How Much Does Mall Advertising Cost?

Last Updated on April 18, 2024
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Mall advertising allows brands to engage consumers in a targeted retail setting through strategic placements like digital displays, pop-up shops, product demonstrations and banner ads. But what’s the true investment required?

While certainly a significant marketing investment, properly executed mall advertising provides unrivaled access to influential buyer demographics when they are already in an ideal purchasing mindset. This article examines real-world mall advertising pricing along with costs beyond just media placement to run high-impact promotions achieving sales growth. Let’s optimize mall advertising dollars for tangible ROI.

How Much Does Mall Advertising Cost?

On average, expect to budget $2,000 to $20,000+ monthly for mall advertising expenses depending on factors like ad size, high traffic placement and campaign duration. Careful planning maximizes visibility while controlling costs.

Digital Displays

• 42-55” LCD boards – $2,000 to $5,000 per month
• Larger than 60” screens – $5,000 to $15,000 per month
• Interactive touchscreen kiosks – $3,000 to $7,000

Print and Static Advertising

• Large banners and wall graphics – $1,000 to $3,000 per month
• Posters and signs – $500 to $1,500 per month
• Retail storefronts – $3,000 to $5,000 per month
• Column wraps – $1,000 to $2,500 per month

Pop-Up Shops

• Short-term 1–2-week events – $7,500 to $15,000
• 3–6-month leases – $15,000 to $30,000

Event Booths and Sponsorships

• Holiday and Sales Stalls – $3,000 to $10,000
• Giveaways and Activities – $2,000 to $7,500

Other Costs

• Creative design fees
• Printing, production, and installation
• Maintenance personnel
• Performance tracking and analysis

Compare proposals in detail to maximize awareness within budget.

Mindesigns states that the cost of local advertisements in shopping centers can range from $500 to over $10,000 per week, depending on factors like location, size, duration, and advertisement format. Prices for digital displays can range from $1,500 to $10,000 per week, billboards from $500 to $5,000 per week, and posters and flyers from $100 to $500 per week.

According to Blue Line Media, mall advertising rates can range from $1,500 to $3,500 per display per 4-week period, $550 to $1,500 per display per 4-week period, and $1,500 to $10,000 per display per 4-week period. Prices can range from lower-cost table top ads in the food court to higher-end banner ads and wraps.

Universal Media US reports that mall advertising rates can range from $450 to $980 per display, per 4-week buy depending on contract terms, location, and other key specific data. Digital and static display advertising in malls, lifestyle, and outlet centers can cost as little as $15-20 a day.

Mall Advertising Overview

Mall advertising leverages the consistently high foot traffic and inherent retail mindset of shoppers to boost brand awareness, engage consumers experientially, and increase sales through strategic promotional placements in prime mall common spaces.

Types of mall advertising include:

• Digital displays like large LCD boards and high-tech interactive touchscreens
• Print ads like oversized posters, wall and column wraps, window graphics, and storefront banners
• Physical product demonstration kiosks combining merchandising and promotions
• Temporary leased pop-up shops ideal for new product launches
• Event sponsorship activations like holiday stalls, games, and prize giveaways

Proper advertisement positioning in the highest visibility spots turns passerby into paying customers.

Popular Types of Mall Advertising

Large Format Digital Displays

• Main mall entrances, corridor junctions, and centralized food courts
• Engaging motion graphics, video, and sound

Print Ads and Static Graphics

• Heavily trafficked stairwells and escalators
• Budget-friendly extended impressions

Interactive Product Demonstration Kiosks

• Near food courts, rest areas, and key service desks
• Provide a hands-on product experience while displaying branding

Temporary Pop-Up Shops

• Typically leased vacant retail spaces on a 2-week to 3-month basis
• Offer immersive brand interactions and impulse purchasing

Experiential Sponsorships and Activations

• Major mall holiday events, sales, and giveaways
• Provide memorable experiences attached to the brand through games, contests, and social media sharing

Carefully evaluate options and high-value areas to match campaign strategies and budgets.

You might also like our articles about the cost of billboard advertising, car wrap advertising, and yearbook ads.

