When it comes to Outdoor Advertising, one cannot neglect the presence and importance of static media in the market. Being the most traditional and most used media format, static media plays an important role in the advertising business. In this article, we will discuss the difference, importance, merits-demerits and presence of Hoardings and Bus Queue Shelters.
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First, let us talk about Hoardings in India. Hoardings, Billboards, Unipoles, Building Panels, and Wall Panels all comes under same category. Being static in nature, this media format not only comes in various sizes, dimensions, structures but also they are present in millions of locations across the globe. In India itself, there are approx. 15, 83,752 hoardings excluding illegal ones. These hoardings are in such a huge number that even the regulating department not able to map and get it legalized. Every state, every city, every town and even the smallest village holds their share. Roads, Streets, Highways, Markets, Bridges etc. you name it and we can get the hoardings available there.
Bus Queue Shelter advertising is another form of static media that we have in the market. Advertising business is running out of exclusive and innovative marketing options, brands whereas going digital day by day, static media advertising plays a vital role in the advertising business. BQS advertising or Bus Queue Shelter advertising in its simplest terms means getting the BQS branded under one’s brand name, that’s it. Simple installation of creative with vinyl pasting on BQS gives the viewers a pleasant view of the brands while waiting for their buses. With the availability of lights and well maintained shelters, this advertising media helps the marketers to showcase their product exclusively and efficiently.
Both media formats are static in nature, so calculating or judging the difference between is a little tedious task. We can differentiate them among their sizes, their presence or locations, their lit type and their visibility. Hoardings are large, they can be giant in size, from 20’ x 20’ to 200’ x 200’ and they are monstrous when it comes to size whereas BQS are in standard sizes across the city or states, the authorities have fixed and installed one standard size BQS across the location. BQS can’t be installed in bigger formats unless required. Whereas numerous hoardings are daily installed and uprooted. Hoardings are present at multiple locations with n’ number in quantity where BQS is a Bus Queue Shelter, hence they can’t be present back to back in a stretch. Also illegal installation of hoardings have also increased their numbers. BQS comes under single or similar formats, they are horizontally wide and standard in vertical whereas hoardings can be in square shape, in rectangle, particularly horizontal or vertical, innovative hoardings etc. One can’t compare the Hoardings with BQS or can challenge the importance among each other. The benefits of Hoardings are they huge in size, in bigger formats, precisely placed or installed, high rise and easily visible from far ends makes them the favourite media formats among the marketers. Whereas BQS Advertising has its own importance, they are mostly present in every location, where there is a bus there is a bus shelter, hence the marketers loves their brands get branded on BQS to give the halters or people waiting for their buses as well as the commuters and passers-by. The negative or demerits of hoardings are sometimes their huge number itself. Multiple hoardings at same place or same location confuses the viewers and the message on the creative gets diluted also numerous hoardings distracts the viewers and they loses their importance. Technically a viewer has maximum 3-5 seconds per ad and a lot of information or confusing graphics sometimes creates a waste in viewership nothing else, whereas BQS under similar sizes benefits the marketers as their advertisement or message is easily conveyed to the viewers. Nothing haphazard no rush, easy going visibility and ample time to go through.
In the end we can say that, Hoardings in India or elsewhere holds a higher position when compared to BQS Advertising but I’ll always keep both media formats on different verticals and standards. Where one media has an edge over the other in terms of size and later their own availability in hundreds creates a havoc for themselves, where one holds an unmatched competition in terms of their presence leaving the other media format short in the same category. One media enjoys the size and larger formats while other keeps itself simple and standard yet impactful. So we can say that where advertising on Hoardings plays a vital role in current advertising business BQS advertising is not much far away from the same.
Thanks……
Deepak Khatri
North India Head
Organized Outdoor Options
9999083267
