1. A reference guide to help understand the latest
tools and techniques for better planning
your outdoor advertising campaigns
INTERMAP.COM
The 7 Tools Everyone in Outdoor
Advertising Should Be Using
Written by Larry Malloy
Answers Now™

2. Answers Now™
Table of Contents
Introduction – 2
Key Elements in Outdoor Advertising Planning – 3
The “Holy Grail” of Outdoor Advertising Planning – 6
About the Author – 7
INTERMAP.COM
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3. Answers Now™
The 7 Tools Everyone in Outdoor
Advertising Should Be Using
INTRODUCTION
Outdoor advertising has seen many changes over the last 5-10 years
and its importance during this time has exploded in popularity due to
some of the many advantages over other forms of advertising media.
Where else can your content be experienced 24 hours a day, seven days
a week, delivering focused messaging without distractions from sur-
rounding content, or programming that delivers a different message?
In the past, outdoor advertising was primarily thought of as billboards.
But today, it contains a dynamic mix of billboards, digital displays, cin-
ema, transit street furniture, and other forms of location-based media.
In fact, estimates commonly identify nearly 50 variations in outdoor
advertising.
When combined with other types of advertising, outdoor advertising is
proven to build brand awareness, extend reach, magnify an advertising
campaign, and engage the target market – both in stores and online.
To gauge how well you are currently planning your outdoor
advertising locations, ask yourself the following questions:
How do you select the best outdoor location(s) and
media type(s) for your clients?
How long does it take?
How much thought goes into your selection??
Choosing the right media and locations can dramatically improve
results, help you land more clients, and provide the competitive edge
you need over other advertising agencies.
Here are 7 tools and technologies you can use to choose the right
outdoor location for greatest impact.
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New technologies
have turned one
of the oldest
advertising mediums
into one of the most cost
effective, high-impact
advertising mediums
available.
Monique Reece-Myron
Denver Business Journal

4. Answers Now™
The 7 Tools Everyone in Outdoor
Advertising Should Be Using
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Key Elements in Outdoor Advertising Planning
Mapping Software
Mapping software has become a critical tool to aid agencies in the outdoor media selection process. Here are key
features when selecting the right mapping software.
Points of Interest
In selecting the right outdoor media location, clients may
want a location within or outside a designated radius
of a point of interest such as a church, school, or retail
business (e.g. a pharmacy, grocery store, or department
store). For example: a donut shop owner might want
a location within five blocks of a Starbucks. Access to
mapping software that allows you to quickly pinpoint
these points of interest can make your outdoor selection
process quick and easy.
Custom Icons
The ability to leverage custom icons that use shapes
and colors will allow you to present your recommended
campaign in a professional and visually appealing
manner.
ZIP Codes
Demographic data is available by ZIP code. It’s intuitive,
and allows you to quickly narrow your market search.
Traffic Routes
Traffic routes tell you the volume passing by specific
locations. Knowing these routes, allows you to select high
traffic locations for your target demographics.
Legends
Legends help you and your clients quickly identify
and distinguish between media locations, types, and
different points of interest within a map. Shape and color
codes create a professional and visually stimulating
presentation.
Exposure Calculator
An outdoor media location will have little impact if
buildings and trees obscure too much of the viewer’s
line of sight. An effective exposure calculator takes into
account elevation data, traffic speed, and field of view. It
should contain an algorithm providing you with the zone
of visibility for each location. This data is very helpful in
understanding how long outdoor media is viewable.
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5. Traffic and Congestion Data
Traffic speed and congestion data determines how long a target customer is exposed to a particular outdoor
advertisement. A high speed location with a short zone of visibility will not produce the same results as a highly
congested, slow speed location, with a long zone of visibility. The more exposure an ad has, the more influence it has.
TAB Data or Impression Data
Traffic Audit Bureau, or TAB, is an industry organization that
provides valuable ratings, reach, and frequency data of outdoor
media in the United States. Reach and frequency data are based
on demographics, while ratings are based on people passing and
noticing ads of the OOH inventory. This data is independently
audited, and therefore not biased or influenced by marketing hype.
Pre-Ride Data
Knowing the demographics surrounding an outdoor location
provides valuable insight into who views an outdoor media on
their daily commute or errand run.
Post Ride Data
Knowing where your target demographic group goes after they
leave their home should affect your outdoor media location
selection, and can dramatically affect the effectiveness of your
outdoor advertising campaigns.
Answers Now™
The 7 Tools Everyone in Outdoor
Advertising Should Be Using
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The 7 Tools Everyone in Outdoor
Advertising Should Be Using
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“Knowing the demographics of people living and working around
a designated location provides valuable insight into who passes
by a billboard or other outdoor media.”
Google Street View
Google Street View allows advertising agencies
to check select locations for obstacles, like
buildings and trees that may obstruct a person’s
view of billboards and therefore limiting
exposure.
Demographic Data
Knowing the demographics of the people living
and working around a designated location
provides valuable insight into who might pass by
your outdoor ad. This awareness leads to better
location selection, and ultimately, improved
results for you and your clients. Common
demographic geographies include ZIP Codes,
Counties, Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSA),
and Designated Marketing Areas (DMA). Having
accurate demographic data ensures optimal
outdoor location selection based on your client’s
target market.
There are many variables that go into the best outdoor advertising plan.
Each one alone tells you something, but when they’re all put together
it’s like a symphony playing a concerto.

7. Answers Now™
The 7 Tools Everyone in Outdoor
Advertising Should Be Using
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Challenges in delivering outdoor advertising campaigns
can be encountered at virtually every stage planning.
There are many data sources that provide clues to
the most advantageous locations for specific target
messaging and target market penetration.
The over-arching theme linked to these challenges is the
manual process many must go through in their journey to
find the best billboard.
The “Holy Grail” of outdoor advertising is finding software
that provides the least manual effort while also providing
most or all of the seven tools showcased in section 1.
Here’s how the right technology can benefit you:
Save Time
The right software will help your team quickly identify the
best outdoor locations based on client requirements. It
will also help you present your proposed campaign in a
professional manner.
Save Money
Time is money. The faster you select the right outdoor
locations, the more time your team has to work on the
client presentation, and the more campaigns your team
can manage at once.
Competitive Edge
Having the right technology and data at your fingertips
will showcase your expertise, demonstrate that you
have done your homework, and set you apart from the
competition.
Builds Client Trust
Access to advanced technology and accurate data will
build trust with your clients, leading to improved customer
satisfaction, repeat business and customer referrals.
Results
The ability to leverage the right technology will drive
bottom line results for both you and your client.
The “Holy Grail” of Outdoor Advertising Planning
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8. Answers Now™
The 7 Tools Everyone in Outdoor
Advertising Should Be Using
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About The Author
Larry Malloy is the AdPro®
Product Manager at Intermap Technologies, Inc. and has over
20 years of experience in the Product Management and Marketing fields,
specializing in the delivery of SaaS solutions and platforms.
About Intermap
WWW.INTERMAP.COM
Intermap Technologies®
is a global geospatial solutions leader focused on improving
the ways in which people, businesses, and governments use location-based information.
Through the creation of the Orion Platform™
, the industry’s first software-driven spatial
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governments solve their geospatial challenges.
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. All rights reserved.