WILD POSTING and Why It's Effective
Create citywide brand recognition and impact with wild posting advertising
Hype brand releases, stories, and events with street poster marketing
Tap a one-of-a-kind brand aesthetic with wheatpaste posting
Reach people in neighborhoods where they live, work, shop and play
Leverage posters as engagement and conversion drivers
Fashion a halo effect around your brand with poster advertising
Become part of New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles city culture
Level up your brand's street cred
What is wild posting?
Wild posting is the placement of street-level posters throughout cities to advertise events, concerts, movies, or products.
This form of outdoor advertising is cited as wheatpasting, poster distribution, flyering, and flyposting by companies.
Wild posting is the original outdoor advertising medium and is as relevant as ever - posters are eye-level, highly visible, non-invasive, cost-effective, and give brands street credibility.
There are two distinct ways to execute a wild posting campaign; traditional and dedicated.
Traditional, often classified as freestyle, is how posters have been put up around cities for decades, spread throughout the city.
Dedicated is the site-specific placement of posters with guarantees to be visible for the campaign duration.
Ask which wild posting approach fits your brand, cities, budget, and goals.
Wheatpaste wild postings are outdoors on construction sites and other visible cityscape locations.
Snipe-style posters are placed inside on cafe bulletin boards, in shop windows, and on campuses and outside along the streetscape.
Companies leverage street-level poster advertising to build brand awareness, promote events, highlight product releases, pique interest, branding, and for their brand to be in the mix with city culture.
Wild posting advertising is additionally used for branding, sharing stories, and activism.
Poster advertising is a relatively quick-turn; your advertising campaign can be up and running within weeks.
Brands leverage wild postings to drive consumer engagement via a strong call-to-action, contests, and QR codes integrated into the poster design.
Wild postings offer the most value in cities where there is a continual flow of people walking from place to place (e.g., Chicago, Boston, Portland, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington DC, Toronto, NYC, London, etc.) compared to cities (e.g., Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, etc.) where people primarily drive to their destinations.
In cities where people primarily drive place-to-place, like Los Angeles, best to select large wheatpaste posters as 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 are placed on street poles, shop windows, and cafe boards is the type of poster to connect with people.
Wheatpaste wild posting campaigns are available overseas in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Barcelona, and Milan, although poster sizes and approaches are slightly different in Europe.
Like traditional billboards, wild posting advertising involves PDF proofs, printing, shipping, installation, and proof-of-performance reporting.
Wild postings utilize recycled paper, soy-based inks, and zero VOC wall paste.
Lastly, wild postings are measurable; you can track consumer impressions and marketing attribution.
Wild Posting Services
1.) Wild posting recommendations to reach and influence ideal audiences
2.) Poster proofing, printing, and shipping
3.) Placement in specific geographic areas, on specific dates
4.) Daily poster replenishment to ensure visibility throughout your advertising campaign
5.) Proof-of-performance reporting
6.) High-quality content for your social media channels
Wild Posting Advertising Tips
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.) Wheatpaste wild postings are commonly utilized for awareness, branding, and story sharing
4.) Focus on cities with tremendous footfall, like Chicago, Boston, Philly, and NYC
5.) Wheatpaste 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 brand intent and message 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, include a QR code and an irresistible call-to-action
10.) Deploy two or more different types of wild posting formats to stand out in big cities
11.) 48" x 72" wheatpaste posters are excellent for showing people life-size or larger-than-life brand visuals
12.) These large 48" x 72" wheatpaste posters are the right choice for cities with more vehicle than foot-traffic, like Los Angeles
13.) 24" x 36" wheatpaste wild posters are strategically smart when you want to highlight several brand messages or visuals in one location
14.) Rollout new poster designs weekly to keep your initiatives fresh
15.) Integrate augmented reality (AR) element to your poster
16.) Leverage wild posting content on social media
Testimonials
"It was a pleasure to work with you and your team. Everything turned out amazing. So many people were excited to see the posters around town!" - Roux, Yuga Labs
"Thanks for all the constant communication and proof of placements. It was great to work with you guys, and I appreciate all you put into the campaign." - Leila, Part and Sum
Is wild posting a good fit for your brand?
1.) Create high-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 unique content for your social channels
7.) Become part of city streetscapes
If you desire three or more of the above outcomes, then yes, wild postings will be a valuable contributor to your marketing mix.
Wild posting 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
Seattle, WA
Nashville, TN
Baltimore, MD
Austin, TX
Columbus, OH
Indianapolis, Indiana
Atlanta, GA
Miami, FL
New Orleans, LA
Milwaukee, WI
Raleigh, NC
Buffalo / Rochester, NY
Hoboken / Jersey City, NJ
In Canada, wild posting coverage is available in:
Vancouver
Montreal
Toronto
European wild posting coverage includes:
Paris
London
Milan
Madrid
Berlin
Amsterdam
Leverage wild poster advertising to become part of 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
Bushwick, Brooklyn
Hudson Valley, New York State
EaDo, Houston
RiNo, Denver
Venice Beach, CA
How seasonality affects wild postings
Wild postings are more impactful in the spring, summer, and fall in cold winter cities like, New York, Chicago, Boston, Philly, and Washington DC when people spend more time outside, creating more brand impressions and engagement.
