During peak seasons, malls are bustling and vibrant, full of happy people who are in the mood to shop. Due the breadth of formats that mall ads cover, you’re sure to find the best way to connect with your audience.

What Is Shopping Mall Advertising?

Mall advertising is a form of out of home advertising where ad placement is purchased in a shopping mall or heavily trafficked retail environment. Mall marketing can occur not just in large shopping malls, but also smaller shopping centers in the town center. The ads can be a placement on a digital display, kiosks, or escalators. Mall ads also include large format displays like spectaculars on the outside of malls or hanging signage. These mall ads can be small placards or large format displays that grab shoppers attention. Ads can be either static images or digital displays that are more dynamic.

The Benefits Of Advertising In Shopping Malls

One of the greatest benefits of mall advertising is your ability to reach an audience that is already spending money. There is significant foot traffic in the mall and a backlit display will make shoppers pause and take notice. As mall shoppers are often in the mall for 3 hours or more, there is significant time for visitors to be exposed to an ad.

If you have a store in the mall, advertising it on mall directories or a table top in the food court is a great way to reach your target audience.

Digital signage in shopping centers can have a higher recall rate than social media ads. Meaning that mall ads can be a high impact addendum to your OOH marketing efforts. Advertising in malls is appealing because of the range of sizes you can take advantage of. Also, the ability to target geographic regions and a variety of demographics is beneficial.

What Is The Cost Of Advertising In Shopping Malls?

Since mall advertising can take on so many different formats, from static images, to backlit dioramas, to digital screens, costs are hard to nail down. You can expect pricing to be in line with other outdoor advertising and DOOH ad spends. Size and format will factor into your ad pricing. Typically, table tops ads in the food court are on the lower end of the cost spectrum. Banner ads and larger wraps are on the high end.

Additionally, location is going to be a key factor in ad spend. Shopping malls with more patrons will have a higher price tag than less popular shopping centers. Malls in more rural areas will have cheaper pricing options.

Length of ad time is also a factor in cost. Most mall ad buys last four weeks, though the duration of an ad can vary. Ads placed during busier seasons will also be more costly. Factor in seasonality when you plan your campaign. Malls are busier during the holiday seasons so prices can be higher during that time.

Shopping Mall Advertising Best Practices

To fully take advantage of shopping mall advertising you should visit local malls to get some advertising ideas. Look at current signage and see how existing brands are leveraging mall ads with their digital advertising campaigns.

Consider where your ad will be placed. An ad at the end of the food court may not get as many eyes as an ad at the entrance of the mall. You can take advantage of interesting creative and consider how placement will impact your audience. A table top ad in the food court sends a much different message than a backlit display at the entrance. If you have a physical location in the mall, your ad can inform shoppers where it is located.

You can also target younger children as they are often shopping with their parents. If you have a toy store or other product geared towards children, take advantage of the mall’s clientele.

What To Avoid

When considering mall ads, like any marketing channel, there are practices to avoid. Don’t forget about brand awareness. A sign that says “come visit us” when you don’t have a location in the mall may confuse or frustrate potential customers. Consider the mall audience, you can use your mall ad to reach shoppers, but many of them are local. Don’t advertise a business that is too far afield from the mall’s physical location. Instead, place your ad closer to your business location.

Also, take into account the demographics you’re targeting as well as the demographics who frequent the mall you’re considering purchasing your ads in. Make sure there’s overlap between the two. Another don’t is steer clear of advertising alcohol. Mall shoppers run the gamut in age and you’ll be alienating many of them. Plus, not all malls will allow an ad featuring alcohol.

Shopping Mall Advertising Examples

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