Why Commuter Traffic is Prime for Billboards

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Every weekday morning and evening, millions of people are rushing from point A to point B, oftentimes following the same commute route. Whether it’s in a car driving on highways, sitting in rush hour traffic, or sitting on a train, commuters represent one of the most valuable audiences for out-of-home (OOH) advertising.

Commuter traffic has long been considered prime advertising territory for billboards and general OOH advertising. Billboards absolutely thrive in these commuter environments and here’s why brands continue to invest in these placements.

Commuters Are Predictable

One of the biggest advantages of commuter traffic is the repetition of it all. Most commuters travel the same routes, on the same days, and at the same times. That means that they repeatedly see the same billboards, often five days a week, week after week.

This consistent exposure allows companies to develop:

  • Brand recognition
  • Message retention
  • Trust and credibility

Unlike digital ads that disappear after a scroll or two, billboards become part of a commuter’s daily world, and even their life. They begin to associate their journey with the iconic landmarks that always see along their way, especially prominent and captivating billboards.

High Dwell Time

Rush-hour traffic is infamous for slowing down everything and creating immense congestion. This is not good for commuters, but highly valuable for advertisers. During peak commuter times, drivers and transit riders spend extended periods of time in their environments, increasing the dwell time and visibility a given message can receive.

Such attention creates valuable locations for billboard placements such as red lights, intersections, and bus station stops, as they are in the natural field of view of commuters. Due to commuter traffic and congestion, those already valuable OOH locations triple in value as exposure times become longer.

Commuter Audiences Are High-Value

Commuter audiences often include:

  • Working professionals
  • Consumers with steady and stable income
  • Locals with purchasing power

These factors make commuters highly beneficial as they are able to be influenced by higher-value messages such as ones for finance, healthcare, real estate, retail, and automotive industries. They have higher spending power and discretionary income, allowing messages to not only be seen, but causing conversion.

Reliable, Valuable, & Never-Ending

Commuter traffic represents one of the most reliable and effective audiences in advertising, particularly OOH advertising. With predictable journey routes, higher dwell times, and increased purchasing power, commuters are the ideal candidates for billboard advertising.