Digital Billboard At Night
During the so called economic boom years, when the banks were giving away money, the billboard, or outdoor advertising industry, under went a major consolidation.
Big Billboard firms went on a wild spending spree purchasing smaller companies, and in my opinion, simply over-paid for these new assets. They took on massive debt to finance their purchases.
When the recent "recession - depression" hit all advertsing took a hit. Revenues dropped while operating expenses began to soar especially in the outdoor sector.
To dig out of this mess Big Billboard now think that the new "digital" billboards will save them. This new digital format is effective and is almost labor free as they don't require employees to change billboard advertising copy or maintain the lighting system.
This is not good news for billboard employees and is even worse news for for property owners leasing real estate to billboard companies
EXAMPLE
St Pretersburg, Fla. 8-18-11. The St Peterburg Times reported that the city council rejected digital billboards.
The billlboard firms offer the city a deal, to remove 80 traditional billboards and replace them with 6 digital faces.
They also offered the City $2.1 million woth of free advertising space over 20 years for city public service announcements.
Big billboard offered to throw away 74 tradiional billboard sites for 6 digital ones.
The reason for the rejection was that residents of the community complained loud and clear at the City Council hearing stating, "digital boards were much brighter, more dangerous and very distracting for motorist and they greatly annoy near by homes."
Bill McInerney
(619) 816 3933
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