WILD POSTING and Why It's Effective
Create citywide awareness and impact with wild posting advertising
People look to street posters for local happenings and brand releases
Wild posting reaches neighborhoods where people live, work, shop and play
Get engagement with poster QR codes, contests, and promo codes
Become part of the streetscape and build your street cred
What is wild posting advertising?
The definition of wild posting, by most companies, is the distribution of promotional street-level advertising posters throughout cities.
This form of outdoor advertising is cited as wheat-paste posters, wheatpasting, sniping, flyering, street posters, and flyposting by individual companies or agencies.
There are two distinct ways to execute a wild posting campaign; permitted and freestyle. Ask which approach is the right fit for your brand, cities, and goals.
Large wild postings placed outdoors on construction sites and other visible cityscape locations.
Small size posters placed inside cafes, in shops windows, and on bulletin boards, plus on-campus as well as outside.
Companies primarily leverage wild posting to promote events, share product releases, movies, apps, concerts, and brand initiatives.
Street poster advertising is additionally used to share brand stories, visuals, and activism.
Smart companies leverage wild postings to drive consumer engagement via a strong call-to-action, contests, and QR codes.
Wild postings offer the most value in cities where there are a continual flow of people walking from place-to-place (e.g., Chicago, Boston, Portland, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington DC, Toronto, NYC, etc.) compared to cities (e.g. Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, etc.) where people primarily drive to get to destinations.
In big cities where people primarily drive place-to-place, like Los Angeles, use large size posters so they are visible to people traveling in vehicles.
In small-to-mid-sized cities where wheatpaste on construction sites isn't as prevalent or possible (e.g., Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Hudson Valley NY, Nashville, Raleigh, etc.), smaller snipe-style posters, placed on street poles, shop windows, and cafe boards, is the way to connect with people.
Wheatpaste wild posting campaigns available overseas in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Barcelona, and Milan although poster sizes and approaches are slightly different in Europe.
Poster printing is included with all wild posting offerings.
Wild posting advertising tips and strategies
1.) Street posters come in a variety of styles, sizes, and approaches; ask which is best for a particular city and your brand goals
2.) Snipe cardstock-style posters are excellent for promoting events as they are more versatile in terms of placement (e.g., indoor, outdoor, on-campus, etc.), providing considerably more reach
3.) Wheat-paste wild postings are commonly utilized for awareness, branding, and story sharing
4.) Freestyle posting provides more street cred while permitted provides location-specific visibility
5.) Wheat-paste posters have a wrinkly, textured surface in comparison to smooth snipe cardstock-style posters
6.) Design the artwork for your posters in a big and bold way, with minimal text, so people can easily comprehend the brand intent while walking or driving by
7.) Each city, and often each neighborhood, have distinct poster cultures, defining where it is acceptable to post
8.) Posters are impactful when grouped, although best for each wild posting design to stand on its own
9.) If your campaign goal is consumer engagement, choose an interactive poster format like pull-tabs or tear pads, and always include an QR code and irresistible call-to-action
10.) Deploy two or more different types of wild posting formats to stand out in big cities
11.) Rollout new poster designs each week to keep your initiatives fresh and noticeable to people on-the-street
12.) Leverage wild posting content on social media
Wild posting services
1.) Wild posting recommendations based on desired outcomes
2.) Poster proofing, printing, and shipping
3.) Placement of posters throughout selected areas (typically 10 or more neighborhoods per city)
4.) Weekly poster replenishment to ensure visibility throughout your campaign
5.) Placement reporting for proof-of-performance and social media purposes
Is wild posting a good fit for your brand?
1.) Create street-level brand visibility in big cities
2.) Reach people in specific neighborhoods
3.) Build up brand street cred
4.) Share your brand story, offering, and activism
5.) Generate consumer engagement
6.) Receive visual content for your social channels
7.) Become part of the streetscape
If you desire three or more of the above outcomes, the, yes, wild postings will be a valuable contributor to your marketing mix.
