The Top 5 Ways To Advertise in Times Square
Times Square is the beating heart of New York City. Up to 400,000 people per day pass through the LED-lined streets between 42 and 47th street. Standing out can be difficult and expensive, but here are the best ways to get your name out there in the city of lights.
Billboards. The number one way to advertise in Times Square is to literally rent the side of a building! An enormous poster or video will give maximum visibility and can make a big impact. However, with great coverage comes great expense and costs associated with this run $50,000 to $3 million dollars a month. Definitely not for the faint of heart but can make a massive splash!
Taxis. A yellow cab will cost $300 to $500 a day with a minimum spend of $5,000. One drawback is that taxis don’t just stay in Times Square and you may end up spending the majority of your advertising time and money in places you don’t need. Also, with the rise of Uber and Lyft (and less cabs because of the pandemic), yellow cabs are slowly becoming an endangered species.
Subway Ads. The great thing about subway signage is that you can go as big or as small as you want. From multiple sizes of signage inside the train to the new digital displays in some stations, there is no shortage of choices. However, you have to buy a magnitude of signage to really make a dent. You’re not going to buy one internal space for $50 and call it quits. Luckily, New Yorkers and tourists alike do notice signage, even if they see it multiple times a day at a variety of stations. With over 4 million people using the trains per day, your odds are much better with than without.
Pop-ups. It’s possible to negotiate with the Times Square Alliance and the city to set up a pop-up booth in Times Square. This is a great way to have a standing presence and meet your audience through an interactive experience, creating memorable moments. Cost can run $5000 per day and navigating the notoriously Byzantine NYC bureaucracy to get a permit can be tricky, but as with a street team, this is a fantastic way to give the best face for your brand.
Street Teams. Brand ambassadors, street teams, costumed looks are a fantastic, cost-effective way to reach your audience quickly and efficiently. A good street team with proper training and management (such as Broadway Crew) can distribute around 800 flyers in a 4-hour shift (depending on traffic, weather, season, etc.), presenting a great face for your brand, even directing customers directly toward your experience. One key advantage that is often overlooked is the ability for the street team to collect key data points such as design feedback, demographics, and targeted verbiage to inform your greater marketing strategy. Pricing will depend on the project and how many staff you’d need, but start at around $300 per day.
Mean Girls street team with happy customers in Times Square!
We recommend a combination of some or all of the above. Depending on your budget, all of these options create a compelling advertising presence at the intersection of the world. Remember, the more visible touchpoints that there are, the more that a consumer trusts the legitimacy of the brand or show, connecting all the dots.
While we can’t help you reserve your billboards and taxi cab ads, we can help you with all your street team and pop-up needs! Broadway Crew has innovative training, reliable reporting, and a charismatic Crew just for you. Contact us about your show, brand, or event, and we will find the best staffing solution for you!
