Basis Formula For Calculating Vehicle Advertising Impressions
Mobile Media 101
"What's New With Mobile Media" published by OAAA in Outdoor Outlook November 2005
The difference between 'Mobile Media' and 'Stationary Outdoor' is: All forms of Mobile Media (buses, trucks, taxis, etc.) have ever-changing viewing unuverses. The 'arterial settings' that any vehicle travels through (a vehicle's 'Mode of Operation') is key in determining its value for outdoor advertising use. Every primary category of roadway (arterial setting) has consistently predictable numbers of people (pedestrians and traffic) able to comprehend a vehicular advertising message. By its very description, Mobile Media can infiltrate and saturate geographic target areas... and this formula reasonably explains 'how well'.
Use this formula work sheet to closely appraise quality impressions you will achieve from both vehicles and pedestrians; concluded by Roadmark from many extensive repetitive by-the-minute audience viewing studies we have conducted on various categories of arterial roadways.
The viewer numbers (presented in this formula) were gathered from numerous "alike site locations" around the country considered similar in their respective "arterial setting categories." These published numbers reflect averaged numbers of viewers in each viewing universe (each site location) that were tabulated and then combined from both: DOT site location "vehicle counts" and hundreds of repetitive by-the-minute "pedestrians present counts." They are consistent with study numbers that the TAB concluded (validated) in 1999.Estimate the number of hours your chosen advertising vehicle (or fleet) operates in any particular category setting (peak or off-peak times) and enter the appropriate fields below. The form will provide you with a running total of daily impressions. Entering the number of days per month provides a total number of monthly impressions. The formulas for the chart below are based on the following Roadmark study.
| Rural Interstate | Suburban Interstate |
Urban Interstate |
Secondary Arterial |
City Street Major Market |
City Street Secondary Market |
Stationay Business Metro | |
| Impressions Per Minute / Pedestrians & Vehicles (Understated 10% by Roadmark conservatively for margin of error) | |||||||
| Peak | 31 | 48 | 64 | 85 | 392 | 245 | 55 |
| Off Peak | 23 | 35 | 52 | 68 | 340 | 202 | 44 |
| Impressions Per Hour (Compiled from Roadmark minute counts, listed above) | |||||||
| Peak | 1860 | 2800 | 3840 | 5100 | 23520 | 14700 | 3300 |
| Off Peak | 1380 | 2100 | 3120 | 4080 | 20400 | 12120 | 2640 |
By correlating the number of hours any vehicle (city buses, local or regional trucks, taxis, stage line buses, vans, etc) operates on these primary categories of arterial settings (by either peak or off-peak vehicular and pedestrian traffic times), you can not only estimate a reasonable (validated) average number of monthly impressions, but also appraise any vehicle's advertising value by its differing CPM ranking.
The above formula can be expanded upon, by adding other principal viewing universe categories (as may be helpful to media buyers). Please contact us for more information on our methodology.
For more information, contact Roadmark, Inc. (602) 684-8078