Elevate Your Bus Advertising Impact in 2024

"Booking a bus advertising campaign without a
well-thought-out and designed creative is akin
to investing in a product without an appealing package,"

~ John Ainley, Managing Director.

Let’s face it – buses are hard to miss. Plus, the nature of bus travel means they cover lots of distance during the day, so there’s even more opportunity for your advertising to be spotted. Bus advertising is a surefire way to get your business seen and deliver a direct response.

The key is to get your ad design right; it is not a case of using the same design you use on social media or magazines. I have a rule that the ad must be able to be seen from over 30 yards away and can be read in under 10 seconds. These tips will make the difference in either no response or converting a huge portion into taking action. 

Buses are on the road in most areas up to 18 hours a day, seven days a week, meaning potential customers have repeated contact with your advertisements, helping cement your brand in their minds.

The Significance of Design in Bus Advertising

Did you know: “Creative is the largest contributor to uplift when advertising”

Regarding bus advertising, the importance of design simply cannot be overstated. It’s essential to remember that buses are almost constantly moving. Having a moving target means your advert must grab the gaze of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists before the bus moves on.

If the advertisement isn’t carefully designed, the message will be unclear and won’t leave a lasting impression.

Certain elements of bus advertising will help drive response:

Colour psychology

The way consumers perceive and evaluate brands is hugely impacted by colour psychology. 

Although there isn't one specific colour that is proven to boost sales more than others, you should never have your main colour as the same colour as the bus, so if in London you don't have red as the major colour, but white would be perfect as it will stand out. Your colours influence consumers as they hope they are recognisable with your brand. We expect to see a British gas advert as blue or Starbucks being green. Bus fleets across the country apart from London have their own colour schemes, and adapting/tweaking them can make your advert stand out. 

Imagery

Striking, appealing and relevant imagery can increase consumer engagement with advertisements. The truth is people respond better to adverts that contain imagery. Not only can it help illustrate a message, but it can also help it stick in a consumer's mind - Imagery doesn’t just need to be a photo or an illustration, even an infographic.

Creative is the largest contributor to uplift when advertising. 

Spatial use

Whether you choose a large or small advertisement, it’s important to maximise the space allocated without overcrowding the advert. I always found blank space sells, and overcrowding can create confusion around the messaging, making it hard for consumers to stay engaged. This confusion is especially exaggerated when an advertisement is on the outside of a bus that is always moving. 

My top tip is to have no more than nine words, your brand displayed in strong brand colours and text in bold lowercase. 

Crafting the Core Message

As with all advertising campaigns, crafting the core message is essential.

• What do you want potential customers to do when they see your ad?
• Is it easy to understand if the bus is moving and only in view for a short duration? 

Use the 10-second rule. 

It’s important to ensure the core message is concise and easy to follow. It won’t work well on bus advertising if it’s too complicated. 

• Nine words, 
• strong colours,
• your logo,
• and call to action.

Buses are moving targets that need to get the point of their advertisement across in the first few seconds they are in sight, so clear, memorable core messaging is needed.

The best place to start when creating a memorable message is to decide your main aim for the campaign. For example, Broadway Shopping Centre used our services to attract more people to the shopping centre and its events in its 2021, 22 and 23 Christmas campaign. 

Thanks to a clear aim and strong core messaging, this campaign saw a successful result of a 30.5% average increase in weekly footfall year on year. 

Strategies for Maximising Impact

To ensure the greatest impact of your bus advertising campaign, it is essential to consider your target audience.

Something as simple as understanding where your target consumers will be about the bus can inform how likely they are to see the advert.

For example, bus stations, bus shelters, bus interiors and bus sides ( but must be street facing) are ideal for targeting bus passengers who will be exposed to all these areas more than those who don’t usually use buses. This creates a unique opportunity to engage a specific market segment. 

Meanwhile, motorists get a good view of bus rear panels and bus shelters, and the driver-side T-shape panels of buses are visible to a wider group of people, including motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians. The placement of the advertisement is just as important as the messaging.

Buses can reach a wide audience but also target smaller groups. While you can’t pick the exact route the bus you advertise on will end up on, you can target a specific geographical location, which is perfect for advertising local businesses and events.

