Think for a moment of the traditional, tried-and-true methods of advertising. Your list will probably include television, radio, newspapers, magazines, e-mails, online pop-ups and direct mail. But now think of how we use these media in today’s world.

Instead of watching television shows interrupted at regular intervals by commercials, we’re more apt to Tivo or DVR our shows so that those interruptions can be passed over, or we watch cable stations that don’t feature advertising. Instead of watching the latest movie of the week on network television, we go to HBO or Showtime or get what we want with Netflix or Blockbuster and pause them on our own schedule, not at the advertisers’ whim. We listen to radio, but more often than not, we’re plugged into our iPods or MP3  players, or we listen to NPR or satellite radio, none of which has commercials.

Newspapers continue to lose circulation as more and more of us get news online. Direct mail? How often do you peruse that flurry of paper that comes with each mail delivery? Most of it (admit it) goes into the circular file, just as most e-mails get deleted as spam. Magazines are still a good bet, especially for targeting a specific demographic (like the sophisticated readers of the magazine you are holding). But those traditional, tried-and-true advertising methods may be tried but are not so true after all.

But there’s one place we all go. At some point, we all take to the road. We go to work, to school, to church, to restaurants, to the theater, to Grandma’s house for Sunday dinner. Whether we drive, car pool, hop on the Harley, take the bus or ride our bikes, we all have to get where we’re going.

That’s where companies like Adams Outdoor Advertising and Skyline Outdoor Advertising come in. They, too, take to the roads to bring us the messages we might otherwise miss.

When Steve Adams purchased an existing sign company and founded Adams Outdoor Advertising 25 years ago, he chose Lansing as the launching pad. Since then, the company has expanded to include 14 markets throughout the Midwest and southeast United States. Headquartered in Atlanta with Kevin Gleason as the president and CEO, Adams’ Michigan offices include Lansing and Jackson as well as Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo. Jeannine Dodson, general manager of the Lansing facility, also oversees Jackson’s satellite office. According to Dodson, “The Lansing DMA [designated market area] fans out to cover St. Johns, Hillsdale, Fowlerville and Ionia and the communities within that area.”

Within the last year, Adams completed a major renovation project, expanding the square footage of their facility to 7,000 square feet, plus a warehouse.

Dodson continues, “We have 30 full-time employees in Lansing. Everything is done here except for the actual manufacturing of the product. We have a creative team in- house who design about 75 percent of our billboards. The remaining 25 percent are created by our clients’ design teams. We work with clients to determine what will work best for their particular purposes. Although this kind of outdoor advertising has been around for a long time, it’s still one of the best means of reaching a mass audience. In fact, it may be the only way.”

Adams uses figures from a traffic audit bureau (think of those black cords we drive over) to determine where the best placements will be for their billboards. Depending on these traffic assessments and the demographics of particular routes, prices for billboards vary.  Adams consults with clients to decide the most effective placements for their specific purposes.

According to Dodson, “We continue to upgrade and improve our product. For instance, all of our billboards are lighted so that they can be seen as easily at night as during the day. We also have billboards which feature three images as three-sided panels shift.

We’re particularly excited about our new digital billboards. Essentially, these are giant plasma screen televisions. Right now, we have three in the Lansing area: one is at the Pennsylvania Avenue exit on I-496, one is at the Cedar Street entrance to I-496 and the third is in the Frandor area where Saginaw street and Coolidge Road meet. This is a whole new technology that is bringing even more possibilities to our industry. The ads feature six different images that change every eight seconds. If you are at a red light on Saginaw near Frandor, you will see all six images as you wait for the light to change.”

Not only do these digital billboards feature crisp and clear images, both day and night, but they also offer the flexibility to change a client’s message at a moment’s notice.

“This is the greatest innovation to hit outdoor advertising ever,” said Dodson.

Adams Outdoor Advertising gives back to the community by offering billboards to nonprofit agencies such as the Humane Society, Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, Ele’s Place and many others. As Dodson said, “We are part of this community. We’ve been here for 25 years and we’re planning on staying!”

For those who miss the messages on Adams’ billboards, they might glance at the next lane over and see a billboard traveling down the road right alongside of them.

With 16 years in the business, Skyline Outdoor Advertising focuses on mobile billboards, not just in the Lansing area but also throughout the Midwest and even farther afield. According to company president Rick Imshaug, “We have nine specially equipped vehicles that display billboards approximately the same size as stationary billboards. They measure 22’ 10” by 10’ 7” and feature the same message on both sides. With these vehicles, we can drive back and forth through a specific area or take the message right to where the intended recipients are. For instance, we might go to events like a Detroit Tigers game, a Lions game, college and university sports venues, festivals, conventions or other such locales. We’ve been to the Super Bowl, the All-Star Game, Traverse City’s Cherry Festival, the Woodward Dream Cruise and the Final Four. We’ve also worked quite a bit with ESPN at various sporting events. For less targeted messages, we might just drive around the city of Lansing or another location, especially where traffic is heaviest. We are totally flexible and can change our route at a moment‘s notice. We can completely customize our services by being in the right place at the right time.”

Imshaug added, “Because the billboards are illuminated both internally and externally, we can use them day or night. They also include a sound system if we want to broadcast a specific message. For some clients, we also hand out product samples. We can use them not only as traveling displays, but they can also function as backdrops for speakers, parking outside big events and other such venues.”

Currently, the Skyline trucks travel as far as California, New York City, Tennessee, Delaware and beyond.

With 20 full-time employees, Skyline also produces event signage, street banners, aerial displays (like those that circle Spartan Stadium during games) and window and wall graphics. Another example of the work they do is vehicle wraps--if you see a car in the Lansing area bedecked with vivid logos, advertising and graphics, it’s most likely a Skyline project. In this case, the client provides the car, and Skyline provides the pizzazz.

According to Imshaug, “We’re constantly expanding our fleet and our marketing area. Even with the jump in gas prices, this kind of advertising is still effective and cost efficient. Our product is engaging, dynamic and interesting, and it gets the job done.

The cornerstone of our business philosophy is not only to serve our clients but also to serve the community. We provide our services to organizations like United Way, Race for the Cure, the American Cancer Society and others. For the past 15 years, we’ve been very active with Special Olympics. We offer a powerful tool for the good of the community.”