We get asked this question at least twice a week: Do consumers pay attention to billboards? And the answer is yes. Unequivocally, undoubtedly yes — consumers do pay attention to billboards. How do we know this? Research, ad spending and observation back it up.
We also have firsthand knowledge from running an outdoor advertising agency for more than a decade. Our results show that people look at billboards. Here’s a short look at how we know for sure that consumers pay attention to billboard advertisements.
Our Results Confirm It: Consumers See Billboards
Let’s begin with our own experience. We have been supporting clients by creating billboard campaigns since 2009. That’s a long time to watch the evolution of a media industry that has been deeply impacted by improvements in technology and increasing adoption of digital media by the public at large.
And yet, during that time, they have never stopped looking at billboards. In fact, if anything, we’re seeing more engagement now than we did before COVID simply thanks to people spending more time outdoors, a pandemic habit that stuck.
We have case studies that prove the effectiveness of billboards — meaning, people certainly see them because they take action based on what they see:
- A campaign we did for K18, a hair product, included billboards that raised awareness of the new launch.
- A billboard featuring Grammy-winning gospel singer Tasha Cobbs not only drew attention in Atlanta but also inspired a fun social media-driven scavenger hunt.
- We targeted three major cities for a Dolce & Gabbana billboard campaign featuring DJ Khaled that generated nearly 1 million impressions.
That shows there’s a lot of people looking at a billboard.
Research Supports It: People Pay Attention to Billboards
Our experience shows both anecdotal evidence and data to back up the fact that people look at billboards. Studies have also proven time and again that billboards draw people’s attention. These three reports feature verified research, and their conclusions are widely cited throughout the advertising community.
Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) Studies
OAAA has conducted a great deal of research on billboards over the years. A lot of it is walled off from public consumption, but we gathered a few highlights:
- 50% of Americans find billboards “highly engaging”
- 71% of Americans say they at least glance at billboards when they pass them
- 32% of Americans say they’ve visited a store after seeing a billboard advertising it
Clear Channel Study
Yes, Clear Channel has a vested interest in the success of billboards because it sells them — but it has also conducted solid research on their worth:
- 19.8 million people see billboards each week in the UK
- 55% of Gen Z respondents say billboards with dynamic content grab their attention
- 45% of UK adults say they have seen and responded to a billboard
Arbitron Study
This study is a bit older, but people continue to use it because it’s one of the most comprehensive related to billboards. Arbitron found that:
- 71% of drivers and passengers report looking at billboards
- 37% look at billboards every single time they pass them
- 55% have noticed a digital billboard in the past month
- 32% have noticed a digital billboard in the past week
- 56% have seen something funny that they later shared with other people
Indigo Giant Billboard- Impossible to Ignore
The Proof Is in the Spending: Billboard Investments Are Up
Another way to prove people pay attention to billboards is to look at advertising investment. Think about it. Advertisers only pay for things that work. For something to work, it needs to be seen. Thus it follows that people pay attention to billboards because they are reacting to them enough to spark further spending.
Outdoor ad spending numbers are impressive. Keep in mind while considering this data that billboards account for the majority (between two-thirds to three-quarters) of all out of home ad spending.
First, looking at outdoor spending compared to other media, it is the only “traditional” (i.e., nondigital) form of advertising still seeing growth. The switch to digital advertising has decimated everything else. Last year, according to MAGNA Global, a global media agency, traditional media revenues fell by 3%, but out of home was up 2%.
OAAA’s numbers indicate 2024 will be even better. First quarter of 2024 generated the largest volume of out of home spending ever, according to OAAA records. It hit nearly $2 billion, up 6.8% from the same time in 2023.
That speaks to the effectiveness of the medium. Basically, it works, or it wouldn’t see the increased interest. Advertisers see the return on investment it generates. That is proof positive that people pay attention to billboards.
Look Around You: Everyone Looks at Billboards
We’re not sure how much more bluntly we can put this, but: pay attention yourself. If you look around you on the road (as the passenger, not the driver), as a pedestrian or on public transportation, you will see people checking out billboards all around you.
The best thing about billboards is that they’re inescapable. You can’t turn them off like a TV set or a radio. Billboards are always on. That means no matter what time of day it is, people can always see them. Heck, lights even illuminate billboards at night, so they are truly unavoidable.
Think about your own life as well. Billboards are probably “visible” in your daily life in more ways than one. As we mentioned above in the research section, more than half of people have shared a funny billboard they viewed with friends. Has someone posted about a hilarious board they saw on the highway in your work Slack channel? Did someone snap a picture of a board and send it to you with an emoji? Were you talking about a new store and your friend mentioned the wild billboard it posted?
Then you know that people pay attention to billboards. They think they’re pretty cool.