Availability
Wild postings outdoor advertising coverage in the top 50 US cities including:
New York City, NY
Chicago, IL
Los Angeles, CA
Houston, TX
Phoenix, AZ
San Antonio, TX
Boston, MA
Philadelphia, PA
Washington, DC
San Diego, CA
Dallas, TX
Seattle, WA
Denver, CO
Portland, OR
Nashville, TN
Baltimore, MD
Austin, TX
Columbus, OH
Indianapolis, Indiana
Atlanta, GA
Miami, FL
New Orleans, LA
Milwaukee, WI
Raleigh, NC
Buffalo / Rochester, NY
In Canada, wild posting coverage available in:
Vancouver
Montreal
Toronto
European wild posting coverage includes:
Paris
London
Milan
Madrid
Berlin
Amsterdam
Leverage posters to be present in trend-spreading neighborhoods:
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
DTLA, Los Angeles
Wicker Park, Chicago
Back Bay, Boston
Pearl District, Portland
Northern Liberties, Philadelphia
Capitol Hill, Seattle
Mission District, San Francisco
Little Five Points, Atlanta
Wynwood, Miami
Hudson Valley, New York State
Please note different wild posting formats, sizes, and number of posters are recommended for each city.
Why now?
With the COVID pandemic, outdoor city activities are taking on a bigger role in people's lives.
Walking from place-to-place and eating outdoor is more popular than ever, increasing the impact of your wild postings.
People are open to new brands and experiences.
Lifestyle and cultural patterns are changing, that's an opportunity.
Process
1.) Street posters come in a variety of styles and sizes; ask what is best for a particular city and your brand goals
2.) Receive the standard rates and custom wild posting options
3.) Confirm wild posting dates, cities, and neighborhoods 3+ weeks before the start date
4.) Receive wild posting Specs & Tips for your designers
5.) Provide artwork 2+ weeks prior to desired start date
6.) Submit campaign deposit 1+ week before the start date
7.) Posters placed over one week, not all on the same day
8.) Receive 15+ wild posting photos three business days into your initiative
9.) Access weekly recaps with wild posting reporting pictures from each city neighborhood
Conclusion
Wild posting is the original outdoor advertising medium, and with the growth of cities, becoming more impactful every year.
Delivers on brand awareness, credibility, and engagement.
People look to wild postings for event happenings and to discover new brands.
Reach ideal audiences with neighborhood-specific placement.
Choose from a variety of wild posting styles and approaches.
It's competitive out there, and wild postings give your brand an always-on edge.
Connect
Connect with ALT TERRAIN for wild posting advertising ideas, strategies, prices, and examples.
Tap your wild side!
Wild Posting definitions:
Snipe Cardstock-Style Wild Postings are 11” x 17” and 13″ x 19″ thick paper posters placed in visible outdoor and indoor locations in target neighborhoods.
Poster placement locations typically consist of construction sites, street poles, inside cafes, on campus, and in retail shop windows.
Snipe Cardstock Wild Postings posters are placed via staples, tape, push-pins and/or magnets depending upon the location.
With Snipe Cardstock Wild Postings there are no predesignated or “owned” locations, however, are placed in your target neighborhoods.
Snipe Cardstock Wild Postings are particularly effective for promoting local events, highlighting product releases and/or brand promotions.
ALT TERRAIN offers Snipe Cardstock Wild Postings in Austin, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Atlanta, Seattle, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington DC and many other cities.
Pull-Tab Wild Postings are 8.5” x 11” or 11" x 17" size posters with take-one, pull-tabs at the bottom, inviting consumer engagement.
Poster placement locations typically consist of, but not limited to; construction sites, street poles, inside cafes, on college campuses, retail shop windows, and public bulletin boards.
There are no preset or “owned” locations with Pull-Tab Wild Postings advertising medium although are placed in target neighborhoods selected by you.
Pull-Tab Wild Postings are particularly useful for tease-and-reveal, cause marketing, call-to-action, plus quirky and light-hearted advertising initiatives.
Pull-Tab Wild Posting advertising initiatives are available in Los Angeles, Houston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, San Francisco, New York City, Washington DC, Austin and many other cities.
Cling Wild Postings (also know as Guerilla Clings or Static-Clings) are 11″ x 15″ posters printed on static electricity charged material allowing them to stick to a variety of surfaces without wheat-paste, staples or tape.
The advantage of Cling Wild Postings is they allow for more creative and targeted placement, plus are often die-cut to specific shapes to even more attract attention.
Available in the top 20 US cities.
Wheatpaste Wild Postings are 24″ x 36″ or larger thin paper posters adhered via wheat-paste.
They have a wrinkly texture due to the paste application method.
Wheat-paste posters can be placed throughout cities in designated, permitted locations or freestyle.
Designated locations often consist of 16 to 24 posters grouped, surrounded by a metal frame, and attached to the side of buildings.
Permitted wild postings allow for you to buy out the entire location or be in the mix with other posters.
