measuring the effectiveness of Billboard advers — UNiDAYS Campaign with Student Screens and QR Code activation.

Key Takeaways

Set clear KPIs before launch:_ _Define campaign goals and measure success through impressions, reach, conversions, ROI and engagement before a single billboard goes live
Use modern measurement tools:_ _GPS, geolocation, beacons, QR codes, vanity URLs and mobile data now allow advertisers to track exposure and interaction in real time, turning OOH into a genuinely measurable channel.
Blend data with sentiment:_ _Combine analytics with social listening and surveys to capture both performance metrics and brand perception, giving a complete picture of campaign effectiveness.

Measuring the effectiveness of an out-of-home advertising billboard campaign requires setting clear KPIs before launch, tracking exposure through GPS data, QR codes, and audience measurement tools, and benchmarking results against campaign objectives.

Marketing is about getting your brand in front of the right people and as a business, you want to be sure that your advertising spend is seeing a return.

Billboards have been a popular advertising tool for a good few hundred years and thanks to developments in technology, it's no longer passive and solely used for brand awareness.

Modern tech now allows marketers to gain real insight by accurately tracking and measuring impact. This data-driven, GDPR-compliant approach helps big brands refine their strategies and maximise ROI on their billboard advertising campaign.

You may be asking yourself: how do you measure the effectiveness of a billboard campaign? This article covers the quantitative and qualitative ways in which you can. Read on to understand the tools, techniques and KPIs that make it possible.

What are KPIs?

KPIs are targets used to evaluate the success of an objective and are directly linked to the goal of the project. KPIs can vary depending on the advertising campaign but are essential for evaluating the campaign’s success.

There are several KPIs that you can use to measure the effectiveness of a billboard campaign, including: impressions, reach, click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, ROI, brand awareness and engagement rate.

Traditional Methods of Measuring Billboard Effectiveness

One key performance indicator to consider when tracking a billboard campaign is billboard impressions. Billboard impressions refer to the number of times a billboard advertisement is potentially seen by individuals.

It is representative of the total counts of exposure to an advertisement regardless of whether the individuals interact with it. Unfortunately, this information did not accurately tell advertisers how many people were seeing their ads, but rather the number of people that could be seeing their ads.

Here is the methodology used to calculate billboard impressions:

Begin by obtaining the average daily traffic count (ADTC) for the area where your billboard is located. You can get this information from the UK government website, local transportation departments, city planning offices or traffic agencies.
Multiply the average daily traffic count by the percentage of people who are likely to see your billboard. This percentage is known as the "Likely-to-See Factor" and is typically estimated based on industry standards and experience. For example, if the ADTC is 100,000 and the LTSF is 80%, the daily impressions would be 80,000 (100,000 x 0.8).

An Innovative Approach to Measuring Billboard Advertising Effectiveness

A non-profit organisation, Geopath recognised the issue faced by advertisers when determining the effectiveness out-of-home advertising and started working to develop a new way to calculate impressions.

Through research, Geopath found a way to 'not only measure audiences as they travel past ads but also determine audiences for ads as they rotate in time on thousands of digital structures.' (2) This system provides advertisers with a credible metric necessary to compare and effectively compete with other measured media.

Using both anonymous and marketing firm data, they take into consideration the circulation, reach, visibility and demographics of an OOH advertising opportunity so that advertisers are equipped with an understanding of how visible the advertisement is, what kind of consumers are likely to see it and how often they'll see it. Ultimately helping advertisers to make the best decision and maximise return on investment.

Digital out-of-home (DOOH) formats take this a step further. Because DOOH screens are connected, they can report exact play counts, the time of day each ad ran, and audience dwell time data in near real time. This makes DOOH one of the most measurable formats within the out-of-home channel.

Best Practices for Measuring the Effectiveness of a Billboard Campaign:

1) Determine the objective of the campaign

It’s important to understand the aim of your billboard campaign to effectively measure its performance. The objective should be specific, measurable and aligned with the brand’s marketing goals.

2) Select the KPIs and metrics

Once the goal is established, you can select the relevant KPIs and metrics to measure the campaign performance.

3) Use data and technology to track performance

At One Day Agency, we use a mix of proprietary tools, leading behavioural audience insights and balance budgets and placements to achieve the highest frequency possible for the objective. Check out our approach for more information.

4) Benchmark performance against competitors

Benchmarking your billboard campaign performance against competitors can provide valuable insights into how well a campaign has performed relative to others in the industry. This information can help advertisers to make informed decisions about optimising campaigns for maximum impact.

How to Calculate Billboard ROI

Return on investment for billboard advertising is harder to calculate than digital channels but it is not impossible. The approach depends on how the campaign was set up to be tracked. Three methods are commonly used together to build a clear picture.

Sales lift comparison: Establish a baseline by measuring key metrics, such as website traffic, in-store visits, or sales, in the weeks before the campaign runs. Run the campaign, then compare the same metrics over an equivalent period. The delta between the two figures, adjusted for seasonal trends, gives you an indication of campaign-driven uplift.

Geofencing attribution: By creating a virtual boundary around the billboard location, mobile devices that pass through the zone can be identified. Subsequent actions taken by those devices, such as visiting a website or entering a retail location, can be attributed back to billboard exposure. This method is GDPR-compliant when using anonymised, aggregated mobile data.

