Who’s Your Longest Running Advertiser and Why?
In advertising, the best compliment a client can give you isn’t a glowing review. It’s a renewal. The advertisers who stick around year after year are telling you something no survey ever could.
When I started designing billboards for Roland in 2011, many of the advertisers were still there over 15 years later. That’s a lot of renewals. Of course, at that point it’s easier to just go month-to-month, as you know they are in it for the long haul. The point being, some advertisers saw the value in keeping their business in the spotlight consistently via OOH.
The large portion of these long-term clients were real estate agents. They notoriously love billboards, but they also understand relationships. Their approach to billboards mirrors how they work with clients: show up consistently, stay visible, and let trust build over time.
I remember one digital billboard ad for a real estate agent that showed him driving his classic Corvair convertible. We photoshopped SOLD signs flying out of the car as part of the ad. That one ad ran on and off for 15 years. That’s a long time for a single piece of artwork, but he loved it.
Some other businesses that stood out as running very long billboard campaigns were advertisers that were in close proximity to the billboard, making them great for directional ads. Once they saw the directional ad working, there was no reason to stop. Renewals became routine, and routine turned into decades.
Some of these businesses included restaurants, banks, retail, equipment rental, & HVAC, among others.
Great advertisers aren’t made in a single campaign. They’re built over years of showing up, staying visible, and trusting the process. The ones who stick with it don’t just get seen. They become part of the landscape.
Want to share the story of your longest-running campaign with us? Shoot us an email at info@tastyad.com