Freestyle wild postings are primarily placed on construction sites and abandon properties.
Freestyle posters stay in place until they are posted over, cleaned up, or worn away by the environmental elements.
They often allow for 4 or more posters to be placed together, although singles and double posts are common.
Wheatpaste + Snipe Cardstock is the use of both wild postings formats (defined above) to generate more noticeability and impact.
In many cities, wheatpaste posters locations are few and far between; snipe cardstock posters help create presence on those blocks where wheat-paste posters placements are not possible.
If your goal to deliver your message to everyone in specific neighborhoods, a Wheatpaste + Snipe Cardstock Wild Posting combination is the way to go!
Dedicated Wheatpaste Poster Installations are site-specific and highlight a single brand advertising campaign with 24 or more posters per location.
Dedicated wheatpaste wild posting wall installations often consisting of multiple poster designs.
This form of wild posting advertising is placed with permission of the property owner and often require city permits.
ALT TERRAIN solicits and secures wall space in target neighborhoods.
Tear Pad Wild Postings encourage consumers to remove a single advertising poster from a pad of ten for personal reuse.
They are perfect for outdoor advertising initiatives that desire an experiential poster element.
They work best with celebrity, sports, entertainment and/or other content people would like to post in their office, dorm and/or home.
Each Tear Pad Wild Postings consists of ten weatherproof thin plastic posters.
Tear Pad Wild Postings are placed outdoors in locations such as construction sites, fences and bulletin boards.
We offer these posters in Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, and many other cities although not available in New York City.
Wild Posting FAQ
Wild posting is the oldest form of outdoor advertising.
It is defined as the placement of street-level advertising posters in public places to promote events, services, and a company's brand image.
There are several different approaches and styles of wild posting.
Get in touch with ALT TERRAIN for wild posting options, rates, and coverage.
Yes, wild postings provide better return-on-investment (ROI) than all other outdoor advertising formats.
In big cities, on average, each poster is viewed by 750+ people per day.
Posters are placed in target neighborhoods to ensure they reach desired audiences.
They are effective in providing brand awareness, interest, purchase intent, and often direct sales (via QR and promo codes).
They are particularly useful for promoting events, store openings, and as a complement to digital and other out-of-home advertising (OOH) formats.
They are purchased on a per-week basis making them more effective from a timing perspective than traditional print billboards, which are secured monthly.
Many brands view wild posting as effective from a street cred perspective as it aligns them with trendy neighborhoods and edgy marketing tactics.
Finally, wild postings are effective in providing unique content for social media channels.
Historically, wild postings are placed throughout cities without permission.
The word 'wild' refers to 'out in the wild' meaning outside standard locations.
Most cities have ordinances against placing advertising posters on public or private property.
Although in many cities, in specific neighborhoods, it is common practice to place posters on street poles, construction sites, and other cityscape objects.
It is possible to lease permitted street-level space for advertising posters, although this is not technically wild posting.
To ensure a wild posting campaign does not put your brand at risk, get in touch with ALT TERRAIN for details.
With true, freestyle wild postings, there are no preset locations.
You select target neighborhoods, and posters are placed in the best available locations.
Typically outdoor wild posting locations consist of construction sites, storefronts, street poles, and select buildings.
With permitted wild postings, you know, and can often select, the locations ahead of time.
Wild posting rates vary depending upon the city, poster size, coverage, number of posters, and few other factors.
For budgeting purposes, in most major cities, the cost to print and implement a noticeable one week wild postings initiative is between $3,500 to $15,000.
Contact ALT TERRAIN for wild posting options and pricing for your cities.
Wild posting services available in:
New York State
Los Angeles
Chicago
Boston
Portland
Philadelphia
Seattle
San Francisco
Miami
Baltimore
Pittsburgh
St. Louis
Denver
Houston
Dallas
Austin
San Antonio
Atlanta
New Orleans
Minneapolis
San Diego
New Jersey
Washington DC
Toronto
Vancouver
Montreal
And, wild postings are available in overseas in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Madrid, Berlin, Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney, Mexico City, Barcelona, Milan, and many other European and Asian countries.
With freestyle wild postings, they stay up until they are posted over, cleaned up by property managers, or worn away by the elements (e.g., heavy rains, sun, sleet, etc.)
Typically in big cities (e.g., NYC, LA, CHI, etc.), freestyle wild postings they are in place for 2 to 5 days
Permitted wild posting guarantee they'll be in place for a designated duration.
