How much does bus advertising cost?

What bus advertising is

Bus advertising puts a message on the outside of a transit bus. The panels have trade names. Geopath's transit glossary defines a King as a long standard panel on either side, a Queen as a panel usually on the curb side, and a taillight as a panel at the rear.

Sizes vary by agency. One rate card lists a King at 30 by 144 inches and a Queen at 30 by 88. Larger options include full-side ads and wraps that cover the bus.

The bus belongs to a transit agency. The agency sells the space itself, or hires a company to sell it for a share of the revenue. Either way, the agency's rules decide what ads it will accept.

How bus advertising is bought

• The unit. One panel, for a term. Some agencies sell by calendar month, others by four-week period. Compare the unit before you compare the price.
• Longer terms cost less per month. At Richmond, a King falls from $355 for one month to $300 for twelve.
• Minimums. Richmond lists a $1,000 minimum buy. Fort Myers requires a six-month contract.
• Packages. Geopath notes that transit space is sold in packages, because one King may not be enough exposure to justify the cost of the vinyl.
• Production is separate. Richmond lists $155 per bus for a King and $140 for a Queen. Champaign-Urbana lists $230 for a King.

What bus advertising costs

Few big transit systems post prices. The table uses the rate cards that agencies and sellers have published, so it leans toward small and mid-size markets.

Who bus advertising suits

• Home services. A service business whose territory matches a bus route can keep its name on that route for the length of a term.
• Law, health and auto. Dealers, clinics and law firms can buy Kings for a six or twelve-month name presence. Attorney ads follow state bar rules.
• Venues and regional brands. Venues can use bus panels to keep an event in front of commuters. A regional brand can cover a metro with a package of buses.
• Agencies. Agencies can use Geopath-rated panels to build a plan with audited audience numbers, then add tracking for response.

How to measure bus advertising honestly

Bus exteriors are among the formats with audited ratings. Geopath's transit list names King, Queen, Kong, tail, headlight and full-wrap bus exteriors. Ratings are tied to the garage a bus runs from, so you can compare areas. These are estimates of exposure, not of response.

• Use a phone number or web address that appears nowhere but the bus ad.
• Add "How did you hear about us?" to every call and form.
• Ask for a proof-of-posting photo of each bus.
• Compare calls before, during and after the term, and against any area the buses do not serve.

Pros and cons of bus advertising

Pros

• Published rate cards make prices easy to compare in many markets.
• Audited audience estimates exist for bus exteriors.
• Longer terms bring lower monthly prices.
• Panels travel the agency's routes through the day.

Cons

• Production is billed separately and the vinyl is printed per panel.
• A change in message means a new print.
• Minimum terms and packages can raise the entry cost.
• Some agencies do not sell ads at all.

Where garbage truck panels fit

Buses and city garbage trucks are both public vehicles, so a garbage truck panel is a close cousin. It is a framed sign, not a wrap, and the printed panel swaps in under 30 seconds, so the message can change by month, though a new message still goes through design, review and printing first. Refuse trucks are not part of the industry's audited audience ratings, so add a tracking number to your panel and count your own calls. No city is open yet, so read about garbage truck advertising or join the list for your city.