The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Billboards can be worth the investment when they reach a relevant local audience, support a clear campaign goal, and can be measured against the full cost. Survey findings show that many people notice digital billboard ads and report taking action afterward, but that is not proof that a specific campaign caused more sales or earned a positive return.
What billboards can do well
Billboards put a message in a specific place and can expose people to it repeatedly as they travel. That makes them a possible fit for local awareness, promoting a nearby location, or prompting someone to search for a business later. Whether those exposures matter depends on the audience, route, creative, schedule, and campaign objective.
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In a U.S. online survey fielded April 2–9, 2024, OAAA and The Harris Poll asked 1,023 adults ages 18–64 about digital billboard advertising. The survey was sponsored by the Foundation for Out of Home Advertising Research and Education (FOARE). Among respondents, 79% reported noticing digital billboard ads; 78% said digital billboard ads had impacted an in-store purchase; and 78% of recent viewers reported taking an action in the past three months, such as searching online, visiting an advertiser’s website, or visiting its social media. These are self-reported survey responses, not experimentally demonstrated sales lift or proof of return for an individual advertiser. OAAA and The Harris Poll’s survey findings.
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What the available evidence does—and does not—show
Study-specific outcome lift
An OAAA release in May 2026 summarized an OAAA/Kochava analysis of device-level data across campaigns and verticals. It reported median lift of 20% for in-person outcomes and 14% for digital outcomes, compared with approximately 10% for connected TV and broadcast television in the release. The analysis was sponsored by FOARE. These are results attributed to that analysis, not universal benchmarks or a promise that a billboard campaign will produce the same lift. The release also reported a 5.3x increase in OOH-to-digital action conversion rates from one to ten ad exposures. That is a study finding; it does not establish that every advertiser will get the same result by increasing frequency. OAAA’s summary of the OAAA/Kochava analysis.
Industry spending
U.S. out-of-home advertising spending reached $9.13 billion in 2024, up 4.5% from the prior year, according to an OAAA report published in 2025. Within that market, billboard ad spending grew 3.6% and digital out-of-home (DOOH) spending grew 7.5%. DOOH covers digital out-of-home formats beyond roadside billboards alone. Spending growth indicates continued advertiser investment; it does not show that any particular campaign was profitable. OAAA’s 2024 out-of-home spending report.
Why impressions and reported actions are not ROI
An impression estimate describes potential exposure, not necessarily attention, a visit, or a purchase. Likewise, a respondent who recalls an ad and reports acting afterward has not necessarily shown that the ad caused the action. A useful business assessment connects the campaign to a defined outcome—such as awareness, branded search, store visits, leads, or sales—and accounts for the campaign’s full cost.
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DOOH measurement adds another complication: definitions and practices are not consistent across providers. IAB’s July 2025 guide describes DOOH measurement as fragmented, so impression estimates, audience claims, and attribution results may not be directly comparable between vendors. Ask how each figure is defined and calculated, what data supports it, and what method connects exposure to the outcome. IAB’s DOOH measurement guide.
The cited industry and survey materials do not establish a universal billboard price, cost per sale, or ROI benchmark. Those depend on the market, site, timing, format, and measurement approach; use local quotes rather than a generic average.
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How to compare billboard options
| Decision factor | What to establish |
|---|---|
| Audience and geography | Whether the location reaches the people and area relevant to the business, rather than simply offering broad traffic. |
| Exposure and frequency | How audience or impression estimates are produced, and how often the intended audience is expected to encounter the message. |
| Format and flexibility | Whether the placement is a static roadside billboard, a digital billboard, or other DOOH inventory. For digital placements, clarify rotation, time-of-day rules, and scheduling. |
| Full campaign cost | Local media rates plus creative production, printing or installation, and any measurement fees. Obtain an itemized quote; the cited sources do not state a general rate. |
| Measurement method | How impressions, audience, attribution, and outcomes are defined; request the underlying methodology and supporting evidence. |
| Business outcome | The specific KPI the campaign is intended to change—for example awareness, branded search, store visits, leads, or sales. |
How to run a useful test
- Choose one primary outcome. Define what success means before booking, and distinguish it from secondary indicators such as ad recall or website visits.
- Set a baseline. Record the relevant outcome before the campaign so the result has a reference point.
- Get the vendor’s method in writing. Ask how audience and frequency are estimated, how exposure is linked to outcomes, what data will be supplied, and what limitations apply.
- Price the whole campaign. Include media, creative, production, installation, and measurement so any comparison reflects the actual investment.
- Agree on the evaluation period. Select an attribution window appropriate to the campaign and buying cycle. The cited sources do not establish one window that suits every advertiser.
- Compare results with the baseline and objective. Treat exposure and reported engagement as indicators, not substitutes for the outcome the campaign was meant to affect.
When a billboard is worth considering
Billboards are most plausible when the target audience is concentrated near the placement, the message is understandable at a glance, repeated exposure is useful to the objective, and the advertiser can evaluate a meaningful outcome. If the audience fit or likely return is uncertain, a bounded test with a predefined KPI, baseline, full-cost estimate, and transparent measurement method is more informative than assuming broad reach will translate into sales.
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