BILLBOARDS GROW IN POPULARITY

When Steve McPheeters of AmeriFirst Bank decided to plan a complete advertising campaign, he began with the newspaper, television and radio. But he needed something more, something that would be a bold reminder of the bank's services. That is when he turned to billboard advertising.

The bank's billboard on Kingshighway contains a simple message, "You First," printed in huge letters. McPheeters thinks it serves its purpose.

"We wanted the billboard as a friendly reminder of our business," said McPheeters, vice president of marketing and business development for AmeriFirst. "You can see it from a mile away, and I think that's the idea."

Motorists can't help being bombarded by the many billboards that line the roadsides. The billboard industry is growing every year.

"Billboards allow you to be very creative," said Mark Dirnberger, who is in charge of advertising for Cedar Street restaurant in Cape Girardeau. "If you're really creative, a lot of people notice. And then it really works for your business."

Whether it is a billboard that the same people see every day on the way to work or one travelers use to decide where to get gas, outdoor advertising appeals to businesses because it reaches a large number of consumers. Most sign companies offer traffic counts to let businesses know how many people see their message.

"There is an immediacy in the billboard that alerts the traveler," said Diane Edwards, vice president of MidAmerica Hotels. "You can tell them how to get where they are going and what services are available."

Billboards aren't just good for businesses; they are good for the community.

"Missouri is one of the biggest travel states in the country," Edwards said. "You can use billboards to get people off the highway and into the business districts of your town."

Billboard companies in the area have seen an increase recently in the number of signs going up. They attribute the increase to the number of businesses opening along the highway, especially Route K. Businesses like hotels, convenience stores and restaurants along a highway are prime candidates for a billboard.

"If other businesses are growing, we have to grow too," said David Jansen of Drury Southwest Signs. "There are more businesses now, so there is more of a demand for billboards, and we supply that demand."

With so many billboards along the roads, advertisers are working to make the signs grab people's attention. Some, like Michelson Jewelers, use a picture of glistening jewelry to attract passersby. On others, a big face with piercing eyes stares at passing motorists.

The boards come in all shapes, sizes and colors. The smallest are about 12 feet by 24 feet. The most common size is 12-by-40 feet. And advertisers who really want to impress motorists put up the largest sign, 14-by-48 feet.

"The really good ones have to grab your attention," said Jansen. "We say you usually have to keep it simple and to the point, but noticeable and creative."

Cedar Street seems to know all about attracting attention. Its billboard along Route K with bull horns protruding from the front received a lot of positive response.

"If you have the budget to do large signs with three dimensions and extensions, they are ideal for attracting the driver's attention," Edwards said. "But that's still a cost a lot of people can't afford."

As popular as billboards are, some people still think they clutter highways and towns So most cities have regulations for billboard use.

In Cape Girardeau, for instance, a billboard can't be placed within 500 feet of another billboard on the same side of the street, they can't be within 100 feet of a residential structure, and they can't be within 30 feet of a street. All billboards in Cape Girardeau require a building permit.

Nevertheless, billboards remain popular throughout the area, both for advertisers and for motorists who find the information useful and entertaining.