Digital Billboards Boost Awareness, But Also Consideration, Intent And Foot Traffic: Vistar Media

May 10, 2023 by Dave Haynes

Billboards have long been a tool – whether print or digital – to drive awareness for advertisers, but new research done by Vistar Media suggests the medium also boosts consideration, buying intent and and foot traffic.

The NYC-based programmatic firm says it “conducted an analysis of campaigns that utilized billboards to determine the venue type’s effectiveness in delivering positive contributions toward awareness, consideration, intent and foot traffic, with the results demonstrating why billboards have remained a timeless staple in DOOH.”

In the US market, says Vistar, billboard advertising within campaign activations last year drove a:

• Lift in awareness on 72% of campaigns;
• Lift in consideration on 82% of campaigns;
• Lift in intent on 79% of campaigns;
• Lift in foot traffic on 67% of campaigns.

Advertisers from the retail industry ran the most billboard campaigns that included measurement in 2022, followed by consumer packaged goods (CPG), financial services and telecommunications.

The research explored how campaigns within each industry performed against the core metrics list below. The findings demonstrated:

• Billboards drove lift in awareness on 92% of CPG campaigns, 67% of financial services campaigns, 57% of retail campaigns and 83% of telco campaigns;
• Billboards drove lift in consideration on 80% of CPG campaigns, 73% of financial services campaigns, 86% of retail campaigns and 75% of telco campaigns;
• Billboards drove lift in intent on 82% of CPG campaigns, 58% of financial services campaigns, 69% of retail campaigns and 91% of telecommunications campaigns.

Vistar’s advanced suite of technology capabilities enable measurement for DOOH across both upper and lower funnel KPIs, such as awareness, consideration, intent and foot traffic. By partnering with the industry’s leading measurement providers such as MFour, Foursquare and others, Vistar conducts brand studies and foot traffic studies based on verified DOOH exposure.

“Billboards have always been a cornerstone of OOH advertising, and this data from our 2022 campaigns solidify the channel as an effective driver of key performance metrics for brands, regardless of industry,” says Eric Lamb, SVP of Supply at Vistar Media. “While OOH has evolved significantly over the past few decades, these results reaffirm our confidence in the power of roadside advertising in OOH, and how the format can maximize the impact of a campaign. We’re honored to partner with some of the largest billboard owners across the US, including Clear Channel Outdoor, Lamar Advertising Company and OUTFRONT Media, as well as hundreds of screens from independent operators, to connect their high-impact DOOH billboards with leading advertisers from around the world.”

Vistar suggests lower hardware costs and rising acceptance and use of programmatic DOOH has opened up new environments for OOH media, but billboards remain a core option.

“This latest research affirms the power of billboards to drive awareness, connect brands with target audiences, and influence critical purchasing decisions when used within a data-driven DOOH campaign,” says Ian Dallimore, VP of Digital Growth for Lamar Advertising Company. “Roadside billboards have become an integral part of our daily lives. Lamar’s extensive nationwide digital network reaches and connects consumers on premium displays at key moments using impactful creative, reminding them what they want and need and piquing curiosity. As the use of first and third-party data continues to evolve, brands can further enhance their strategies to target based on behaviors, extend their reach, and amplify brand messaging.”

“Marketers are focused on quality, scale and impact when it comes to DOOH formats and screens,” adds Wade Rifkin, EVP and GM, Programmatic, Clear Channel Outdoor.   “We’re encouraged Vistar’s latest research underscores how billboards consistently deliver a data-rich programmatic buying experience that is measurable and optimizable, and that Clear Channel’s large format, premium digital billboard displays in top markets across the country have been proven highly effective at driving outcomes.”

“Billboard advertising is an incredibly effective medium for reaching a wide and diverse audience,” says Neil Shapiro, VP of Programmatic at OUTFRONT Media. “Not only do billboards drive lifts in awareness, consideration and foot traffic, but they also optimize other media channels such as social, search and video, improving performance metrics across the board.  When combined with the flexibility, targeting and speed to market offered by programmatic, billboard advertising becomes a powerful and measurable tool for brands looking to increase awareness and drive sales.”