Highlights of Arbitron's Out-of-Home Advertising Study

Arbitron recently released its findings in the 2013 edition of the Arbitron Out-of-Home Advertising Study. The intended purpose was to study the travel habits of US adults and exposure to outdoor advertising like billboards (standard and digital), bus transit (vehicle and shelter), taxi cabs, kiosks, etc.

Here are a few brief highlights of the study:

·        The average amount of time people spend traveling is 20 hours and 16 minutes per week. This could be either driving or being a passenger in any form of vehicle. The bulk of this time is spent during the work week with an estimated 3 hours and 16 minutes per day. Weekend days are at an average of 1 hour and 59 minutes.

·        Americans travel an estimated 169 miles per week on average. There is a group called Mega-milers who average 363 miles per week. This group is more likely to be male and live in higher-income households.

·        Arbitron reports that close to 9 of 10 American adults, who are 18+ in age, travel in a vehicle on roads or rails during the past month. The mode of transportation could be considered any of the following: cars, trucks, buses, taxis, commuter rails, subways, etc.

·        Nearly three-quarters of travelers have noticed advertising messages on standard, static billboards, digital billboards, buses, transit shelters, taxi cabs, commuter rails, subways, kiosks, newspaper stands, etc.

Advertisers can use this information to help support out-of-home advertising. While there is clutter that advertisers have to cut through, there is a massive audience that notices it. It’s really up to advertisers to come up with an inventive and original message that can stand out and reach the masses.