Vanity URLs and call tracking: Including a campaign-specific URL or dedicated phone number on the billboard creates a direct digital trail. Any traffic to the vanity URL or calls to the dedicated number can be attributed to the billboard. Combined with UTM parameters, these become powerful tools for connecting offline exposure to online conversion.

The most accurate picture comes from running all three approaches in parallel. When the media strategy and the measurement framework are designed together from the start, attribution becomes far more reliable.

Ways to Determine if a Billboard Campaign is Effective

GPS and Geolocation

Billboards that are equipped with GPS technology can track the movement of mobile devices within their vicinity.

This means that advertisers can estimate the number of eyes on the billboard by tracking the number of people who enter the area and gain insights into audience demographics, including their travel patterns and dwell times. Overall, it allows for data-driven decision-making and enhances ROI.

Bluetooth and Beacon Technology

Bluetooth beacons placed near billboards can interact with mobile devices equipped with Bluetooth capabilities.

This is called proximity-based engagement and unlocks the potential to send ads or messages to a user’s smartphone when their presence is detected. This allows for targeted marketing and a more personalised approach, creating a more interactive and engaging experience with your brand.

QR Codes and NFC Tags

Including QR codes or Near Field Communication (NFC) tags on billboards encourages users to interact with your billboard ads. By scanning a QR code or interacting with the NFC tag, potential customers can be directed to a landing page or app, allowing advertisers to track conversion rates and engagement levels.

Audience Measurement Solutions

We work with analytics tools and platforms that combine various data sources, including traffic data, mobile data and demographic information to provide comprehensive insights into billboard campaign performance.

Social Media Listening

We take a look at whether your billboard has gone viral. Monitoring social media mentions and trends related to billboard campaigns can provide qualitative insights into audience sentiment and engagement.

Surveys

Alongside social listening, surveys can be used to track brand favourability and sentiment after seeing an advert. With the survey, you can track the number of positive and negative comments associated with the billboard ad.

Raventos Codorníu - London Underground Advertising.

““One of the oldest forms of advertising, poster or billboard advertising, is still king today amongst other media formats. Available in many options and covering a variety of audiences, it’s ideal for small brands for a more localised advertisement and big brands since it offers nationwide coverage.””

— Ricardo Seixas, Founder and CEO, One Day Agency

Is Billboard Advertising Effective?

There are numerous ways to advertise your brand, from snappy social media ads to more traditional forms of advertising, such as billboards. However, the effectiveness of your advertising needs to be researched, tracked and measured in order to determine the return on investment (ROI). You can do this by setting campaign goals and using metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs).

The aim of a billboard advertisement depends on the individual brand and campaign but their main purpose is to capture mass amounts of attention and create memorable impressions instantaneously.

Billboards offer high visibility and brand awareness. They can be useful advertising tools on their own or form a powerful part of a cross-platform marketing strategy.

In 2007, the marketing firm Yankelovich claimed that the average American sees around 5,000 ads per day. Today, that figure is somewhere in the range of 4,000 - 10,000 according to data. Measuring the effectiveness is paramount to ensure that resources are optimised and your campaign is having a maximum impact in standing out amongst competitors.

For more on the broader evidence base for OOH, our article on 5 stats about out-of-home advertising covers the key numbers every media planner should know.

Measuring Your Billboard Campaign: Getting Started

There are a variety of ways to measure the effectiveness of a billboard campaign but first, you must consider the campaign objective and outline the metrics and KPIs needed to measure performance. This guide explores the quantitative and qualitative ways in which you can do this, including QR codes, social listening, geolocation and more. These techniques can help advertisers gain valuable insights into click-through and conversion rates, brand awareness, impressions and overall success of a billboard campaign.

For more information on strategising a billboard campaign for maximum impact, please get in touch with One Day Billboard advertising agency using our contact form.

References

https://permission.io/blog/how-many-ads-per-day/

https://geopath.org/geekout/

FAQs

How do you measure ROI on a billboard?

Billboard advertising is often used for brand awareness and reaching vast amounts of people. Although it can be challenging to directly track some consumer behaviour as a result of interacting with a billboard, there are a few ways to measure the return on investment of billboard advertising.

One way in which we do this is by paid attribution. We will assign value to a touchpoint such as geolocation or pinging mobile phones to get an understanding on the customer’s journey that led to a conversion. We also play close attention to viral activity which can be sparked as a result of a creative billboard advertising campaign.

What is the success rate of billboard advertising?

A study found that people who have seen an OOH advert are 17% more likely to interact with the brand on their phone than those who have not, indicating billboards increase brand engagement. Research also found that 82% of viewers were able to recall a DOOH advertisement that they saw over a month ago, suggesting that DOOH advertisements leave a lasting impression on viewers. Billboard advertising is not only successful at delivering brand awareness but can increase brand engagement and leave a lasting impression that positively affects brands that invest in the advertising medium.

What KPIs should I track for a billboard campaign?

The most relevant KPIs for a billboard campaign depend on the campaign objective. For awareness campaigns, track impressions, reach, and frequency. For conversion-focused campaigns, track QR code scans, vanity URL visits, dedicated phone line calls, and any sales uplift in the campaign period. Brand health surveys provide a qualitative layer to complement the quantitative data.

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