End Result? Aerial Advertising Works

When most of us think about aerial advertising, or plane banners, we often think about special occasions. Often, aerial billboards are proposing marriage or wishing someone a happy birthday on a milestone birthday.

Those conditions still exist as people seek new and different ways to surprise each other. It's a fun and unique way to make someone else feel special. But these days, more and more businesses are using aerial advertising to get a message out. These days, it's nearly 75 percent business advertising to only 25 percent personal ads. In the past, those numbers were nearly reversed.

Why?

Novelty

t could be because as advertisers seek more ways to separate themselves from the competition, they seek more novel ways to advertise their business, their product or their service.

Let's consider it this way. Imagine the average consumer heading to work on the train. He or she reads the newspaper each day and glances at the ads. Because most ads are black and white, often those get overlooked completely in favor of the ads that are in color. But even then those only get a cursory glance.  They are often for the same products and services and the newspaper reader assumes that those ads are the same day after day so pays little attention.

But put that same consumer on Miami Beach during spring break or at summertime. He or she is resting in the sun, enjoying some rare rest and relaxation. Perhaps there's some consideration to where to eat dinner later, or where to find a local T shirt shop in which to buy a souvenir T shirt.

When that flying banner appears overhead, this consumer sits up and pays attention. Literally. Often, people stand up and stare at the airplane banner until it's out of sight or at the very least, they remove their hat and stare skyward as they read the plane banner as it flies overhead.

In this case, then, the novelty of the advertising method is what gets attention. The consumer, who is likely a bit jaded when it comes to advertising, has suddenly noticed an ad and paid attention. This person has internalized the message they've been given and are much more likely to pay attention to it than they might a radio ad, a newspaper ad or even a television ad. In this case, unusual works.

Results

No company manager is going to spend their advertising dollar on something that won't work. Instead, they are going to spend that dollar on something that brings results. While many forms of advertising can claim good success rates, airplane advertising can claim results that the others often can't match.

Studies have shown that people pay attention to banner advertising. They will look at the banner as soon as it comes into the sky (or even before if they hear the plane on its way) and they will continue to watch the banner until it flies out of sight.

Advertising results have backed this up. When the state of Maine launched its state lottery, only 8 percent of the advertising budget was allotted to aerial advertising. A study looking at the impact of the media advertising discovered that more than 70 percent of respondents knew Maine was launching a new state lottery. Although aerial advertising was given 8 percent of the budget, it accounted for 18 percent of the education among respondents. This was eclipsed only by billboard and radio advertising, but those mediums also received a much higher percentage of the advertising dollar.

End result? Aerial advertising works and that's why, although individuals might still use a flying banner to send a message, or share feelings, it is business that knows the monetary benefit of using aerial advertising well.

Arnold Aerial Advertising is one of the many companies that provide such services. Located in New York, Arnold Aerial Advertising provides nationwide service with affordable rates.