4 Facts that Prove the Power of Outdoor Advertising
Though the out-of-home advertising industry traces its official beginning back to 1867 with the leasing of the first billboard, the reality is that OOH has been around for almost as long as people have been buying and selling. From rustic signs painted on the sides of buildings to elaborate Art Nouveau posters, OOH advertising has a long and rich history. But with a history that long, is it getting a little dated? How much impact can OOH have in a world where exciting new ad formats are popping up all the time? As it turns out – a lot! Far from being dated, outdoor advertising is in fact one of the most successful and impactful advertising channels out there. Here are four facts that prove it.
Outdoor advertising fact #1: Outdoor ads get attention
With most being placed alongside busy roadways, you might think that billboards only get fleeting glances. However, a recent study by QMS and Amplified Intelligence has shown that, on average, billboards get a whopping 12 seconds of attention! That same study found that OOH was nearly 6 times more likely to get active attention as compared to digital channels. So, while OOH best practices wisely encourage you to keep things simple, that doesn’t mean that your boards won’t get lots of worthwhile attention.
Outdoor advertising fact #2: Outdoor ads are proven to be memorable
Okay, so boards get seen – that much is clear. But do they get remembered? Research shows that, on average, it takes 2.5 seconds of active attention for something to be committed to long-term memory. Compare that to the study findings we just mentioned, and that means that billboards get almost 5 times the amount of attention required to be memorable. So it’s safe to say that not only do billboards get seen, but they also get remembered.
Outdoor advertising fact #3: Outdoor ads are proven to drive visits and purchases
Remembering OOH ads is great if your goal is to build branding and awareness. But does that translate into sales? Studies say – yes it does! Data shows that 69% of all consumers have made a purchase triggered by OOH advertising. Additionally, research has shown that of the 30% of people who noticed a billboard that gave directions to a business, 43 percent visited that business within 30 minutes of viewing the ad, and of those who visited, 78% made a purchase. When you consider the sheer number of people who zip by billboards every day, those visits and purchases add up!
Outdoor advertising fact #4: Outdoor ads have great ROI
We’ve seen that outdoor ads get seen, get remembered, and get people to purchase. But that still doesn’t answer the question of whether OOH ads are worth it. If they get people to make purchases but your profits get eaten up by the cost of putting the ads up, that might not be a sustainable choice in the long run. However, data shows that OOH ads are in fact very much worth the cost. Data gathered by the Out of Home Advertising Association of America shows that billboards have an astronomical ROI of 495%! There’s probably no statistic more important for a business owner than ROI. With OOH proven to deliver on ROI, the question then becomes not can you afford to invest in OOH, but rather – can you afford not to?
