Background

• Out of home advertising is a growing $6.8 billion industry
• A tiny fraction of billboards are digital (700-plus out of an estimated 450,000 total billboards in the United States)
• Digital technology is a means of changing static billboard copy
• Digital billboards do not feature animation, flashing lights, scrolling, or full-motion video
• Brightness is adjusted as outdoor lighting conditions change; dimming sensors monitor and adjust light levels
  • The industry self regulates
  • The OAAA Code of Industry Principles assures that digital billboard displays are static and that brightness is adjusted as needed

Advantages of Digital Billboards

• Authorities can deliver emergency and law-enforcement information:
  • AMBER Alerts to find missing children
  • Weather and disaster bulletins
  • "Wanted" information to help police find fugitives
• Advertisers can deliver real-time information
• Most advertisements on digital billboards promote local businesses, and most of those are considered "small businesses"
• Digital billboards can adapt quickly in fast-changing, competitive environments. Examples include:
  • Changing interest rates or mortgage rates
  • Lottery jackpots
  • Sales specials
• There is the potential for advertisers to target and purchase by day part, location or geography
• Advertisers no longer have printing and shipping costs
• Multiple advertisers can share prime locations
• Digital boards create demand for high-tech jobs