Out-of-home advertising is a growing field that is filling an important niche for marketers today.
According to Crunchbase, Eaze, a cannabis delivery company founded in 2014 and backed by $51.5 million in funding, said it uses billboards because it has no other choice. The company can’t advertise through Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and neither Apple nor Android allow cannabis-selling apps on their devices.
Eaze has a soft spot for locations near In-N-Out locations. At the same time, the company is careful not to place billboards near schools.
About 40 to 60 percent of their customers come through outdoor advertisements.
Sell It from the Rooftops
San Francisco startup Firefly is capitalizing on the growin gneed for out-of-home advertising, as well. The company raised a $30 million Series A last month to help put digital advertisements atop ride-sharing vehicles.
Full-time drivers who place a Firefly advertisement on top of their car make $300 a month.
Firefly said it delivers 200 million impressions per month with a total of 650,000 hours of content. It has 40,000 square miles of coverage area.
Not In My Beach Town
In related news, leaders in Key West, Florida want mobile advertising trucks to disappear. Police say the practice dangerously distracts drivers. Locals have complained that it’s obnoxious.
“Pedestrians and motorists are distracted much like they would be on a cell phone,” said Capt. Randall Smith. “I’ve watched people walk across crosswalks and they’re turned and watching the billboard instead of watching traffic.”