Part of your advertising strategy should involve narrowing down the demographics you want to engage and working on ways to ensure they see your brand. 

Innovations and Trends in Bus Advertising

Thanks to ever-advancing technology, bus advertising is evolving. Digital elements are on the rise. Digital bus shelter screens have been around for a while, but digital screens on the interiors of buses are starting to roll out.

More in-depth data can now be collected thanks to technology using QR codes, meaning a more accurate measure of results can be taken. 

It also means that demographics can be investigated deeper, enabling you to target consumers appropriately.

Upcoming innovations in bus advertising could see a positive impact on sustainability. Biodegradable bus wraps could become commonplace, as could solar-powered displays.

The truth is technology is improving bus advertising all the time. It currently works well to help your adverts stand out. For example, digital screens in bus shelters eliminate the age-old issue of traditional bus shelter advertising being less visible in low-lighting conditions.

These digital screens are backlit, meaning they shine brightly and share your message clearly – even in the dark. So, in winter, when we have much fewer hours of daylight, digital bus shelter advertisements still stand out.

The Ark Media Approach

Here at The Ark Media, we take the “no egos, no fuss” approach and put our clients at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to say the key to our success comes from understanding our clients and helping them to achieve their goals.

We have over 30 years of experience in media, and for the last 21 years, we’ve been specialising in bus advertising.

One happy customer loved the campaign we did for Elmhurst Windows. The brand started using bus advertising over 30 years ago and has always responded well. We were happy to take them back to their “on the buses” roots by utilising mega rears, side panels, and rear panels to create a strong presence around Leeds City Centre.

Here’s what their managing director had to say about the campaign:

"We have seen so much success and response from the buses;
we can't quite believe the amount of leads and sales!".
~Richard Abrahams

Practical Aspects of Bus Advertising

Many people who are interested in bus advertising wonder about the costs associated with it. As with all types of marketing, businesses want to ensure they receive a good return on investment.

We use Route, the independent industry audience measurement provider, to help us calculate the number of people who will see your advert and the number of times they will see it. 

This ensures you know what kind of coverage to expect for your budget. Our bus specialists understand how to create strategic bus advertising campaigns that will get in front of your intended audience.

Because bus advertising is unmissable by nature, it is one of the most cost-effective ways to implement outdoor advertising.

Bus advertising can’t be turned off, so it’s crucial to ensure that you work around any specific dates the campaign needs to cover. Our experts will help you plan when you’d like the advertising to be live and guide you on how long it will likely take for the campaign to build momentum.

As with all advertising formats, bus advertising must adhere to legal and ethical guidelines. This means there should be considerations around truthfulness, accuracy, and transparency, and targeting techniques should be fair and respectful. It goes without saying that you should never target a vulnerable demographic or mislead your potential customers.

Collaboration and Campaign Success

We aim to listen to and work with our clients to provide them exactly what they want. We have developed a methodology for success, which focuses on pinpointing your exact requirements.

We care about what you want your advert to look like, who you are trying to target, when and why you want to advertise (and for how long). We try to nail down what you want your customers to do when they see your advert, and then we discuss exactly what you want to invest.

Once it’s up and running, we take detailed measurements of campaign success by looking at key performance indicators such as brand recall, engagement, and conversion rates. 

Getting Started

It couldn't be easier if you’re looking to jump-start your marketing by advertising on buses! 

if you’re interested in booking a 20-minute strategy session with a bus advertising specialist, just fill out a contact form on our website. If you contact us today, we will share our top 3 points when designing your next bus advert. 

Or, if it's easier for you, just email us at info@thearkmarketingandmedia.co.uk to get the ball rolling.

The Roundup

In conclusion, bus advertising is a highly effective way to promote your business. It offers high visibility, extensive coverage (over many areas for up to 18 hours a day) and repeated exposure for the consumer. For the advertiser, it’s a cost-effective way to gain a wide advertorial reach to receptive consumers. 

If you’re not utilising bus advertising, you’re missing out.

The Ark Media are industry expert in bus advertising. Our 30-plus years of experience help us maximise the results of your bus advertising campaign, leading to fantastic brand recall and customer engagement.

Our aim is to create lifetime customers, and it’s working so far! Our clients return time and time again thanks to our drive to keep our customers happy. 

We look forward to working with you (for a very long time).