What is the difference between Reach vs. Frequency?

Like most industries, advertising has its own lingo that may need to be explained to appreciate and apply.  Common advertising words for all advertising mediums are “reach” and “frequency”. 

Reach vs. Frequency

Reach can be defined as the total number of people that see an advertising message. Reach is a calculated number derived from a traffic count metric and city population at a specific billboard location. The value is a percentage that reflects the portion of the local population exposed to the ad.

Frequency can be defined as the number of times the same person sees an advertising message. Billboards on commuter routes may be seen every day and experience high frequency and recall.  Billboards on pass through routes like interstates, may have low frequency but only need to reach their audience one time.

How can Billboards Provide Both?

Billboards can be seen by anyone and everyone who drives by. Meadow’s billboards are seen by hundreds to thousands of drivers per day. Those billboards expose a wide variety of customers, from international travelers to local customers.  

Meadow has a strong presence in rural markets in the Pacific Northwest which is a great opportunity to utilize reach and frequency.

Rivertap Pub, in The Dalles, OR benefits from a high reach display that reads to traffic arriving in The Dalles on I-84. Since The Dalles is a regional economic hub, the billboard also has high frequency as non-residents commute from surrounding towns to shop.  Their sign can pull in one-time customers who are just passing through or remind local customers of the great food they had last time they went. This is the power of reach and frequency working together.

If you are interested in advertising on one of our billboards call us at 800-221-4114 or email us at meadow@meadowoutdoor.com!