Candice Simmons at Brooklyn Outdoor has a great marketing read at Modern Restaurant Management on the food and  beverage industry.

Outdoor advertising is prime real estate for creative and often groundbreaking displays, special events, promotions, and is the only media format that has continued to move forward and grow year after year.The subliminal power of outdoor advertising is formidable: studies have shown that even if you think you’re not paying attention to it, your brain is paying attention to it.

Food & Beverage brands have long recognized the power of outdoor advertising, and the range of different concepts and categories that have developed over the years is a testament to that.What are some of the unique challenges and opportunities for Food & Beverage brands, and what are some of the defining characteristics that distinguish Food & Beverage advertising from other media formats?

Two categories of Food & Beverage should be focused on. The first is consumer food products and beverages, which includes everything from grocery and convenience store purchases.  The second category includes restaurants, special events, and promotions.

Consumer Food Products & Beverages:

• Includes everything from grocery and convenience store purchases such as hot dogs and Twinkies, to coffee, soda, and sparkling water to alcoholic beverages.
• Food item advertising tends to be heavily focused to coincide with new product launches or rebranding initiatives.
• The beverage space tends to have more of a consistent presence, albeit one that is both very seasonal and very strategic with its advertising programming.

Restaurants, Special Events and Promotions:

• A lot of this messaging is highly targeted: characterized by directional signage and proximity-based ads.
• National chains typically have a discrete budgetary allotment set aside specifically for advertising and marketing.
• National Chains may also have a co-op budget for a region or group of stores. In these co-op budgets, corporate funds match contributions by store owners.

Food & Beverage Generally:

• Tends to be very practical and connected to spur-of-the-moment decision-making based on how you feel in the moment (hungry, thirsty), what the weather is like, what time of day it is, where you are when hunger pangs strike, etc.
• Is more seasonal, quarterly, and geographically targeted: the products rotate, and the messaging and visuals rotate along with it.

Billboard advertising helps brands and businesses stay top of mind with consumers. Bringing brands together with the end clients—getting “liquid to lips” in industry parlance—has long been one of the primary challenges for Food & Beverage professionals.

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