From impression to impact: rethinking OOH measurement 

In today's fragmented media landscape, advertisers demand more than just visibility—they seek measurable impact. Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising, once considered a top-of-funnel tactic, is undergoing a transformation driven by advancements in technology and data analytics. OOH now offers precise measurement capabilities that align with the performance metrics of digital channels.​

We spoke to Gkergki Rapai, Data Strategy Manager at billups, to explore what is at the forefront of this evolution, and the tools that quantify OOH's true impact. These impacts spread across brand awareness, digital engagement, and in-store visits.​ Rapai combines his extensive experience in geospatial data, attribution studies, and analytics innovation to deliver impactful OOH advertising campaigns. 

Key takeaways

From impressions to impact: Modern marketers demand insights into how OOH drives consumer behavior and real-world actions.

The growth of OOH: Global OOH ad spend continues to rise, reflecting its growing importance. This growth necessitates precise measurement tools to ensure ROI.

Dispelling the OOH measurement myth: Mobile data and analytics advances enable advertisers to track their real-world impact.

A comprehensive measurement approach: billups uses tools like brand surveys, location tracking, and web/app impact studies. These methods provide actionable insights to validate campaign effectiveness.

Table of contents

1. From impressions to impact
2. As OOH grows, the measurement myth fades
3. Addressing the measurement gap: billups’ comprehensive approach
4. Embracing the future of OOH

From impressions to impact

Historically, OOH effectiveness was gauged by impressions—estimations of how many people might see an ad. While still relevant, this metric doesn't capture the full spectrum of consumer engagement. Modern marketers require deeper insights into how OOH influences behavior and drives action.​

Recent studies underscore this shift:

• Brand discovery: A 2024 study revealed that 67% of consumers discovered new brands through OOH advertising, with higher rates among 16–24-year-olds (75%) and 45–54-year-olds (73%).​ Adworld
  
  
• Digital engagement: People who see an OOH campaign are 17% more likely to engage with the brand on their mobile. Marketing Week
  
  
• Store traffic: 51% of consumers who noticed directional OOH ads visited the advertised business, and of those, 93% made a purchase, demonstrating OOH’s strong ability to drive foot traffic and sales. OAAA

As OOH grows, the measurement myth fades

According to the TouchPoint report by IPA, not a single media channel reaches over 90% of adults every week other than OOH, and OOH advertising continues to grow reaching $42.61 billion in spend globally in 2024 up from approximately 40.7 billion dollars in 2023 – an annual increase of about 4.8 percent. With this context, it’s clear that brands are increasingly investing heavily in the medium. But with this growth comes a greater need for accountability and precision. Therefore, advertisers must spend on OOH to stay competitive in an expanding channel and utilize advanced measurement tools to ensure that investment delivers tangible results.

The belief that OOH advertising cannot be accurately measured is a misconception, dispelled by advancements in technology and data science. In the past, OOH's impact was often considered difficult to track. This has been drastically changed with the rise of mobile data, geospatial intelligence, and sophisticated survey methodologies.

Today, OOH is more measurable than ever, allowing advertisers to directly connect exposure to tangible business outcomes such as foot traffic, brand perception shifts, and digital engagement. Tools like location visitation studies, web/app impact analysis, and brand survey studies provide precise insights, moving beyond basic impressions to reveal how OOH drives real-world consumer behavior. These measurement solutions enable advertisers to validate the effectiveness of their campaigns in a way that rivals the accountability of digital media, proving that OOH is not just a reach-driven medium but a powerful performance-driven channel as well.

In a crowded media landscape, the ability to prove effectiveness, optimize creative, and justify budgets with real-world data is no longer optional—it's essential for maximizing ROI and sustaining strategic media investment.

‍

Addressing the measurement gap: billups’ comprehensive approach

At billups, we employ a multi-faceted measurement strategy that combines behavioral science, mobile analytics, and statistical rigor to assess OOH effectiveness comprehensively.​

1. Brand survey studies: gauging mindshare pre and post-campaign

Understanding shifts in brand perception is essential for advertisers aiming to evaluate the true effectiveness of their OOH campaigns. At billups, we leverage pre- and post-campaign surveys with 400 respondents through an incentivized, app-based platform to ensure broad, diverse participation. This methodology enables advertisers to accurately assess changes in brand awareness, favorability, and message recall. By customizing each survey to align with campaign goals, we provide granular insights into how audiences perceive a brand before and after exposure to OOH media. For advertisers, this means quantifying brand lift, validating creative strategy, and making data-informed decisions for future campaigns—all while demonstrating the tangible value of OOH in influencing consumer sentiment.

‍

2. Location visitation: tracking the path from ad to store

Location visitation measurement is a powerful tool for advertisers seeking to understand how OOH exposure translates into real-world consumer behavior. By leveraging mobile data and geospatial intelligence, we can precisely identify individuals who were exposed to OOH placements and track whether they later visited key locations, such as retail stores, restaurants, or event venues. To ensure accuracy, we compare these results against a control group of similar individuals who were not exposed to the campaign. This allows us to isolate the true effect of the OOH campaign on foot traffic. For advertisers, this means gaining clear, actionable evidence of ROI, not just awareness, but actual physical engagement driven by their media investment.​

‍

3. Web/App impact study: connecting OOH to digital engagement

Our Web/App Impact study helps advertisers understand how OOH influences online behavior by connecting physical ad exposure to digital engagement. Using advertisers' first-party data, we compare key website metrics. These include traffic, conversions, time on site, and search volume. It can also provide information to distinguish between markets with OOH activity and carefully matched control markets without it. This method isolates the incremental impact of OOH on digital performance. For advertisers, this means being able to prove that their OOH campaigns are not only driving awareness in the real world but also sparking measurable online actions, offering a clear link between upper-funnel exposure and lower-funnel outcomes.​

Embracing the future of OOH

As consumers navigate seamlessly between physical and digital spaces, OOH stands out as a medium that bridges the gap. OOH has solidified its place in the omnichannel marketing mix by providing measurable outcomes.​

At billups, we're committed to helping advertisers harness the full potential of OOH through advanced measurement tools and data-driven insights. Whether launching a national brand campaign or testing creative in a local market, our team can help you design, deploy, and measure OOH with precision.​

Contact billups to learn more.

‍