Outdoor Advertising Reaches Latin American Travelers

To promote the use of its credit cards in Latin America, Visa International has gone outdoors. The company reports heavy use of outdoor advertising in every Latin American country, plus Mexico and the Caribbean, according to Angela Goicouria, Visa's vice president of travel partnerships.

Goicouria spoke earlier this week at the Outdoor in Latin America in 2002 conference in Coral Gables, Florida. In an interview with MediaDailyNews, she said outdoor is the key vehicle to reach travelers because "signage impacts travelers when they arrive at their destination."

Thus, Visa's outdoor campaign in Latin America, called Contrastes, starts at the airport, with signage at the baggage claim and customs areas. It extends to other sites within three kilometers of the airport, including taxi stands and ATM machines, Goicuria says. Then there is point of sale advertising, which Visa arranges through alliances with hotels and restaurants.

Outdoor advertising works because it has "an immediate impact on travelers," Goicouria says. "When passengers arrive and see Visa, they feel a sense of comfort and familiarity."

Visa uses other forms of advertising in Latin America, including TV, radio and print. But that is image advertising for the domestic market. The outdoor campaign promotes direct use of the card for foreign travelers.

The company works with its agency, BBDO, to buy outdoor advertising from different companies in each country. Goicouria wouldn't name any of them. She also wouldn't say how much Visa spends on outdoor advertising in Latin America. She did say that while Visa uses outdoor signage all over the world it uses more of it in Latin America.

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