Elevator Ads

Disadvantages of Elevator Advertising

The elevator advertising sales rep has you convinced that you should invest in elevator ads. But there are a few elevator advertising disadvantages that he might have overlooked during his sales pitch.

Elevator advertising promises miraculous benefits for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

And to be honest, the idea of promoting your company to a captive audience in a highly creative and potentially memorable way sounds like something you could use to drive home your latest marketing campaign.

Elevator advertising really does have some advantages. Microtargeting, cost-effectiveness and 24/7 visibility are the upside of an elevator ad campaign. But at the same time, elevator advertising has certain disadvantages that you're not likely to hear about from industry insiders. If you're contemplating the possibility of pursuing this form of advertising, there are several drawbacks you should consider:

• Limited audience. One of the benefits of elevator ads is that they can be microtargeted to a specific building so you know that your ad will be seen by the right people. But the flip side of microtargeting is that your ad won't be seen by very many people. Compared to the marketing capacity of other advertising mediums, elevator ads reach a very limited audience.
• Cost of high-end ads. There is a wide disparity in the costs associated with elevator advertising. Standard ads posted in a display frame or on a digital LCD are affordable. But the really creative ads (the ones that everyone talks about) can be cost prohibitive. For example, wrapping the interior of the elevator with high-quality graphics to make it appear as though the floor has collapsed will get people talking, but the cost of the ad plus the graphic design it requires come at a hefty price.
• Irritation factor. People who view elevator ads are a captive audience. Some advertisers taking advantage of this fact and create ads that may seem clever, but come off as irritating or annoying to riders. You could easily spend most of your advertising budget on an elevator ad that is a hit with critics and a complete bust with the people you're trying to reach.
• Multiple locations. The location cost of an elevator ad is misleading because in order for your campaign to be effective, you'll need to purchase multiple locations. You cost per location will decrease, but you'll need to buy enough locations to make it worth the effort.
• Digital vs. nondigital. Elevator ads are becoming increasingly high-tech forms of marketing. With LCD elevator displays popping up every day, it's not difficult to see where the industry is headed. For now, digital and non-digital ads appear side-by-side . . . And if you're not prepared for digital advertising, it could make your company look low-tech and behind the times in comparison to other elevator advertisers.

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