Poster distribution in the UK: sites, placement and cost
Poster distribution is the paid placing and display of printed posters in public sites: shop windows, neighbourhood boards, venue point of sale and premier sites. iDO (Info Display OOH Ltd) displays posters across 150,000 print points in the UK from 60+ distribution centres, and photographs every site as geo located proof of display.
Sugandan Balaji
What is poster distribution?
Poster distribution is a media service that places printed posters into public display sites and keeps them there for an agreed period. You supply the posters. The distributor supplies the sites, the negotiation with each site owner, the team that puts the poster up, and the evidence that it went up.
Poster distribution is not the same as billboard advertising. Billboard space is bought by panel and by cycle from a media owner who owns the frames. Poster distribution works site by site, through standing relationships with thousands of independent shops, cafes, venues and community buildings, which is why it reaches neighbourhoods a billboard schedule never touches.
Which types of poster site are used in the UK?
UK poster distribution uses five broad site types, and most campaigns book three or four of them at once. The right mix depends on whether the poster is selling a local event, a season or a national brand.
An ultra local poster blanket covers every retail, food and drink, supermarket, community and heritage site in one town. iDO ran exactly that blanket in St Albans for Trestle Theatre, and the performance was oversubscribed.
| Site type | Where the posters go | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Premier sites | High footfall windows and frontages on main shopping streets | Launches and city wide awareness |
| Neighbourhood boards | Community centres, libraries, village halls, leisure centres | Local events and public information |
| Shop windows | Independent retailers, cafes, salons, newsagents | Ultra local blanket coverage of a town |
| Venue point of sale | Counters and foyers in attractions, hotels and venues | People already out, already spending |
| Arts audience sites | Theatres, galleries, museums, independent cinemas | Exhibitions, productions and festivals |
How is poster placement negotiated and verified?
Poster placement is negotiated site by site by a team local to the area, then verified with a dated photograph of the poster in position. There is no open marketplace for shop windows and community boards, so the access itself is the product you are buying.
iDO (Info Display OOH Ltd) holds 150,000 print points across the UK and runs them from 60+ distribution centres, with teams local to their own areas. That is the biggest print distribution network in the UK, and it exists because the same people call on the same venues month after month.
Verification matters more for posters than for leaflets, because a poster is meant to stay up. iDO has invested over £250,000 in a reporting system that GPS tracks the distribution run, photographs proof of display at every site, and publishes both to a live dashboard with geo located maps, so a client can check a site mid campaign rather than wait for a report afterwards.
How much does poster distribution cost in the UK?
Poster distribution in the UK is priced per site per display cycle, not per thousand. A cycle is normally two or four weeks. Five things move the rate: the site type, the number of sites, the poster size, whether display is exclusive or shared with other advertisers, and the number of cycles booked.
Size drives cost because larger formats fit fewer sites and take longer to fit. A 4 sheet at 1016 by 1524mm costs more per site than an A3 window poster at 297 by 420mm, before the print bill is counted. Ask for a quote against a named catchment and a named number of sites, because a rate per site with no site list attached is not a quote.
| Format | Size | Typical site |
|---|---|---|
| A3 | 297 x 420mm | Shop windows, community boards |
| A2 | 420 x 594mm | Venue foyers and point of sale |
| A1 | 594 x 841mm | Premier sites and arts venues |
| 4 sheet | 1016 x 1524mm | Forecourts and larger frontages |
| 6 sheet | 1200 x 1800mm | Street level panels and malls |
Should a campaign use posters or leaflets?
Use posters when the message needs to hold one place and be seen repeatedly, and leaflets when the audience needs to take something away. A poster in a shop window is seen by everyone who passes it for the whole cycle. A leaflet is seen once, by one person, who can keep it and act on it later.
Most iDO campaigns run both. For the Design Museum, iDO combined solus door to door in W8 6 with an ultra local blanket of Kensington High Street, Earls Court Road and Notting Hill Gate, and membership applications spiked. Clients including Disney, the National Trust, English Heritage, ZSL London Zoo, the Royal Albert Hall and the Museum of London use posters to hold the space and leaflets to carry the detail home.
Frequently asked
- What is a premier poster site?
- A premier poster site is a high footfall display position on a main shopping street or in a busy venue, usually a window or frontage passed by thousands of people a day. iDO negotiates premier sites individually with each site owner and photographs every one as proof of display.
- How long does a poster stay up?
- A poster booked through iDO normally stays up for a display cycle of two or four weeks. Sites are checked and replenished by the local distribution team, and each one is photographed with its location and date, so a client can confirm the poster is still in position.
- Can posters be booked in one town only?
- Yes. iDO runs 150,000 print points from 60+ distribution centres with teams local to their own areas, so a poster campaign can cover one postcode sector, a single town or the whole UK. An ultra local blanket of one high street is a standard booking.