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Court of Appeals Rules for Madison in Billboard Case
By Dean Mosiman
July 22, 2017
 
A state Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling to dismiss Adams Outdoor Advertising's $740,000 lawsuit claiming the city of Madison's Cannonball bike path bridge over the Beltline blocks views of the company's billboard from eastbound traffic.
 
The 4th District Court of Appeals on Thursday upheld Dane County Circuit Court Judge Richard Niess' February 2016 dismissal of Adams' lawsuit in a ruling that rejected Adams' claim that blocking the view was an unlawful taking of private property.
 
The Appeals Court's 13-page decision says Adams' claim of a taking is foreclosed by two state Supreme Court decisions. One says that an unobstructed view from the roadway is not a protected property interest, and the other that a taking can't be established because the property as a whole still retains some value.
 
The court also rejected Adams' claims that the city violated its right to equal protection, was denied due process and that the bridge is a private nuisance.
 
"The city is pleased that the Court of Appeals, like the Circuit Court, rejected this unusual claim by Adams Advertising," City Attorney Michael May said. "Our legal analysis, which the courts have accepted, showed that Wisconsin case law is directly contrary to what Adams wanted. The court correctly followed that existing precedent, law that cities and villages rely upon in making decisions."
 
Adams, which owns most of the roughly 130 billboards in the city, including the two-sided sign on a small parcel at 2002 W. Beltline, could appeal to the state Supreme Court. Company officials could not be reached.
 
The lawsuit, filed in September 2014, claimed the city never consulted Adams when it was planning the pedestrian bridge, that workers trespassed on its property during bridge construction, and that the completed bridge blocks the sign from eastbound traffic.
 
After installation of bridge spans in late August 2013, Adams contended the west-facing, 672-square-foot panel was "100 percent obstructed" and the value of the sign and property "substantially devalued."
 
The lawsuit was filed as the city mulled an ordinance eventually approved by the City Council that now lets companies under limited circumstances remove existing signs, "bank" the square footage, and put up a replacement elsewhere. Adams' billboard near the bicycle bridge would not be eligible for the program unless a redevelopment of that property required removal of the sign.

Conlin Does the Math on Solar Billboard Lighting
By Kevin Conlin, Autonomous Power Solutions
July 27, 2017
 
When does solar lighting make sense?  - let's do the math.
 
In previous articles, I've discussed some of the technical aspects of building a reliable solar lighting system.
 
But when does it make the most sense, financially?
 
Answer: when conventional power is unavailable, and your customer is willing to pay the premium for a lit board.
 
Here's the math for a double sided 14' x 48' bulletin
 
The solar lighting consists of (3) Holophane or (4) LTI, LED fixtures per side.
 
The lights will burn for 6 hours per night, or 5 at night and 1 before dawn.
 
A well designed solar power system, with at least 7 days battery reserve, will cost approx. $12,000 (may vary by location based on sunlight hours).
 
Billboard at dusk....1300W ground mount system near Boardman, OR, powers 4 lights. The larger solar array is required because of weak winter sunlight conditions. Photo courtesy Meadow Outdoor.
 
Solar system cost...... $12,000
Lights..........................3,600
Freight.......................$1,000
Installation..................$2,500
Total installed cost......$19,000
 
Last, let's assign a battery replacement cost of $600/year.
 
Since solar lighting system qualify for the 30% Federal Investment Tax Credit:   $19,000 x .7 = $13,300
Net Cost
 
Let's also assume, as the board owner, you're looking for a 30-month payback on your investment.
 
$13,300/30 months = $443/month
 
+    $50/month battery replacement
 
$443 + 50 = $493, or $500/month
 
Conclusion:      If you can generate $500/month, or $250/side, your solar investment will pay for itself in 30 months.
 
With a 30-year design life, including battery replacements, your $19,000 investment, $13,300 after taxes, should return over $180,000, not adjusted for inflation.
Note: some assumptions are made in these calculations, your actual numbers may differ. Accelerated depreciation and other tax benefits, such as property tax exemptions, are not factored into these calculations for simplicity sake.
 
Solar system and battery bank size may also vary depending on annual sunlight availability, but these numbers are a good starting point.
 
Remember, this scenario only applies to situations where conventional power is unavailable or too expensive.
 
Kevin Conlin is a 30 year veteran of the solar industry.  His company, Autonomous Power Solutions, has developed the Work Horse line of solar lighting systems for the outdoor advertising industry.  You can reach Kevin at kconlin@autonomouspwr.com .

Digital or Paper Billboards? A Comparative Guide
Business 2 Community
By Joshua Daniels
July 7, 2017

Let's start with a simple assertion; billboard advertising remains an exceptionally effective way of targeting consumers in the modern age.

This is borne out by numerous statistics, with an estimated 71% of customers thought to look at out-of-home (OOH) advertisements across both traditional and digital platforms. Not only this, but customers who seen an OOH campaign are 17% more likely to engage with a brand through their smartphone, creating a clear path to conversion for advertisers in the process.

When it comes to investing in billboards, you will need to compare the variable propositions of traditional and digital platforms. In this article, we will compare digital and traditional billboards, by highlighting the main factors that you should consider before making a decision.

Your Budget
This has to be the single most important factor to consider, as your options may be limited and your decision shaped by your total budget.

Digital billboard space is known to be vastly more expensive than traditional ads, while the price that you pay will also vary depending on your choice of location (adverts in prime or high-traffic areas tend to cost considerably more).

This means that digital placements can cost in excess of £1,300 over the course of a two-week period, even though production fees can be reduced marginally through this medium.

