Planning a DOOH campaign: reach, frequency and spot length

A DOOH campaign is booked quickly, and fizzles out just as quickly if the basic figures are wrong. Clients usually ask us first about locations. The better first question is: how many people should see the spot, how often, and in what period?

How does a booking in the network work?

Every screen plays a loop, that is a fixed sequence of spots. A typical loop lasts 100 to 120 seconds and contains 10 to 12 slots of 10 seconds each. Your spot then runs 30 to 36 times an hour. At 14 operating hours that is over 400 plays a day, per screen. You book a slot in the loop for a number of locations and a period; anyone who takes two slots doubles the visibility.

Reach, contacts and frequency

Three terms that appear in every offer:

In the gym the same person comes two to three times a week and stays an hour. Frequency is therefore high, net reach per location limited. At a railway station it is the other way round. For awareness you need reach; for an action such as a trial session, a voucher or a visit, frequency. A rule of thumb from practice: below three contacts per person little sticks; above ten in two weeks it becomes annoying.

How long should a spot be?

Six to ten seconds. A glance at a screen rarely lasts longer than three seconds, so the message must be in the first frame: logo, one sentence, one image. Movement draws the eye; there is no sound at most locations. Two to three variants in alternation keep the campaign fresh for weeks.

How long should the campaign run?

Two weeks are the minimum for frequency to take effect. Four to six weeks are the usual frame for local providers, with a change of creative halfway through.

Programmatic booking and triggers

More and more surfaces can be booked programmatically: you define target group, times of day, location types and budget, and the system fills free slots automatically. Triggers are interesting: the spot for iced coffee only runs from 25 degrees, the winter tyre promotion only with a snow warning, the lunch menu between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. In our network we couple such rules with weather data and the locations' opening hours.

How is it measured?

The basis is the playout report, also called proof of play: it documents when and where the spot actually ran. For contacts there are frequency figures per location, in Switzerland for outdoor advertising according to the Swiss Poster Research Plus standard. You measure the effect yourself: your own QR code or action word in the spot, a dedicated landing page, a voucher shown only there. That way you see after two weeks whether the campaign is carrying.

What a campaign costs

The calculation depends on the number of locations, the run time, the share in the loop and the chosen times of day. The spot itself is the smaller item if imagery exists. We prepare a media plan with contacts and frequency per location group so that you can compare. Terms on request.

In practice: Atupri, CSS and Swissmilk

Campaigns in our network show what this looks like day to day. CSS runs nationwide with «Du stärkst deinen Bizeps.» (you build your biceps) on screens in gyms, right between the weight machines, the counter and the entrance. Atupri relies on two tongue-in-cheek sports designs in gyms and padel halls, while Swissmilk rotates several designs featuring its well-known cow. What they all share: message and place fit together, and the target group sees the spot again on every visit.

CSS reference · Atupri reference · Swissmilk reference

Conclusion

Reach and frequency first, then locations, then the spot. Anyone who plans this way knows before booking what the campaign should achieve, and afterwards whether it did. We are happy to show you the locations of our network in your region and calculate the plan for your goal.