What you need to know when ordering outdoor advertising

What role do advertising and information media play in promoting your business? A huge one! They are the most effective way to get your message across to future customers.

Every marketing goal comes down to attracting the attention of as many people as possible. But choosing and ordering advertising media can be genuinely baffling, with so many details to consider: which one to go for, why, and how to avoid mistakes? Don't worry! The RVK Tashuta team has put together a concise guide designed to make this process much easier for you. So, here goes!

Step one: choosing advertising media to suit the focus of your business

For example:

1. For the interior of a retail outlet, you can use:

• illuminated, 3D and pseudo-3D letters;
• all kinds of printed products, such as posters;
• illuminated structures (light boxes and acrylic light panels);
• shop window design with full-colour printing and coloured films.

2. For an office interior, you can also use the items above, plus:

• advertising and information stands;
• brochure and catalogue stands;
• boards.

3. When preparing for events (an exhibition, a conference or a promotion), advertising and exhibition products can come to the rescue, for example:

• desk sign plates;
• portable display stands and press walls;
• banners, street banners, promo counters and so on.

Advertising outside points of sale and offices must do more than create and maintain a business image. It also has a very “honourable” and important mission: to break into people's minds in a short time and stay there, prompting them to buy your company's products or services. So it makes sense to use:

• banner structures;
• mobile vehicle advertising;
• billboards, façade signs and so on.

Of course, you understand that everything has to fit: pink lettering won't suit a sign for a motorbike shop. Don't go by budget alone – even at the expense of something else, choose advertising that presents you in the best possible light and lets you combine your key contact details with your corporate branding in a harmonious, effective way.

After all, it is one thing to order flyers for a one-off promotion, and quite another to order a permanent structure that will be the face of your company.

Step two: answer a few fundamental questions.

Where will your advertising medium “live”: indoors or outdoors? What environmental conditions will it be exposed to? What wind loads must it withstand if used outdoors? Will you leave it out in the rain, or bring it in during bad weather and at night? How strong does the structure need to be, wherever it is located? How often will you use it, and how long does it need to last?

The answers to these questions will determine both the technical and visual characteristics of your order, so that the finished product meets your need for high-quality outdoor advertising.

By the way, you also need to think about fixing and what it may require. Some advertising media offer several fixing options, while others are freestanding. It all depends on their design (for example, some need to be drilled into a wall, while for others a smooth surface for adhesive tape is enough).

Either way, we will take every detail into account and suggest the best option!

Step three: choosing the overall dimensions of the advertising medium.

Choose the largest size you can afford, based not only on your budget but also on the dimensions of the location. So you need to measure them accurately before moving on to the design itself. Remember the golden rule: the larger the font size, the easier the text is to read. A sign, banner or other product like that will stand out even from a long distance.

Of course, lack of space is still a problem! But it shouldn't worry you. The RVK Tashuta team has extensive experience in designing spaces of all kinds, both small and large. So there is no danger of your order ending up too big or too small!

Be a designer for a while!

That is why we suggest you use our design tips, which will show you that the art of creating effective advertising is not so difficult after all.

• Keep it short! Don't try to cram lots of information into your advertising message or use complicated language. You can come up with a slogan. But even if you don't have one, say only what matters most! That way people will understand you faster and even conclude subconsciously that they need your product or service.

• Use a large, legible font! It is worth sacrificing even the desire for originality for the sake of such a font. Letters must be clear so that the lettering on the advertising medium does not merge into one mass. Elegant thin strokes are not an advantage either. For more details, read the article “How to choose the right font for an outdoor sign”.

• Choose a good colour scheme! No, we are not asking you to master the basics of colour theory. But there are certain patterns in how the human eye perceives colour, and they must be taken into account. To make your advertising medium more attractive, we recommend going for high contrast, for example a light logo on a dark background. Not only should its elements contrast with each other, but the whole thing should also contrast with the surface it is mounted on (for more, see “Outdoor sign colour: how to choose it and what you need to know”).

• The “right” resolution means the sharpest possible image! “Right” means “high”. A resolution is “right” if the image:

– was taken with a good-quality camera;

– was bought from a stock photo site.

You can also use your corporate branding developed by a professional designer. If your logo's resolution is too low for the advertising medium you have chosen (for example, a banner), our specialists can help. They will convert it to the required format and resolution.

We hope these expert tips help you when designing and ordering any kind of outdoor advertising – which, by the way, is an integral part of media planning for large companies alongside the mass media. And it will certainly help you promote your business.