Billboards are being erected at a rate of 15,000 every year in the USA; they are so popular because they are relatively inexpensive and on display every minute of every day. The location of course is essential to their success because they would have little value on a desert road other than informing motorists of the next gas station or restaurant. If a billboard is on a busy highway and its message is clear, it can provide an excellent return on investment.
The number of vehicles on the roads today has been increasing since the days when billboards first became part of the USA skyline. Even in the last 30 years there has been a substantial increase. While newspaper, radio and television advertising is falling, billboards are becoming more popular. People asking ‘how much to rent a billboard?’ are liking the answers they are getting. The price is much lower than spending the advertising budget in the traditional media forms of print, radio and television to target the same locality.
Cost depends on a number of factors including location. Modern printing techniques have improved the quality of what can be produced, and if the set up costs can be spread over multiple advertisments, then the cost per location reduces. At one time billboards were actually hand painted; they may have been works of art but that meant little in terms of the effectiveness of getting the message across.