Frequently Asked Questions

1. How is advertising bought?

Look through the various ad formats using the menu at the top of this page.

Once you decide on your desired ad formats, submit the Get Free Quote form on top. An account executive will email you the rates. Then you can begin to communicate with the account executive, who will also answer all of your questions.

After reviewing the rates, and choosing your desired ad formats, an invoice will be emailed to you to pay.

You then create/design the ads (according to specs that will be provided to you) and electronically send the creative/design files to Blue Line Media, which will then print and install the ads, and send you pictures as proof of performance.

Blue Line Media also offers design services for a fee.

2. What kind of advertising is available?

Blue Line Media provides out of home / outdoor advertising space, including billboards, buses, benches, trains, malls and more. Click Ads at the top of this page to see links to all the ad formats on this website.

And to answer a common question, advertising is not sold on private cars.

3. In what cities do you operate?

Blue Line Media provides advertising in over 300 cities across the United States. You can see the list of markets (i.e., which are groups of cities) for each advertising format by clicking on the "Markets" link of each advertising format's page.

If you don't see a desired city in the list, it may still be offered. Please inquire about it when submitting your Get Free Quote form or contacting us.

4. What's the difference between a "city" and a "market"?

A "market" generally refers to a group of cities or areas. For example, the New York City market may include the five boroughs, Long Island and nearby areas.

5. What does the range of rates depend on?

The range of rates, which appears in each ad format's Rates section, is based on the market and timing. In other words, the range represents all the possible rates for all the markets in the United States.

In smaller markets (e.g., Columbia, MO), the actual rates are closer to the bottom of the range, and in larger markets (e.g., New York, NY), the actual rates are closer to the top of the range.

Please complete the Get Free Quote form to get actual rates for your market(s) and timing.

6. How long is the contract and what is the minimum purchase requirement?

Contracts are usually month to month. In other words, the minimum purchase is one month (i.e., four weeks). In some instances, a 2-week advertising period is permitted. You can advertise for as many weeks as you want, depending on availability (all the way up to 52 weeks).

The minimum purchase requirement is listed in the Rates section of each ad format's page. For most ad formats, the minimum purchase requirement is $5,000 per ad format per market or higher (depending on ad format and/or market), which may be spread over displays and periods. For certain ad formats, a minimum quantity of ad displays may be required instead. Minimum requirements may be reduced in certain cases.

7. How long does it take to get the ads running (i.e., lead time)? When is the contract and creative due?

Contract Due Date: As soon as possible, because advertising is sold on a first come, first served basis.

Creative Due Dates:

Static (Print): 2-3 weeks prior to ad start date. May be reduced in certain cases.
Digital/LED/Video: 3 business days prior to ad start date.

8. Do you offer discounts to nonprofit and government agencies?

Yes, discounts are offered to nonprofit and government agencies. Your quote will reflect the applicable discounts.

9. How do federal government agencies purchase advertising space?

Federal government agencies may purchase advertising space on a discounted and streamlined basis pursuant to federal GSA contract no. GS-07F-0259V.

10. Who is responsible for artwork design?

The advertiser is generally responsible for artwork design. Blue Line Media also offers design services for a fee.

11. What are the advertising dimensions and specifications?

The dimensions and specifications vary according to the advertising format. You can see general dimensions and specifications on each advertising format's page (see the link to Specs near the top of the page). Full specs for certain ad formats are at the Art Specs page.

For more detailed specifications, contact your account executive or email Production @ BlueLineMedia.com.

12. What file formats do you accept?

High-resolution PDF, Photoshop, Illustrator and other traditional press-ready files.

13. How do I send you large files?

Files that are less than 10 megabytes can be emailed to your account executive.

Larger files can be uploaded using the Upload page.

14. Where do I see the advertising locations?

The available locations will be emailed to you after you submit the Get Free Quote form. They are not listed on the website.

15. How much does a billboard cost?

Large billboards: range of $1,500 - $30,000 per location per 4 week period.

Medium billboards: range of $750 - $2,000 per location per 4 week period.

Small billboards: range of $300 - $750 per location per 4 week period.

Digital/video/LED billboards: range of $3,500 - $25,000 per location per 4 week period.

Wallscape: range of $10,000 - $50,000 per location per 4 week period.

Full billboard costs here.

16. Do you donate or sell the billboard vinyl after it's used?

Billboard vinyl is not sold or donated after it's used.

17. For digital ad formats, is a video required?

No. A video is not required for digital ad formats. A static image, such as a JPG, may be submitted.

18. Is political, controversial or advocacy-oriented advertising allowed?

Yes. Political, controversial or advocacy-oriented advertising is allowed, depending on whether the creative is permissible. Such ads may only be allowed on particular ad formats.

19. Are you currently hiring?

Please email resume to Careers @ BlueLineMedia.com.

20. How do digital/LED billboards work?

Digital/LED billboards show a single ad for eight to ten seconds every one to two minutes. Approximately six to eight advertisers are in rotation. Creative may be changed out anytime. For roadside digital/LED billboards, static images are only allowed (no videos).

21. What is the explanation of an advertising impression?

When an advertisement is viewed, it creates an impression, which is a total gross count of advertising exposures.

In other words, impressions count an individual each time he or she sees the display, so it includes multiple exposures by the same individual.

One person can produce more than one impression based on the number of times they see the ad. Therefore, if an ad achieves 100 impressions, that doesn't mean it's seen by 100 people. It has duplication and could be reaching only a few people, multiple times.

While impressions as a basic audience measurement is comparable across most media types, there are nuances in the way an impression is "counted" by media format. For OOH, we have relined our impressions to those "likely" seen versus just an opportunity to see through visibility factors based on a location's individual characteristics.

Impressions are an important metric and are the foundational media currency of OOH which means they can be compared and added across channels if the universe base, both demographically and geographically, is consistent.

In summary,
--The fundamental gauge of advertising exposures is provided by impressions, which encompass repeated views and are a widely-used metric across all ad formats.
--The number of impressions does not represent the number of individuals who have viewed the advertisement; rather, it reflects the total count of all exposures.