Outdoor advertising boards of all shapes and sizes are now virtually unnoticable when walking or driving around towns and cities. The advertisers try ever more imaginative ways of catching the publics attention and this is matched by the enthusiasm of those who have to find locations for these hoardings. The roadside location has virtually cult status in the US and are present on junctions and highways across the world.

The use of images to market certain products can be very powerful in influencing consumers. The Marlboro Man, the bottle of Coca Cola and the Nike Swoosh must be some of the most easily recognised symbols in the world and all have received worldwide exposure through advertising hoardings.

In West Africa the opportunity for outdoor advertisers is made even more attractive as television as an advertising medium is under-developed and so is magazine advertising, it is in fact non-existant. Therefore the only real opportunity for large full colour marketing of products and services to the public is through the use of signage. This can be located everywhere e.g.
roadside, a transport terminus, the top of buildings and on the side of vehicles.

The space for doing this type of advertising exists and there is the population to view it. The next challenge is to ensure the quality of the signage can be monitored through the printing and materials used to make them. For the West African environment the materials used will need to be durable and long lasting, especially anything that is vehicle mounted.

. Equipment to be used - the printing equipment required to produce the work may not exist and therefore a whole new industry could develop around this requirement.

. Vehicle Signage - the types of vehicles that would suit the purposes of outdoor vehicle advertising are buses and taxis. The quality of the vehicles bodywork and paint work will affect whether the signage will be able to be offered correctly.

There is a whole industry waiting to be developed across the region of West Africa. All the towns and cities could be developed by a visionary company looking to exploit the opportunity of marketing other peoples products and services to the general public.

The three containers making up a GeoPod facility can be utilised for the provision of advertising messages. This can be either the sides of the containers or through the erection of advertising hoardings on the roof or by the side of each container.

The hoarding could also serve an additonal function as the perimeter security fencing for each GeoPod facility.

This would provide a revenue generating opportunity for the GeoPod cooperative as it acts a focal point for community development and can reach the public directly.

All the many forms of literature generated and distributed by each GeoPod could also carry sponsored and paid for advertising messages, again providing the cooperative with an ongoing revenue stream.

Tags | advertising