#BigPic16: More Than 90% of US Travelers Notice OOH Advertising
Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
More than 90% of US travelers have noticed some form of out-of-home advertising in the past month, according to a new study conducted by Nielsen.
Roadside billboards are the most noticed ads, according to Nielsen’s report, which offers a detailed examination of America’s travel habits and exposure to OOH ads. Fully 80% of adults surveyed have noticed a billboard in the past month, while more than 60% have noticed a digital billboard.
The study found high levels of engagement with billboards in the past month, with 83% of adults noticing the advertising messages. More than one in three (37%) billboard viewers look at the messaging either all or most of the time.
In the last year, more than 26% of respondents have talked about an ad or product with others after seeing an OOH message; 23% have searched for advertiser information online; and 16% have visited the advertisers website. OOH ads are also prompting consumers to visit a restaurant advertised (21%), watch a movie in the theater (20%), tune in to a TV program (18%), and visit a store or business (17%), among other actions taken.
“This detailed study highlights the effectiveness of billboards and other OOH formats as a highly engaging advertising medium,” says Nancy Fletcher, OAAA president and CEO, who is currently attending #BigPic16 in Boca Raton. “Drivers and consumers are paying attention to OOH ads and responding, whether they turn to the Internet to learn more about a featured brand, discuss a stand-out billboard with friends and family, or head to the movie theater to see the latest blockbuster.”
The report also revealed OOH’s ability to capture the attention of young people and connect with their smartphones. Travelers age 16-34 are more likely to recall seeing most varieties of OOH media in the past month, while one in four total OOH viewers who have smartphones have interacted with an ad through an NFC sensor or QR code, and one-third have searched for an OOH advertiser on their mobile device in the past year. Nearly 25% of smartphone users have accessed a coupon or discount; 22% have visited the advertiser’s web site; and 13% have downloaded an app after seeing an OOH ad in the past year.
“Consumers today want the choice to connect with advertising. They want incentives to choose brands, and they want it all in the palms of their hands,” says Stephen Freitas, OAAA chief marketing officer. “OOH is the ideal medium to propel that interaction – driving attention from big screens on the street to the small screens they never leave home without.”
Nielsen conducted 1,006 online surveys with a national sample of US residents age 16 or older, between March 2 and 9, 2016. Respondents were screened for having traveled on foot, in a car, truck, or other private vehicle, ridden as a passenger on a public bus, taxi, commuter rail, or subway, in the past month.
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