Imagine calling to book a billboard for a November sale and being told, “That spot’s been reserved since August.” That’s a familiar story for many brands, this article walks through how and when prime sites get taken and how you can rewrite the ending for your next campaign.
If you’ve ever tried to book a prime billboard location in the last quarter of the year, you’ll know that space can vanish faster than a December bonus. The reason? Q4 is Ghana’s busiest season for brand advertising and the race to secure visibility begins in Q3.
Here’s why the surge happens and how understanding the timing can give your brand a strategic edge.
1. The Q4 Advertising Rush
Q4 (October–December) is the “golden quarter” for many industries. It’s when consumers are more receptive to spending; from back-to-school campaigns in early October to Black Friday deals in November and the full festive shopping frenzy in December.
Brands across retail, finance, telecom, FMCG and hospitality see this as their make-or-break moment for annual sales. This concentrated competition creates unprecedented demand for high-visibility billboard locations and the scramble begins as early as July and August (Q3). Additionally by late November, early December, churches and religious institutions flood the remaining boards to raise awareness of their end of year events, creating a unique squeeze on available space.
2. Why Q3 Is the Booking Window
In Q3 (July – September) most prime billboard locations in Accra and other major cities are already occupied by advertisers with rolling contracts. New opportunities open up only when a campaign ends and in Q3, media buyers and brands rush to lock in these spots before their rivals.
Two main factors drive this:
- Scarcity of prime locations – High-traffic junctions like Circle, Accra Mall, Airport and Oxford Street don’t stay vacant for long.
- Production lead times – From creative design to printing and installation, campaigns take time to prepare, so brands build in room to allow for all this activity to happen in time..
3. The Cost Factor
With demand peaking ahead of Q4, media rates often increase, especially for billboards in premium, high-traffic zones. Brands that wait until Q4 to secure their placements risk paying more than the normal rates or settling for less impactful sites.
By booking in Q3, advertisers not only secure better locations but also lock in current rates before festive season price hikes.
4. Competitive Advantage for Early Movers
Booking early isn’t just about getting a billboard, it’s about strategically positioning your brand before the market noise hits. Early Q4 placements allow:
- Stronger audience recall leading into the festive push
- Consistency across consumer touchpoints (offline + online)
- Flexibility to fine-tune creatives before the peak season
5. What This Means for Your Brand Planning
If Q4 visibility is part of your marketing goals, your decision-making and booking window should be at least one quarter ahead. Treat billboard media like seasonal travel tickets: the earlier you commit, the better your options, cost and positioning.
The brands that dominate December streets aren’t scrambling in November. They’ve already made their moves months earlier.
Bottom line: If you want your brand to shine when the streets are busiest, don’t wait for Q4 to think about it. By then, the billboards you want may already belong to your competitors.
Ready to secure your prime billboard spot before the rush? Contact the Vendo team today.
