Most businesses realize the importance of advertising and make it a significant part of their budget. Some opt for word-of-mouth ads and this certainly builds a solid base of clients who are happy with a product or service. But it is also a slow way to get a new business off the ground.

Alternative advertising methods include high cost radio or television ads, that might be targeted at a local community. However, too often people channel surf during the commercials and never even hear what is offered. Printed matter can be effective to reach a community but what percent ends up as wrapping for fish? Internet advertising is growing but may reach for a local business a much larger market than is useful.

One novel plan to quickly and effectively inform a local population of a product or service is airplane advertising. A firm is hired to make a large banner with a concise message and then to trail this message behind an airplane flown over a beach, sporting event, concert, parade or any open sky gathering.  The people hear the drone of the plane, look up, read the ad, and the message is delivered. Does this sound expensive? It is actually more cost effective than most of the methods of advertising mentioned above.

Though it costs less, aerial advertising reaches more people in a more effective way. One example is a beach in Miami that was advertised to and then, 30 minutes later, 2000 people were surveyed. The survey showed that 88% knew the ad had flown by, 79% could recall the product or service, and 67% could recall at least half of the exact message. Could the printed media or radio and TV ads match this effectiveness at a reasonable five dollars per thousand people targeted? Amazingly, you can reach the same number of people with less than half the budget required for traditional advertising by using aerial banners. Those spending significant amounts of their budget on traditional advertising would do well to consider this option.

The noise of the plane overhead attracts the attention of the crowd and they look up. There, behind the plane, is a banner flapping in the wind and displaying a large, readable message, product, logo, or website. This naturally raises their curiosity and they want to know what it’s all about. As the banner passes overhead, they are able to read it several times. Just the uniqueness of the delivery causes many to remember the product because it stands out from everything else that is fighting for their attention.

Environmentalists might balk at the air pollution caused by the plane as it delivers the message. Yet, consider the amount of landfill that results from discarded printed matter, or visual pollution from the plethora of billboards blocking the landscape!

Companies interested in reaching a large number of people in a short period of time with their product or service should consider looking into banner towing as a means to this end.