Face Retail Space: How to Advertise in Malls

The average shopper visits the mall 38 times a year and stays about 1 hour and 20 minutes each visit, according to Mallvertising.com. By their very presence, mall-goers are in a position to buy and are more sensitive to nontraditional media. So, how can you be seen where your customers are looking? How can you associate your facility with a popular (and enjoyable) pastime and be remembered when they need an MRI?

Step 1

Visit the mall you want to advertise in. See where advertisement is placed and decide which positions you’d like to take advantage of.

Things to consider:

Who do you want to see your ad? Mothers with small children? Elderly? Sports enthusiasts? Make sure to gear your placement where this demographic will shop (ie: mothers near a children’s boutique or bathrooms). Also look for spaces that are easy to see in a crowd of people, such as hanging overhead, a specific shape or scrolling. When in doubt, use foot traffic numbers to determine location. The less foot traffic an area of the mall gets, the less likely people will see your ad.

Step 2

Look on current advertisements for a company name, as ad board companies pay the mall to have ad space there. Popular ad board companies include Clear Channel and Adspace Mall Network. If no company name exists, call the mall headquarters or ask at customer service for details about who owns the boards.

Step 3

Call the ad board company and tell them you want to advertise at (desired mall) in (name desired position). See if they have any foot traffic or ROI statistics from previous ad runs. Find out the history of that specific ad space. Is it new or veteran? Do companies recontract the space or is turnover high? This might give you a confirmation whether the spot will work for you.

If you are ready to go ahead, the company will give you contract information and costs for that position, and send you specifications and a timeline for art work.

Step 4

Contract a designer to create your ad. Send them the specifications and time line. Hitachi offers no-cost graphic design to all its customers as part of its Advanced Marketing Program.

Things to consider:

How can your ad stand out among the store signs begging for attention? Try a unique shape (oversized or dye-cut) or bright, off-the-wall photography. Make it 3-D or voice animated. Use lasers on the floor or interactive kiosks. Get the public involved. Use tear-away flyers or QR codes so shoppers will spend extended time in front of your ad. One company used a see-through board with pictures of clothes so shoppers could stand against the ad and “try on” the outfits. When in doubt, target the teens. According to a study by Scarborough Research/Arbitron Inc., 91% of teens notice poster displays at the mall. Chances are high if they have a fun, unique experience with your ad, they will tell their friends, their parents, or their friends’ parents.

Step 5

Once the artwork is completed, confirm the ad board company has all it needs from your designer and wait for them to print and present your new ad.


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