Outdoor advertising

By Sigrid Tornquist

Outdoor advertising on street poles and building facades is a growing trend intended to draw customers from the sidewalk into the retail store.

“Retail stores, like Target, are spending more and more money on advertising outdoors,” says Mike Von Wachenfeldt, digital fabrics product manager for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, Glen Raven, N.C. “They’re trying to focus on bringing the customer into the stores instead of totally being focused on indoor advertising.”

Bruce Dickinson, vice president of Rainier Industries, Tukwila, Wash., agrees. “Retail is probably the fastest growing segment of the outdoor market—stores like Nordstrom, Eddie Bauer and REI.”

“The options for retail applications are, of course, the same as for other outdoor banners,” Von Wachenfeldt says. “The same practices apply with the same fabric choices and installation considerations.”

Sigrid Tornquist is a freelance writer and associate editor of InTents, a publication of the Industrial Fabrics Association International.