New OAAA Study Shows OOH Delivers Higher Ad Performance

A new industry study released by the Out of Home Advertising Association of America in partnership with Kochava is reinforcing the growing importance of out of home advertising (OOH) as a measurable and performance-driven media channel in today’s marketing landscape.

The report, titled OOH – A Valuable Performance Medium, analyzed device-level data from hundreds of campaigns across major industries including retail, automotive, quick service restaurants (QSR), and media and entertainment. The findings reveal that OOH advertising is no longer limited to brand awareness alone — it is now driving measurable real-world and digital outcomes at a scale that competes with, and often outperforms, traditional media channels.

OOH Advertising Shows Stronger Incremental Lift

According to the study, OOH campaigns generated a median incremental lift of 20% for in-person actions such as store visits and location-based engagement. For digital outcomes including website visits, app downloads, and online conversions, OOH delivered a median lift of 14%.

In comparison, both connected TV (CTV) and traditional broadcast television averaged approximately 10% lift across similar performance metrics.

These results position OOH advertising as one of the most effective media channels for brands seeking measurable campaign performance across both offline and online environments.

Anna Bager, President and CEO of OAAA, said the findings highlight how OOH has evolved beyond traditional awareness marketing.

“The channel is no longer just about reach and awareness. It is a powerful driver of real-world and digital outcomes.”

The report arrives at a time when advertisers are under increasing pressure to prove return on investment, attribution, and measurable business impact from media spending.

Frequency Emerges as a Major Performance Driver

One of the study’s biggest insights revolves around ad frequency. Researchers found that OOH campaigns experienced a dramatic increase in digital conversion rates as exposure frequency increased.

The analysis showed a 7.1x rise in conversion rates when consumers were exposed to OOH ads between one and ten times — making it the steepest frequency-response curve among all media formats measured in the study.

Unlike some digital channels where excessive repetition can create audience fatigue, OOH advertising appears to benefit from repeated passive exposure in real-world environments.

Industry analysts believe this is because billboard and outdoor advertising naturally integrate into consumers’ daily routines without disrupting the user experience, allowing repeated impressions to reinforce brand recall and purchase intent more effectively.

OOH Creates Long-Term Consumer Engagement

Another major finding from the report is OOH’s ability to sustain consumer demand well beyond the initial ad exposure.

The study identified recurring seven-day consumer response cycles, showing that conversions continue to occur days after audiences first encounter outdoor advertisements.

Researchers also noted that OOH maintains engagement longer than competing channels, suggesting that traditional short attribution windows may significantly undervalue the true performance impact of outdoor media campaigns.

This sustained influence is particularly important as marketers increasingly evaluate media channels based on long-term customer actions rather than immediate clicks alone.

Retail, Automotive, and QSR Lead OOH Performance

Among all sectors analyzed, retail, automotive, and quick service restaurant brands delivered the strongest OOH performance results.

Retail campaigns recorded median lift levels reaching as high as 25%, demonstrating the effectiveness of outdoor advertising in driving both planned and impulse consumer activity.

The report also revealed how OOH contributes heavily to lower-funnel actions that are often credited to digital channels under last-touch attribution models.

In several large QSR campaigns:

• OOH exposure occurred before search activity 96% of the time
• OOH exposure preceded social engagement 94% of the time

These findings suggest outdoor advertising plays a much larger role in triggering digital discovery and purchase consideration than many attribution systems currently recognize.

OOH Advertising Becomes a Core Performance Channel

The latest research reflects a broader shift in how advertisers evaluate media effectiveness. Traditionally viewed as a top-of-funnel branding tool, OOH is increasingly being measured alongside digital performance channels because of its ability to influence both physical and online consumer behavior.

As brands continue prioritizing measurable outcomes, attribution accuracy, and omnichannel engagement, OOH advertising is emerging as a critical component of modern media strategies.

The study ultimately reinforces a key industry trend: outdoor advertising is no longer just about visibility — it is becoming one of the most measurable and high-performing media channels for driving sustained consumer action across both real-world and digital touchpoints.