photo credit: codydean

Columbus was founded in 1812, named after the explorer Christopher Columbus and is the capital of Ohio. Columbus has grown to become the fifteenth largest city in the United States with a total population of 787,033.

In 2012, BusinessWeek classified Columbus as one of the top fifty best cities in America. Forbes Magazine ranked Columbus as the number one “up-and-coming tech cities” in the nation in 2008. That same year, Columbus placed seventh as the best city to do business by MarketWatch. Articles like these have resulted in a booming young professional crowd, with career starters vying for their next opportunity right here in Columbus, OH.

The most significant acclaim for The Buckeye State came when The Intelligent Communities Forum placed Columbus in the top 7 most intelligent cities in the world, the only US city to make the cut. It is also where we were founded back in 1988 and have been headquartered ever since.

Cost of outdoor advertising in Columbus OH

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What you need to know about outdoor advertising in Columbus OH

Columbus, Ohio is a unique market. So unique that brands from all over the country often use Columbus as a test market when navigating the launch of new foods, products and services. With so many colleges in the area, the student population is huge. Students from all over the world are found within these colleges leading to a strong international presence in the market. Columbus’ cultural diversity and creativity lead to a near perfect representation of the American people.

As a result of being such a highly sought after test market,  Columbus has a competitive outdoor advertising scene. To stand out in this area you need a succinct plan and a creative edge. The edge needed has been taken up a notch or two by some really creative wallscapes. Both Nationwide Insurance and Nationwide Childrens Hospital have managed to stand out when reaching downtown traffic. In addition to ample wallscape options, the Columbus market offers street kiosk advertising in its Arena District. Capitalizing on traffic from the Columbus Blue Jacket games, concerts and arena events, these kiosks offer a unique way to reach consumers that isn’t offered in all major markets.

The number of colleges in Columbus allows street team and brand ambassador campaigns to thrive. With on-campus advertising as well as bar promotions, this market can generate the targeted traffic needed when utilizing experiential marketing tactics.

In 2009 Columbus welcomed a new Minor League Baseball stadium with Huntington Park. The stadium was named the Ballpark of the Year, beating out the new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, as well as all other all other new or significantly renovated baseball stadiums in the country for that year. With a strong following this stadium is a great advertising option for brands looking to capitalize on the home-team crowd with sports advertising. Huntington park offers scoreboard ads, in-park wall decals and stadium seat advertising, among other options.

Surprisingly, Columbus does not capitalize on its bus advertising options. With limited bus shelter ad options and non-existent on-transit options, the market has a limited reach through mobile vehicles. Cabs are frequently used over bus options here, yet taxicab advertising units were just recently introduced through the cities bicentennial marketing campaign.

Outline – CBSA | Dark Green – MSA | Light Green – µSA

Columbus Metro Demographics

Population*: 621,924 (18+)
White persons: 61.5%
African American: 28%
Hispanic or Latino: 5.6%
Asian American: 4.1%
Native American: 0.3%
Pacific Islander: 0.1%
Median household income: $37,897

CBSA information for Columbus, OH

The CBSA of Columbus is identified as Columbus-Marion-Chillicothe. This CBSA includes 12 counties: Marion, Morrow, Knox, Union, Delaware, Licking, Madison, Franklin, Fairfield, Pickaway, Fayette and Ross. The 18+ population for this region is 1,601,747. What does this mean to you? While the 18+ population of the Columbus metro area is 621,924, the CBSA has a population of nearly 1 million more adults. To accurately plan and navigate a fruitful advertising campaign it is important to compare like figures across each media type. This information is also extremely important when putting together reach and frequency figures. Reaching 50% of the Columbus metro market is vastly different from reaching 50% of the Columbus CBSA.

The Columbus Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes 8 counties; Morrow, Union, Delaware, Licking, Madison, Franklin, Fairfield and Pickaway. There are 4 Micropolitan Statistical Areas (µSA) within the Columbus CBSA – Marion (Marion County), Mount Vernon (Knox county), Washington (Fayette County) and Chillicothe (Ross County).

Sports in Columbus

Annual events in Columbus

Must see destinations in Columbus

A popular tourist attraction is Schmidt’s Sausage Haus, located within the historic German Village of downtown Columbus. The Thurman Cafe has also appeared on Man vs Food with its larger than life burgers. If you’re looking for something sweet, head to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream. With locations throughout Columbus, Jeni Britton Bauer won the James Beard Foundation Media Award in 2012 and is on cookbook number two for her dessert line.

Other popular destinations: Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Ohio Theatre, Short North Arts District, Ohio Stadium, Statehouse, German Village, Schiller Park, COSI, Kelton House, Columbus Art Museum, Topiary Park, Huntington Park, Arena District, Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery, Brewery District, Jubilee Museum at Holly Family, Hollywood Casino, Columbus Crew Stadium, Thurber House, The Santa Maria Columbus, Ohio Craft Museum, and Victorian Village.

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