Episode 3:
Mobile Billboards

On this edition of Just Checking In, industry experts Dr. David Stern and Alan Ayers discuss the use of mobile billboards and their effectiveness.

Stern: Hello and welcome to Just Checking In, a video blog discussion of anything and everything urgent care. I’m Dave Stern and this is my colleague Alan Ayers. Now and then we’ll be checking in with you discussing all sorts of items related to urgent care, from marketing to billing to startup. And we’ll be talking about anything you’re interested in as well, so send in your questions and we’ll be happy to discuss them here on Just Checking In. So Alan, you have something up for us here this morning?

Ayers: Yes, definitely. Billboards are an advertising tactic for urgent care. Well let’s assume you want a billboard but you can’t find a billboard in the right location. Recently in Northfolk, Virginia, I noticed that the urgent care associated with the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters had a mobile billboard. And in this case it was parked in front of a Wendy’s, but this gives urgent care the same visibility as a billboard, where a billboard might otherwise be unavailable. So with a truck like this you could take it to community festivals, 4th of July parades, sporting events, and concerts etc. What are your thoughts on something like this as an advertising tactic?
Stern: So it’s interesting. First of all I would ask, “Is the urgent care near this Wendy’s?” It’s right by it? No, it’s not?

Ayers: No, in that case I never saw the urgent care I just saw the truck.

Stern: So maybe the driver of the truck just got hungry, I don’t know… I do think there are many communities where signage is so verboten that it’s next to impossible to get reasonable signage. And I think the mobile sign is a very, very useful way to conquer that problem. I don’t think it’s something you drive around the community necessarily and go to the soccer games or go to the shopping mall and so on. I think the way a mobile billboard would work best is if you park it out in front of your urgent care by the busy street because you couldn’t get the sign there. Obviously you have to move it regularly or the city would give you a hard time, but it’s hard for them to give you a hard time for just parking your business truck out in front of your business—as long as you move it now and then. I think it’s a great idea. I’ve recommended it several times to people who weren’t able to get good signage and I’ve never seen anyone willing to spend the money but if I ever have an urgent care where I can’t get good signage but I can get a good parking space right out by a busy street, I would certainly try it because I think that would really help with the traffic. And once you have gotten used to the fact that, hey, that sign is almost always there they’ll start to say, “You know what, and wait there is an urgent care there.” So I think it’s a great idea if particularly you are in New England or some parts say around Atlanta where signs are very difficult to get and the signage you get is very small and low to the ground.

That’s all we have for today, is that right Alan?

Ayers: Yes. Thank you very much.

Stern: For more information visit our website at urgentcareconsultants.com. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. As always this is Dave Stern and Alan Ayers we’re Checking Out, see you next time.