Marketing organizations around the globe understand a single rule-of-thumb: Advertising content can make or break the desired results of an ad. Even the most well-known and professional marketing companies have sometimes forgotten this rule.

There are a few important guidelines that need to be taken very seriously, when deciding upon sports scoreboard content for your advertising. The guidelines pertain, no matter if you are using static (non-changing) or video.

1} Less is always more. You have a limited amount of time to get the message across to the viewer and in a sports environment, their minds are often on the game, the players and their team. Hone down a simple message, potentially one to two sentences with an image that complements the message. Add the sponsor logo and/or brand, the location, including phone number and web address. When you add too much content, the viewer will not only not have time to really see it, but will not absorb it. This causes the viewer to quickly forget the sponsor.

2} The message: Sponsors and businesses are probably already experienced in marketing and advertising and may have a particular look or feel to their standard ads. Some may choose humor, while others prefer a reason or stats to compel the viewer to visit and buy from them. If they are well-known for a jingle, then incorporate that into the ad. Branding is everything, and the final result of the scoreboard advertisement needs to be one complete thought. We are all familiar with situations where we love a particular ad, but have forgotten the product?

3} Keep the confusion down: A sponsor may have a desire to list every one of their products in a scoreboard advertisement. While they are proud of their products and want to make every investment penny count, this can quickly turn into an image of confusion and leave very little space on the ad for the message, logo and location. If too small, the images will get lost and again, no one will remember who the sponsor was. Balance the image(s) with the message, allowing enough white space on the ad for the eye to travel to each area. The company name and/or logo and location as well as a potential web address should be enough.

4} Stay away from images that don’t make any sense. While the business may be proud of their daughter’s ballet expertise, unless it has to do with the product they are selling, make every attempt to deter the sponsor. A large picture of a little girl in a tutu will not encourage anyone to visit the business. The only time this image form is recommended is in the case where it is a mainstay part of their existing advertising program and can complement other marketing efforts. Instead, offer suggestions about the newest product additions and benefits such as dollar savings. Other possibilities might be the longevity of the team or school support. Images should be high resolution, so they can be easily seen, even from the farthest seats.

5} Color and font coordination: Use complementary color coordination with a limitation of one to two font styles for the message. A blast of color and too many fonts is confusing to the eye and difficult to read. Stay away from cursive font styles for sports scoreboard advertising, as they require more time for reading focus. The overall look of the advertisement should be clean, concise, and appealing in colors and tones.