What are some disadvantages of transit advertising?

To many advertisers, transit advertising does not carry the image they would like to represent their products or services. Some advertisers may think having their name on the side of a bus or on a bus stop bench does not reflect well on the firm.

While an advantage of transit advertising is the ability to provide exposure to a large number of people, this audience may have certain lifestyles and/or behavioral characteristics that are not true of the target market as a whole. For example, in rural or suburban areas, mass transit is limited or nonexistent, so the medium is not very effective for reaching these people.

While geographic selectivity may be an advantage, not everyone who rides a transportation vehicle or is exposed to transit advertising is a potential customer. For products that do not have specific geographic segments, this form of advertising incurs a good deal of waste coverage.

External (on the sides, back, etc. of the vehicle) or internal (“car cards”) ?

The disadvantage of external transit ads might be that the bus and train routes may not go where your customers are. A billboard stays in one place, so an advertiser can select a location where there might be a market for their products.

A bus traveling on a long route may spend much of its time away from people interested in the product being advertised.