For years, one of the biggest misconceptions about out-of-home (OOH) advertising was that it was nearly impossible to measure. OOH offers unmatched visibility and credibility through billboards, digital displays, transit ads, and more, but many brands assumed that impressions couldn’t actually be measured.
In today’s advertising landscape, that once-believed myth could not be further from the truth. Modern OOH is a highly measurable channel in the greater marketing mix, and thanks to resources like mobile data, digital integrations such as QR codes, and other cutting-edge audience analytics, the numbers can be revealed.
Whether the goal of a message is to spur store visits, online conversions, or simple brand awareness, OOH now offers clear and concise insights that prove and show return on investment (ROI).
Here’s how OOH measurement actually works.
Mobile Location Data & Foot Traffic
Smartphones have truly transformed OOH measurement. They are able to provide anonymous and grouped mobile location data to assist in determining:
- How many devices have passed within a range of an OOH ad
- Whether those users later visited a store or a specific location
- The increase in visits to a store compared to consumers who were not exposed to the OOH ad
With these data points, advertisers are able to measure real foot traffic increases and numbers, which are one of the strongest indicators of ROI in the real world since it has implications in purchase intent and actual point-of-sale (POS) data.
Website & Digital Behaviors
OOH doesn’t just drive physical movement into stores and to making real-world purchases, but it is also a generator of online engagement.
When utilizing OOH, brands can see increases in:
- Brand search volume
- Direct website traffic
- Social media searches and mentions
- QR code and URL visits
By monitoring these online and site analytics during your campaign, you can measure digital activity sparked by your OOH placements.
Brand Lift Surveys
For campaigns specifically focused on awareness and visibility, brands can use things like:
- Pre- and post-campaign surveys
- Brand recognition studies
- Online viewer sentiment tracking
OOH often produces stronger recall than digital because these ads cannot be skipped, are monuments in the real world, and are often embedded into the daily routines of their viewers.
The Data’s There
All in all, OOH advertising can absolutely be measured. There are many avenues to measurement, and oftentimes, these analytics can be even more beneficial than the ones gleaned from regular digital ads. Modern OOH delivers the visibility brands need and the numbers to back it up to the big decision makers.
