Whatever
the occasion out come the cameras
- professional and amateur
- and memories of the
balloon will find their way into untold numbers
of family photo albums and videos, as well as the
occasional newspaper and TV spot feature,
along
with the advertisement it carries.
In
flight, a hot-air balloon is difficult to miss and
impossible to ignore. Think
of one as a giant
billboard,
but instead of a lump of blurb that's seen yet
unnoticed,
this one drifts overhead, an occasional whoosh from
the burner
adding an audible invitation for the eye to look skywards towards
the
advertisement it carries.
Even the silhouette of the balloon on the horizon is sufficient to
draw motorists and pedestrians, almost like the Pied Piper, away
from their planned
route for a closer look at this amazing aerostat
-- and the advertisement it
carries.
How
many people rush home to get the kids so they can get a peak at a billboard!
Everything about balloon advertising is bigger than everyday promotional
activities with one exception - the cost.
Research
carried out in the United States and Canada suggests the direct cost of balloon
advertising 'per thousand opportunities to see' is lower than the figure for
newspapers, billboards, radio or television. That means every dollar spent on
balloon advertising bought more attention than a dollar spent on any of the
other media mentioned - up to FIVE times more attention, in fact.
And those figures only took into account people who actually saw the balloon.
When making the analysis the researchers did not examine 'editorial' press and
television coverage of this very visual medium but estimated it added
between
several thousand and several hundred thousand
dollars' to the value of the
advertising.
We
are not suggesting press and broadcast
advertising should be abandoned and replaced
by an enormous balloon fleet.
Different
media serve different purposes and
while balloons are excellent
for building brand
or product awareness they are less suited to
promoting 'This Week's Special Offer ...'.
Balloons do, however, offer substantial benefits in
addition to
their advertising value…
Try
offering popular outdoor events your latest full
page spread
to display! But they'd love to have your
balloon as an added attraction
because they know the public
loves balloons.Then there is corporate entertainment. While your
radio ad may go on-the-air, a balloon can take your customers and
their families in-the-air for a
memorable flight. Silent auction prize
winners, journalists, company staff, even your
Accountant
are all
potential passengers (though you don't necessarily have to bring the
Accountant back if he proves unhelpful at 2,000 feet!)
PR coverage can be further enhanced if your balloon sets a new record of some
kind. This can be a serious effort to fly further, longer, higher, etc, or a
wacky publicity stunt - dropping gophers (numbered stuffed socks), (not real
ones!) into holes (numbered hoola-hoops) is just one example of a very
successful fundraiser that that seemed to get a lot of press coverage
A
successful balloon program can also help with motivational and team building
activities in an outdoor setting for your employees.
If
you don't have any personal ambitions to be the Crew Chief of your own balloon, a
member of your staff almost certainly will. Several companies arrange for their
sports and social clubs to provide crew and so combine promotional and personnel
benefits.
As you can see, the positive influence of a hot air balloon is not just limited
to advertising.
The Balloonists Prayer
The
winds have welcomed you with softness.
The
sun has blessed you with his arms.
You
have flown so high and so well,
That
God has joined you in your laughter.
And
He has set you gently back again
Into
the loving arms of Mother Earth.
In
simple terms there are two levels of promotional operation.
Renting a large
banner space on the side of a multi colored
balloon or having your corporate
message on a balloon
made of your company colors.
Most
companies recognize the value of a custom
balloon, however a custom balloon
program
requires a very strong commitment for something
so new to them.
The
viable alternative is to begin with a banner
agreement. Try it for 2 or 3 months
and see how
many people ask about your balloon and
“ Oh by the way, how do I
get a ride…?”
![[Under Construction]](images/undercon.gif){kind=small}
