Joe Merchant - What Every Business Owner Needs

Advertising in the sky (also known as aerial advertising) has become a very successful means of getting a message across to a local group of people quickly. Usually a banner is pulled behind a single engine plane over a beach or sporting event. This huge exposure of a product, service, coming event or the like means more people are likely to investigate further.

Billboard ads are also flown over crowds of people. These can be as large as a roadside billboard but are much lighter. These are pulled by planes or even helicopters for helicopters can pull a greater weight. If the plane can handle it and the budget allows, some even pull a banner behind a billboard ad. It usually contains additional information like an address or webpage.

Helium balloons attract attention when they are attached to a store or shop. People will drive over to see what is so important. When the ad leaves the ground, it is sometimes attached to a hot air balloon, or blimp. A few companies, like Goodyear, have made blimps the hallmark of their advertising and have become famous doing it. However, this is usually very expensive and probably cost prohibitive to most companies.

Half way between helium balloons attracting attention and blimps, consider using remote controlled balloons. Some contain a message on the side, while others lift a message below them. These balloons are filled with air so, though light, then can come down without difficulty. Being unmanned means they don’t have to lift the weight of the pilot so they can be smaller and still do the job.

The balloon has a small pusher prop in the back and the angle of this is adjusted by the remote control. When the propeller is raised, then the rear of the balloon goes down and the nose goes up, and vice versa. Left and right control works the same. In this way, the balloon can be controlled like a slow moving model plane. If the balloon has an advertisement on the side, it can be flown over a group of people as many times as is needed, then returned to the feet of the controller.

How large are these remote controlled balloons? The size varies from about six feet to nearly twenty feet. Without the fuss of helium or hot air, launching them is safe and inexpensive. Naturally wind could cancel a flight since controlling them is very delicate.

What are the costs of aerial advertising? One company offers six foot balloons displaying a company sign or logo for $1500. Sizes go from thirteen to seventeen feet and prices from $4000 up to $7000. Of course, a pilot is not needed for this type of ad; the owner can fly it any time he wants when the conditions are right. You can be confident that people will remember this type of advertising.