music to my ears. If you would like to see the Billboards2Go.com racing team in action, you’ll find us at Raceway Park in Englishtown NJ this coming July 28th. The events are the 34th Annual Old Time Drags & Rod Run and the11th Annual Funny Car Reunion. Besides racing in the event we’re sponsoring the “Jungle Jim Award” for the best burn out. If you don’t know who Jungle Jim was or what a burn out is, don’t worry… you’ll have a blast anyway if you show up. The doors open at 8am.

Lastly, a good tip: bring hearing protection, a hat and a bottle of water.

Monday, June 17, 2013

How LGBT-Friendly Is Your Media Provider?







An "LGBT" message may be considered too controversial for some media outlets and are often declined. Either with print, TV, online or out-of-home, some media suppliers may be reluctant to place that type of ad. There are countless documented cases where LGBT or other minority groups have been discriminated against based on a preconceived opinion and not based on reason or logic.

At Billboards-2Go we believe in the First Amendment right for LGBT and other minority groups to have an opportunity to openly express their views. On that note, Billboards-2Go has run a mobile billboard truck at the Philadelphia Pride Parade and Pride Fair this past June 9th. At the parade, the mobile billboard was used as a quick and easy parade float with added silver tinsel trim. The ad message was for an LGBT-Friendly senior living facility in downtown Philly. The facility is one of the first of its kind in the nation. The ad’s placement could not have been any better. With thousands of enthusiastic spectators at the parade and subsequent fair, the message clearly resonated with the audience.

In terms of bang for the media buck, the ad client was extremely satisfied with the outcome of the event and quick turn-around of our services. Our state-of-the-art mobile billboards offer close to 500 square feet of in-your-face advertising space. They’re perfect as a parade float and the creative opportunities are endless on the double-sided 10’ x 22’ wide billboards. Our stunning full color, high resolution printing is ideal for close up viewing at a parade or special event.

Lastly, Billboards-2Go is dedicated to supporting advertisiers that may not have other exposure opportunities. Every major change in history started with one person or one event. We are doing our part – are you?

Monday, May 20, 2013

Targeted OOH Ad Placement Adds Cachet to Autobody Shop’s Image



According to Wikipedia, "Targeted advertising is a type of advertising whereby ads are placed so as to reach consumers based on various traits such as demographics, psychographics, and behavioral variables. Furthermore, "Alternative advertising provides a way to address consumers in places they may not expect."

The two statements above succinctly describe the impact of a well place mobile billboard unit. On that note, I would like to add that the “effectiveness multiplier” is a well crafted graphic ad design. The following press release describes the perfect combination of creative and logistical factors that go into a successful media campaign.

On Saturday May 18th, 2013 Billboards2Go.com displayed a mobile billboard unit at the Hot Rods and Harleys car show. The annual show takes place in the quaint town of Rahway, New Jersey. Lined up on every street, literally taking over much of the downtown area there were hundreds of classic cars, muscle cars, and race cars. In addition, motorcycles of every type, including lots of brand new demo Harleys, all available for the thousands of spectators to see, touch and enjoy.

Although the weather was a little overcast with a few short sprinkles, the large crowd still made the best of the situation and devoured the various fair staples such as hot dogs, ice-cream, kettle popcorn and mozzarella corn cakes. With several live bands throughout the event playing a mix of rock tunes, a live ballet show on a mobile stage and other exciting entertainment, the free car show was the perfect venue for a local Maaco autobody advertisement on a mobile billboard.

Billboards2Go additionally displayed their dragster race car next to the Maaco mobile billboard. The dragster affectionately named “Berserk” was a real crowd pleaser. About every hour on the hour the Berserk race team started the loud and powerful engine and revved it up for a few minutes. The demonstration attracted a large crowd enhancing the effectiveness of the Maaco billboard’s placement. A Maaco employee took advantage of the increased number of spectators brought over by the dragster and handed out plenty of $50 savings coupons.

The photo attached show the Maaco mobile billboard boomed-up to about 18 feet high. The unique and exclusively designed mobile billboards are available only through Billboards2Go.com. The huge double-sided sign with a tall rear banner gives an advertiser about 500 square feet of usable ad space. Unlike the more standard looking mobile billboard signs that are stuck to their truck's chassis the exposure advantage of a 18 foot high billboard is obvious. It was seen from hundreds of feet away with little obstruction giving the advertiser an extra boost of exposure. The synergy between the thousands of car enthusiasts and the autobody client was perfect. Reaching this captive audience with a message that resonates was the goal for the ad placement.

The bold and effective Maaco ad design was created, printed and finished in-house by Billboards2Go.com and will be used for other targeted events throughout the next few months. There is never a storage or re-posting cost charged to the client for future ad campaigns. Having the banners in storage saves the client money and enables a quick reposting for future events.

For the most reliable, affordable and effective mobile billboard service in the USA, there is only one name to remember… Billboards2Go.com



Friday, January 4, 2013

Mayan Apocalypse




Hi Friends!

If you can read this post, then I am happy to congratulate you for making it through the Mayan Apocalypse!

You’ve made it through the cataclysm to be caused by an asteroid collision with Earth, or was it the pole shift where the North Pole swings erratically in a new direction? Now I remember, it was the sun’s “active cycle” that was going to melt us all. Whatever the catastrophe was, now that we’ve obviously made it through it’s about time to get back to business. And my company’s business is creating positive results for our clients’ mobile billboard promotional efforts.

I attached my favorite "end of the world as we know it" internet joke above to sum up my feelings about 2012. We made it past the December 21st apocalyptic dead line - we didn’t fall of the “fiscal cliff” and gas prices seem to be coming down a bit. Feels like we’ll have smooth sailing ahead and it’s time to think about moving forward with effective mobile billboard media plans for 2013.

About 2012, we appreciate all of our clients (past and present) and thank you for being a part of our business family and utilizing our media services during the past years. We’ve come so far since our early beginnings over fourteen years ago and we could not have done so without support from a number of people like you.

Lastly, Happy New Year! - The Billboards-2Go team and I wish you a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous 2013.