Capturing Your OOH Goals: The Design Client Form You Need

Please remove this client intake form insights section before publishing.

This Client Intake Form is structured to gather all critical information needed to create a high-impact, tailored outdoor advertising campaign. Below is a breakdown of each section, its purpose, and why it’s essential for campaign success.

1. Client & Project Information

Purpose: Establishes basic contact details, project scope, and budget expectations.
Key Insights:

• Budget Range helps determine the feasibility of different OOH formats (e.g., digital billboards vs. static).
• Industry/Market Sector informs design and messaging strategy (e.g., B2B vs. B2C, luxury vs. mass-market).
• Deadline ensures alignment with production and media-buying timelines.

2. Campaign Objectives & Goals

Purpose: Defines what the client wants to achieve, ensuring the campaign is strategically aligned.
Key Insights:

• Primary Goal dictates design choices (e.g., brand awareness → bold logo placement vs. direct response → clear CTA).
• Target Audience influences language, imagery, and placement (e.g., Gen Z → trendy visuals; professionals → sleek, minimal).
• Geographic Targeting determines whether the campaign should be hyper-local (bus shelters) or broad (highway billboards).

3. OOH Advertising Format Selection

Purpose: Identifies the best medium for the campaign based on reach, budget, and impact.
Key Insights:

• Billboards (Static vs. Digital):
  Static → Long-term branding, lower cost.
  Digital → Dynamic content, dayparting (different ads at different times).
• Transit Ads (Bus/Train Wraps): High visibility in urban areas.
• Street Furniture (Bus Shelters, Kiosks): Ideal for localized campaigns.
• Mobile Billboards: Great for event-based marketing.
• Guerrilla/Experiential: Creates buzz but requires permits/approvals.

Why This Matters:

• A luxury brand may prefer digital billboards in high-end districts, while a local business might opt for bus shelter ads near their store.

4. Design & Creative Preferences

Purpose: Ensures the visual and messaging style aligns with brand identity and campaign goals.
Key Insights:

• Brand Guidelines (Yes/No):
  If yes, strict adherence is required.
  If no, the designer has more creative freedom.
• Color Scheme & Typography:
  High contrast = better readability from a distance.
  Sans-serif fonts = clearer for fast-moving traffic.
• Imagery & Graphics:
  Photography works well for lifestyle branding.
  Illustrations can stand out in cluttered environments.
• Tone & Messaging Style:
  A billboard for a funeral home vs. a music festival will have vastly different tones.

Critical Consideration:

• OOH ads have 3-5 seconds to grab attention → simplicity and boldness are key.

5. Additional Services Needed

Purpose: Identifies if the client requires extra support beyond design.
Key Insights:

• Copywriting: Many clients need help condensing messages into a few impactful words.
• Photography/Art Direction: Custom visuals make ads more unique.
• 3D Mockups: Helps clients visualize the final product.
• Performance Tracking (QR Codes, Vanity URLs): Essential for measuring ROI.

Why This Matters:

• A client who wants "full-service" (design + media buying + tracking) needs a different approach than one who just needs creative.

Key Takeaways for Agencies Using This Form:

1. Prevents Miscommunication: By asking detailed questions upfront, you reduce revisions later.
2. Guides Strategic Decisions: The answers help determine the best OOH formats, design style, and budget allocation.
3. Enhances ROI: A well-informed campaign performs better because it’s tailored to the audience, location, and goals.
4. Streamlines Workflow: Having all details in one place speeds up the creative and media-buying process.

Final Tip:

• For high-budget clients, consider adding a competitor analysis or market trends section to refine strategy further.

Here are the essential mandatory questions that should be included in your Client Intake Form to ensure clarity, efficiency, and project success:

Business Name
Contact Person
Email
Phone Number

(Without these, communication breaks down.)

1. Project Overview (Critical for Scope)

Primary Goal of the Ad (Brand awareness, sales, event, etc.)
Ad Placement (Magazine, billboard, flyer, etc.)
Deadline (To prioritize scheduling)

(Avoids mismatched expectations.)

2. Branding & Messaging (Avoids Redesigns)

Do you have brand guidelines? (Yes/No – if yes, attach)
Target Audience (Age, gender, interests – ensures relevance)

(Prevents off-brand or off-target designs.)

3. Design Preferences (Prevents Guesswork)

Ad Size/Dimensions (Full-page, half-page, custom size)
Preferred Style (Minimalist, bold, image-heavy, etc.)
Will you provide images? (Yes/No – avoids copyright issues)

(Ensures technical and aesthetic alignment.)

4. Content & Call-to-Action (CTA)

Key Message or CTA (e.g., "Call Now," "Visit Website")

5. Budget & Approval(Avoids Disputes)

Estimated Budget Range (Sets realistic deliverables)
Number of Revisions Included (Prevents endless edits)

Who is the final decision-maker? (Name & email)

(Protects timelines and profitability.)

Why These Are Mandatory:

• No contact info? → Delays and miscommunication.
• No deadline? → Missed opportunities.
• No target audience? → Ineffective ad.
• No budget? → Scope creep or undercharging.

Optional but Helpful:

• Tone preferences (if brand guidelines don’t exist).
• Additional services needed (e.g., copywriting).