But that appears to be changing as the far reach of technology extends beyond email, popup advertisements, and other internet-based marketing strategies.
Marketing with roadside billboards, however, has challenges, including government zoning restrictions and a reluctance on behalf of brands to step away from more mainstream digital advertising.
Just recently, Initialized Capital, which is led by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, invested $2.1 million in billboard advertising company AdQuick. So reports Business Insider.
The company is seeking to make it easier for brands to use roadside billboards and other out-of-home displays. The deal marks the second round of financing from Initialized Capital, which had previously invested $1.1 million in seed capital last year in the company.
Among other features, AdQuick uses geofencing with the goal of pitching mobile phone display advertisements to individuals who are in close proximity to a relevant billboard. The idea is to reinforce the messages on billboards by broadcasting related advertisements to individuals who may have just viewed the outdoor advertisements.
AdQuick also provides technology to make it easier for brands to find billboards in targeted markets. Advertisers can also use Google Analytics and image recognition tools to track the number of people who visit a brand's website or take a photo of the ad and share it on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
AdQuick, of course, isn’t the only firm trying to modernize billboards. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba recently invested $1.43 billion in Shanghai-based out-of-home advertising firm Focus Media, reports Marketing Tech News.
Like AdQuick, Alibaba plans to simplify the purchasing of billboard advertising and will tie billboard inventory into its digital marketing platform called Alimama. It plans to use its analytics to help brands find appealing neighborhoods or cities based on consumer activity.
For example, billboards in a neighborhood with residents who have a large number of pet cats may be appealing for brands that sell pet products. Other strategies include customizing billboards based on the make and model of cars in close proximity to the displays.
In the U.S., Synaps Labs feeds cameras images of oncoming cars to a computer via a cellular signal, according to the Seattle Times. The computer then determines the make and model of a car being driven and if the car is likely to be driven by a target consumer.
Automobile brands could use the data to advertise only to individuals who drive older cars and are therefore more likely to need to buy a new vehicle. High tech billboards could also display advertisements for luxury brands to drivers of expensive cars.
In a similar manner, Ocean Outdoor is using vehicle recognition in the U.K. to determine which advertisements should be pitched to drivers based on the make and model of cars, according to CBC.
In one campaign, sports car drivers are targeted with travel advertisements because the individuals may be more likely to enjoy exotic vacations.
Like any new technology, however, creating high-tech billboards has its challenges, including government restrictions on the locations of roadside advertisements. In West Hollywood, the city council has delayed granting approval of a 72-foot high, 25-foot wide, three-sided display on Sunset Boulevard, reports Wehoville.com.
The council wants to get more public input on the project to help determine if a smaller scale display is appropriate.
On a broader scale, California state legislators are debating if they should allow digital advertisements to appear on billboards maintained by highway operators, including displays that are used to broadcast traffic conditions and Amber Alerts, reports GovTech.com.
The proposals could raise millions of dollars for the state’s coffers, but municipalities are concerned that they could lose control over the use of the billboards and are therefore opposing the idea.