A new form of advertising in Innisfail should bring more traffic into town, predicts Doug Bos, a director of the Innisfail Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s an LED billboard similar to the one that’s at Bowden,” he said of the new sign between the two overpasses along the QE II Highway.
Approved by the chamber last November, Bos said a reduced cost will be offered for chamber members to advertise.
“It’s a whole program to bring people in to Innisfail and gives an opportunity for small businesses to advertise on there,” he said, adding that highway advertising is typically too expensive for most small businesses.
“For example, the one in Bowden — for one month … it costs $4,300.” He said chamber members will be charged $300. Any unused spots will be sold to non-members at an additional charge.
“The whole initiative is an economic development project for Innisfail. Hopefully we can put other signs up there like tourist service information and things like that to draw people into Innisfail. All the income will be put back into developing small businesses again.”
Even at $300, the chamber will still make money from the sign that cost just under $200,000 to purchase and install, he said.
“Even the businesses who don’t advertise are going to get the benefit of the extra traffic coming into town. All the businesses will benefit from the extra revenue.”
The sign, 13 by 23 feet, will be double-sided so people driving north and south along the highway can read the sign.
The sign was put in Tuesday, and last week Bos and others were still working on getting information on the sign ready to work.
He said the next step will be to create a package that their municipalities, interested in purchasing a sign, could use.
“I will develop a package and program to help other towns … it’s kind of a how-to package. That way they know what they’re getting into so their chambers can accomplish the same thing and in less time than what it took us.”
