Is an Airplane Banner a Good Use of Your Advertising Funds?
If you own a small business, you likely rely on a variety of offbeat and out-the-box ways to advertise to potential clients or customers. In your quest to find new and effective ways to gain more business, you may have considered flying an airplane banner at a public event or other large gathering to help reach the maximum number of potential customers at once. While these banners are routinely flown by multinational corporations over major sports events and televised parades, they may not always make sense for every small business. Read on to learn more about aerial advertising to determine whether this is a good use of your advertising dollars.
When may aerial advertising be a good way for you to garner business?
Because aerial advertising requires you to pay a pilot for his or her time, flight expenses, and the cost of the banner itself, it isn't something you'll want to pay to do for days on end. Therefore, you'll want to plan your flying time to coincide with an event that will put a lot of people in prime viewing area—an outdoor sports event, festival, concert, or other gathering. Ideally, you'll be able to choose a gathering associated with your target customer base—a folk music festival if you own a secondhand instrument store, for example, or a soccer game if you own a sports equipment store.
You may also want to use this banner to offer a promotion that will help drive customer traffic through your doors. By including a short blurb like "Mention this ad for 20% off!" you'll be able to track the number of customers who viewed your ad, letting you know whether this was a worthwhile investment (and whether you should do it again).
What are some situations in which you may want to avoid aerial advertising?
Before designing your plane banner, you'll first want to ensure aerial advertising is permitted in your area. Some parts of the country have enacted ordinances against aerial advertising, although the Federal Aviation Administration states that it remains legal throughout the United States, with certain restrictions and waivers. Utilizing an aerial advertising company in violation of local laws and ordinances could cost you more business than you'll gain.
You may also want to avoid aerial advertising if your business's structure or purpose doesn't lend itself well to a logo and description abbreviated enough to fit on a banner. While aerial advertising can be a no-brainer for those in certain industries (like flying a banner for toy store discounts over a holiday parade), in others you'll need to depend on more personalized ways to approach potential customers.