In contrast, traditional billboards carry far lower costs and more flexible pricing, with 48-sheet adverts typically available from £475 for a two-week contract (including fixed production costs).
This makes for a significant price difference, although it is important to note that you can reduce your costs by negotiating longer-term contracts. This applies to both traditional and digital billboard providers, and it is crucial and securing a 52-week deal could have a significant influence on your final choice.  
Exclusivity and Your Marketing Reach
The value that you receive for your money is another important consideration, as this is crucial if your marketing investment is to deliver an optimized ROI.

It is arguable that traditional billboards hold a significant advantage in this respect, as they offer an exclusive advertising space that offers the maximum exposure to your brand.

Conversely, digital suppliers sell space to multiple advertisers on their billboards, meaning that you will be required to share the spotlight with either five or seven brands on average. This means that could own as little as 12.5% of the billboard that you feature on, while in most instances your message will receive between eight and 10 seconds advertising time per minute.

Even if you are not sharing the space with direct competitors (which you should ensure is prohibited by the terms of your contract), this can impact your ability to reach customers and reinforce your core messaging.

While you can look to negotiate total exclusivity on a digital board for your brand, this is likely to come at a premium and will carry considerable cost implications. It is an achievable goal, however, so it is worth discussing with potential suppliers when comparing the market.

Your Impression Share
This leads us seamlessly onto impression shares, which are likely to be impacted directly by whether you select a digital or traditional billboard. The term 'impression shares' refers to the number of times an advert is displayed, and while it is commonly used in digital marketing it can also be loosely applied offline.

So, if we assume that you are only likely to earn eight seconds of air-time and a 12.5% exposure share through a digital billboard, you are restricting your brands' reach and overall impression share.
 
You are also minimizing the potential impact of each impression, as customers will have a limited time-frame in which to view, process and react to your message.

Of course, you can negate this with a long-term contract, which allows you to target core customer segments more effectively and over a sustained period of time. It is still an important factor to bear in mind, however, and you will need to determine whether a long-term digital placement offers greater value and exposure than a traditional alternative.

Messaging
We have already touched on the engaging nature of billboard advertising, and there is no doubt that this can resonate considerably with customers. On average, more than one-in-three (or 37%) of consumers will take in the messaging on a billboard advertisement, distinguishing it as one of the most engaging marketing channels available to brands.

In this respect, presenting a concise, engaging and optimized message is crucial, making your choice of platform particularly important.

Digital billboards certainly allow for the use of crisp and stylish imagery, while they also allow messaging to be tailored and seamlessly changed during the course of a campaign. This type of flexibility has other advantages too, as brands can use alternative messages at different times of the day or year with the minimum of fuss.

This process can be a little more challenging with traditional billboards, as you are unable to execute changes in real-time while individual alterations will be charged. These may be included as part of the standard production fee in your contract, with some providers charging a fixed amount that is inclusive of reprints.

You should also note that you can enhance the visual quality of your traditional billboard ad and message by hiring a designer or utilizing an in-house team, so this is something to keep in mind when issuing a creative brief.

Your Location
Finally, we come to location, which remains an extremely important focus when commissioning a billboard campaign.

We have already discussed how your choice of location impacts on the cost of both digital and traditional billboards, but availability is another important factor.

An estimated 24% of customers say that they have been motivated to visit a store on the same day as viewing a relevant billboard ad, and digital boards are usually located in prime, high-traffic locations, so if you're looking to drive footfall to local premises, this may cause your brand to miss out on real-time marketing opportunities.

The same cannot be said for traditional billboards, which can be secured in a wide diversity of locations at competitive prices. This includes high-traffic regions, and this is likely to have a significant influence on local advertisers who are looking to drive location-based promotions.

The Final Word
As you can see, there are unique advantages to both digital and traditional billboard advertising, and your ultimate decision must be driven by the unique conditions, needs and demands of your business.

These five factors can help you to make an informed decision, and one that has been taken with the complexities of the industry firmly in mind.
Clear Channel Airports Extends Digital Signage Partnership with Des Moines International Airport
By Staff Writer
July 26, 2017

Clear Channel Airports, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia Inc., has signed a five-year partnership with Des Moines International Airport to offer digital and traditional advertising solutions including LED video walls. Clear Channel Airports (CCA) has provided this airport with advertising solutions since 2007, according to a press release.

The company will deploy three LED video walls, one 75-inch LCD display, an information center with a 75-inch LCD and commercial airtime info on monitors, according to the release. These advertisements on the displays will reach approximately 2.5 million travelers annually.

"Des Moines is the fastest growing city in the Midwest so it's a very exciting time to work with Des Moines International Airport," Morten Gotterup, president, CCA, said in the release. "Having worked with the airport for 10 years now, our team has seen first hand the extraordinary growth and development of the city. We are impressed by DSM's dedication to providing its customers with the kinds of innovative, advanced advertising experiences they've come to expect while traveling through the airport. Our new media network is certain to equip national and local brands with unique and valuable opportunities to reach the next generation of travelers to Des Moines."

Apple Celebrates Summer With Joyful Worldwide 'Shot on iPhone'
Out-of-Home Campaign
By Tim Nudd
June 28, 2017  
This season, there is 'Sunshine Everywhere'

 
For the third year of its "Shot on iPhone" campaign, Apple is embracing the warmth and joy of summer in a global (well, Northern Hemisphere anyway) out-of-home campaign featuring summery photos taken by iPhone users everywhere. The campaign is called "Sunshine Everywhere."

Check out some of the pics below. As we've noted a number of times, the OOH "Shot on iPhone" work is perfect for Apple, working a seamless product pitch into instantly iconic executions.