Factors That Influence Mall Advertising Costs

Several variables affect required spending:

Placement Location

• Main mall entrances, food courts, and central atriums offer premium exposure yet command higher rates.
• Side hallways, outer perimeters, and upstairs corridors are more budget-friendly.

Ad Size, Construction, and Production Quality

• Larger custom-built displays and digital boards have higher upfront build fees.
• Simple static posters and banners cost less to print and install.

Campaign Duration

• Long-term 3-6 month or 1-year placements offer the lowest cost per day.
• Short 2–4-week campaigns have the highest rates due to quick turnaround and production.

Timing and Seasonality

• Peak holiday seasons like Christmas and Black Friday see surging demand and inflated pricing.
• Low traffic seasons may allow negotiated discounts. Plan off-peak campaigns ahead.

Compare placement options for the ideal balance of visibility, budget and sales impact.

Mall Advertising Effectiveness and ROI

Ensure placements tangibly boost sales by tracking:

• Revenue increases during and post-campaign versus previous seasonal averages
• Coupon/offer redemption rates correlated to advertisements
• Brand awareness surveys conducted on-site
• Foot traffic impressions via smart digital displays
• Product trial and consumer engagement metrics
• Social buzz and hashtag sharing for experiential events

Set clear benchmarks and optimize underperforming assets quickly. Effective mall advertising provides calculable ROI against growth goals.

Strategic Planning

Ways to maximize brand impact within budget:

• Target the highest visibility placements first – main entrances, food courts, central atriums. Avoid outlier corridors with minimal impressions.
• Time campaigns around peak foot traffic associated with holidays, sales events, and weekends when mall crowds surge.
• Use striking, consistent brand visuals and offers that compel engagement. Refresh static ads frequently to sustain interest.
• Host immersive experiential activations that provide lasting memories tied to the brand versus just visual clutter.
• Negotiate longer 3–6-month commitments to secure the lowest rates and potential category exclusivity.

Getting placements and messaging right drives measurable awareness and sales conversions. Don’t overinvest in low-impact placements. Prioritize prime spots and robust creative.

Final Words

In summary, mall advertising produces substantial ROI but demands significant spending which must be strategically optimized based on placement visibility, creative quality, budget, timing, and integration with omni-channel campaigns. Convert impressions into sales by motivating action. Plan diligently and reap the benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

How effective is mall advertising?

Mall advertising can be highly effective when strategically placed in optimal visibility spots near entrances, food courts, and busy thoroughfares with crisp, engaging executions. The ability to target specific demographics while they are already in a prime shopping mindset boosts engagement drastically versus general market advertising.

Tracking metrics like sales lifts, coupon redemptions and campaign surveys measure true ROI.

What are the benefits of mall advertising?

Benefits include high foot traffic impressions from consistent mall crowds, the ability to tailor messaging to specific demographics who frequent certain malls, sight visibility in a relevant retail context, opportunities for immersive experiences through pop-ups and sponsorships, and flexibility across multiple advertising mediums like digital, static, and hands-on activations. Mall advertising done right provides tremendous brand lift.

How do malls advertise?

Malls utilize dedicated leasing departments and advertising sales groups to promote their advertising opportunities through branded presentations and kits showcasing foot traffic statistics, common shopper demographics, floorplans indicating high visibility spots, photographic examples of past brand campaigns, and pricing guides for available inventory like digital screens and atrium banners.

Larger malls may attend retail marketing conventions or use online rental marketplaces to list their assets. Special activations are also pitched to brands for sponsorship partnerships. Advertising in malls is a competitive sub-industry.

How much does it cost to advertise on escalators?

For a wrapped advert or custom decal on the glass panels of mid-sized mall escalators for a 1-month campaign, average costs range from $3,000 to $7,000 based on time of year, overall escalator visibility, and the mall’s general advertising rates.

Escalators provide high impact visibility for thousands of daily riders. Specialty executions like partial steps wraps or overhead dynamic projections cost more for production and installation. Holiday rates also see a surcharge. Evaluate options carefully for maximum budget efficiency.