THE SCIENCE OF BILLBOARDS: DATA AND METRICS TO MEASURE CAMPAIGN IMPACT

The Science of Billboards: Data and Metrics to Measure Campaign Impact

In an increasingly digital world, online campaign metrics are widely discussed and evaluated, billboard advertising has its own set of data and tools to measure campaign impact. Although billboards are considered a traditional medium, they remain one of the most effective ways to reach a large audience in various circumstances. However, to justify the investment and maximise ROI, it’s essential to understand how to measure the impact of billboard campaigns.

In this blog, we’ll explore the key metrics and data used to evaluate the effectiveness of billboard campaigns and how they can be applied to improve your results.

Why Measure the Impact of Billboard Campaigns?

Measuring advertising performance has always been a challenge, particularly for billboards, public interaction isn’t as immediate as in digital campaigns. However, understanding the effectiveness of a billboard campaign is crucial for optimising investments and adjusting strategies in real time. Knowing whether your billboard is generating the desired impact can help allocate budgets more effectively and make campaigns more targeted.

Key Metrics for Measuring Billboard Impact

1. Footfall (Impressions)
   One of the simplest yet most effective metrics for measuring billboard impact is the number of people who pass by the location, also known as impressions.

• What to measure: The number of vehicles or pedestrians viewing the billboard.
• How to measure: Traffic counters and sensor data can estimate the number of people passing through a specific area. Some platforms also use GPS and camera data to determine viewership.

2. Reach
   Reach estimates how many people were exposed to the billboard over a specific period. For high-traffic areas, reach can be extremely high.

• What to measure: The total number of people who had the chance to view the billboard, regardless of viewing duration.
• How to measure: Traffic data (such as the number of cars on a motorway or foot traffic in shopping areas) helps estimate reach. Some out-of-home media analysis tools now offer real-time viewership insights.

3. Viewing Time
   The amount of time people spend looking at a billboard is another crucial metric for assessing campaign effectiveness. The longer the viewing time, the stronger the impression.

• What to measure: The average duration of billboard exposure, which may vary depending on traffic and positioning.
• How to measure: Analytics specialised out-of-home media companies use sensors and motion data to calculate viewing times, factoring in traffic flow and vehicle speeds.

4. Increase in Website or Store Traffic
   One way to measure the effectiveness of a billboard campaign is to track increased traffic to your website or physical store during and after the campaign. Using a unique discount code or custom URL on the billboard allows for direct tracking.

• What to measure: Website visits, phone calls, or store visits during the campaign period.
• How to measure: Tools like Google Analytics, point-of-sale systems, and call tracking numbers help monitor traffic increases.

5. Brand Awareness
   Brand awareness is one of the most powerful metrics for evaluating billboard campaigns. It measures the audience’s ability to recall or recognise your brand after seeing the billboard.

• What to measure: Spontaneous and assisted brand recall, and whether the campaign influenced public perception of the brand.
• How to measure: Market research, such as online surveys or interviews at retail locations, can provide insights into how the campaign impacted public perception. Companies can also use brand tracking studies to directly ask consumers about their billboard recall.

Tools and Technologies for Measuring Billboard Impact

1. Traffic Sensors and Cameras
   Traffic sensor technology, such as cameras and movement counters, effectively measures how many people or vehicles pass a billboard. These data points are often combined with machine learning algorithms for more precise audience behaviour insights.

2. Geolocation Software
   Platforms using geolocation provide detailed data on traffic and consumer behaviour near specific areas. GPS data smartphones can also help measure billboard exposure and duration.

3. Integrated Digital Media Metrics
   Combining billboards with digital campaigns, such as social media or website ads, enables cross-impact measurement. Adding QR codes or links to billboard campaigns allows tracking of clicks and interactions.

Challenges and Limitations in Measuring Billboards

While various tools exist to measure billboard campaign impact, collecting accurate data still presents challenges, such as difficulties in tracking direct interactions and traffic variability at different times of the day. Additionally, subjective impacts like brand recall can be more complex to quantify, often requiring qualitative methods like surveys and interviews.

Conclusion

The science behind measuring billboard campaigns has evolved, allowing advertisers to monitor impact more precisely and strategically. By leveraging traffic data, reach, viewing times, and the effectiveness of integrated digital campaigns, you can gain clearer insights into your billboard ROI. These metrics not only optimise future campaigns but also help validate the value of outdoor media in today’s advertising landscape.

Have you used any of these tools to measure the impact of your billboard campaigns?

For more information, visit intelioutdoor.com