This issue has likely plagued designers since the birth of advertising. Your client says, “I need the logo, website, imagery, call to action, our locations, product/service, nod to our latest campaign, and don’t forget the sale price.” To which you respond, “But it’s a billboard?”

There’s a desire to “make use” of the space that’s been paid for. However, this often decreases functionality.

Here are a few important points to consider when designing for any medium:

1. Billboards: On an average billboard exposed to road traffic, there’s typically room for three points of recognition, including the URL and logo. Choose carefully.
2. Content Hierarchy: Your agency knows how to position content in a hierarchical format that increases the likelihood of your message being read (view associated image). Adding too much content disrupts this structure, causing the reader to overlook everything.
3. White Space: Too little white space can overwhelm the reader, leading to eye fatigue and ultimately causing them to ignore the entire message.
4. Content Length: In most cases (depending on the medium and format), your audience doesn’t care about drawn-out stories and won’t read them. They often only scan concise snippets. Do you have a point? Get to it quickly. While long-form content can benefit SEO, you need to decide what’s more important for this particular piece.
5. Brand Consistency: Your brand carries your equity. To build that equity, you must be consistent in every piece of collateral you create. Make sure there’s room for your brand to be seen.
6. Communicate Differentiation: Don’t compete directly with others. Create your own niche and become the dominant player within it. If you don’t have the space to communicate this quickly, you’re wasting your money.
7. Avoid Gimmicks: People dislike cheesy sales techniques. Red snipes and stars with “50% off” can make people question the quality of your product and why it’s not selling at full price. They take up valuable real estate and ensure your important content isn’t being read.
8. Marketing vs. Branding: As I recently read on a well-thought-out meme, “Sales is the equivalent of asking someone on a date, but branding is the reason they say yes.” I’d also add that sales isn’t the same as marketing or branding. Sales is why they consider a second date. Ensure your branding is solid, your marketing is concise, and you’re directing customers to an appropriate sales source. This will ensure space is used wisely and to maximum effect.

Ultimately, view the medium you’re creating for as finite space, worthy only of the best content. This approach will significantly improve your client communications.

These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to marketing advice. These concepts are common in our industry and demonstrate why you should work with a qualified agency.

Stay tuned for more helpful tips on this and other gentlemanly warfare!