Conversely, cities like Houston, Miami, Phoenix, and San Antonio are more effective during cooler months.
Wild posting around events and holidays
Wild postings are a particularly prevalent outdoor advertising choice during citywide events and holidays.
Events such as Pride, Miami Art Basel, Comic-Con, Fashion Weeks, and marathons increase your poster reach and, more importantly, viewed by a particular audience.
Holidays see an uptick in wild posting advertising as posters remind people to purchase a particular product or attend an event.
Why now?
Cities are getting bigger every year, making your poster marketing more impactful.
Wild postings bring your brand to the people in neighborhoods where they live, shop, work, and play.
Walking from place to place and eating outdoors is more popular than ever, increasing the influence of your wild postings.
People in cities view posters as a way to discover new brands, product releases, and local events.
Poster Campaign Process + Timelines
1.) Ask what is best for a particular city and your brand goals (wild poster formats come in a variety of styles and sizes)
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 before your desired start date
6.) Submit poster campaign deposit 1+ week before the start date
7.) Posters placed over one week, not all on the same day
8.) Receive 25+ wild posting photos three business days into your initiative
9.) Access weekly recaps with wild posting reporting pictures from each city neighborhood
Takeaways
Wild posting is the original outdoor advertising medium, and with the growth of cities, becoming more impactful every year.
Posters deliver on brand awareness, credibility, content, engagement, and sales.
People look to street posters 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 a needed edge.
Connect
Share your target audience, cities, and brand goals for a complimentary wild posting recommendation.
Explore More
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Wild Posting FAQ
Wheatpaste wild postings are thin paper advertising posters adhered via paste throughout cities.
Once pasted on walls, wheatpaste posters have a wrinkly texture.
Wheatpaste posters can be placed with or without permission.
Permission based wheatpaste wild postings locations 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.
Traditional wild postings are primarily placed on construction sites, boarded up storefronts, and abandon properties.
These traditional wild postings placements stay in place until they are posted over, cleaned up, or worn away by the environmental elements.
Wheatpaste wild posting can be single poster placements or grouped together to create more advertising impact.
Snipe wild postings are 11” x 17”, 13″ x 19″, and 18" x 24" cardstock posters placed in visible outdoor and indoor locations in target neighborhoods.
In Europe, Snipe Wild posting are known as boards or boarding.
Poster placement locations typically consist of construction sites, street poles, inside cafes, on campus, and in retail shop windows.
Snipe Wild Postings posters are placed via staples, tape, push-pins and/or magnets depending upon the location.
With Snipe Wild Postings there are no predesignated or “owned” locations.
They are particularly effective for promoting local events, highlighting product releases, and brand promotions.
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.
Dedicated wheatpaste poster Installations are site-specific and highlight a single brand advertising campaign with 24 or more posters in a single location.
Dedicated wheatpaste wild posting installations often consisting of multiple poster designs and specific layouts.
This form of wild posting advertising is placed with permission of the property owner and often require city permits.
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 advertising.
The answer to "Who is the best wild posting company?" depends upon your brand objectives and requirements.
Anyone can put up posters, but when, where, and how they're placed makes all the difference. Choose a wild posting company that can solve your specific needs.
For example, if you need your advertising to be in a specific location for the entirety of the month, then a dedicated location street poster solution is the best choice. Plus, if your brand requires 100% buttoned-up legal advertising, a company with permitted locations is the way to go.
If your objective is citywide awareness with a side of street cred, culture, and content, then a company with a traditional wild posting approach is the right fit.
And certain wild posting companies excel in certain cities. Do you need to connect with people in Portland or New York City? The best company has extensive experience in reaching your target audience in your desired market(s).
To find the best wild posting company, interview a few, including ALT TERRAIN, to uncover who can provide the options to create the most effective outdoor advertising campaign outcomes for your brand.
Yes, wild postings is super effective - it provides 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 traditional, 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 to two-week wild posting initiative is between $7,500 to $20,000.
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 traditional wild posting, they stay in place 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.), traditional wild postings they are in place for 2 to 3 days (and posting teams often revisit neighborhoods twice a week to refresh placements)
Permitted wild posting guarantee they'll be in place for a designated duration.
The best times for brands to leverage wild postings are:
- Whenever you have a brand release, event, or happening
- If your goal is to connect with a city-centric Millennial and Gen Z audience
- When you desire a branding solution with a side of street cred
- When you're seeking a grassroots or activist vibe
- Seasons when more people are walking around cities
The most popular wild posting sizes in the United States are as follows:
Wheatpaste posters sizes are: 24" x 36", 27" x 39" and 48" x 72"
Snipe cardstock poster sizes are: 11" x 17" and 13" x 19"
European poster sizes vary based on country
