All of the info on billboards I’ve shared is really meaningless if the information is bland, irrelevant or doesn’t connect with the intended audience. That being said, it is rather difficult to create meaningful messages on a flat surface, 14′ x 48′ in size and hanging out on on the side of the road (or even floating by on the ocean’s edge.)

You have to be really good at what you want to say, with images, text and the right combination of both – with an eye-catching design to just grab attention – all before the message is even read by your audience.

I do like billboards, I just think they are a tough platform.

Radio can help, especially in conjunction with great billboards. This summer, one particular brand’s ad stands out. Their parent company is huge, bigger by far than Sesame Place is or ever will be in fact. It starts with clear, streamlined messaging on billboards on major highways leading to the park and then, riding down the highway, you hear their radio ad.

“Come to Sesame Place, before little kids become big kids, before dress up turns to make up and tag becomes hashtag…” They have a lot of history at marketing and being part of kid’s lives – 35 years with the park and far more than that on PBS. To us, they are a local spot, right in our “home town” – some may think it is a bad thing, but I know my kids loved going when they were littler; when play dates weren’t “date-dates”.

If Sesame Place’s marketing department was trying to create meaningful messages to attract moms of toddlers, this one hit it out of the park.

~ Dawn aka Hat Girl