Abstract

One of the most cost effective ways for marketers to display their products to large audiences is through outdoor advertisements, mostly billboards that allow for repeated viewing along highways and streets. In recent years, billboard advertisements have begun to migrate more to city streets rather than highways, thereby changing the intended target audiences. This study located alcohol billboard advertisements in San Antonio, Texas with the aim to understand the targeted groups and their socio-demographics. The research included the use of fieldwork with GPS and photographs; US Census, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and Texas Department of Transportation data; GIS; and statistical analysis. The principal finding was: as the number of less educated, low-income Hispanic residents increased in census tracts, particularly in central San Antonio, the number of alcohol billboard advertisements in their neighborhoods increased as well as the number of alcohol retailers.