At a town counsel meeting recently in Hampshire, town officials discussed whether it would be prudent to lease out public space to an outside advertising company to help offset budget shortfalls. The discussion is indicative of a trend by municipalities to capitalize on the abundance of available vehicle space and real estate they have in order to prevent further tax increases on property.
With the recent decline in online advertising rates and increase in popularity of SEO strategies, businesses are looking for new methods of Hampshire advertising because the online arena has become so overcrowded. While no one is talking about selling branding on local police cars – yet – adding small advertisements to the sides of garbage trucks, mailboxes, and adding billboards to municipal buildings promises not only to drive traffic to area businesses from major highways but also to draw foot traffic to those businesses that choose to opt-in to the relatively inexpensive program.
Critics charge that there is nothing to stop Hampshire and other municipalities from selling advertising on police cars, schools, etc – the proverbial can of worms. Yet proponents of the plan counter that it is an easy way for the town to raise much-needed revenue without having to raise taxes on the businesses and residents that form the basis for the town’s commerce.
The biggest takeaway from this scenario is that outdoor advertising sponsored by municipalities offers a good way from businesses to get into Hampshire advertising at a fraction of the price. In so doing, they are investing in their own community and will surely draw traffic from nearby highways that will bring prosperity to the whole town: a boomtown oasis in a desert of recession.
