The technical parameters of the structure — size, display side, lighting — create only a basic understanding. Location data, such as traffic flow and the surrounding infrastructure, complement the picture but do not provide a full assessment of the audience.

That is why special metrics OTS and GRP are used in marketing analytics. They make it possible to determine the potential volume of contacts and the impact of the advertisement on the target group. For modern, dynamic DOOH formats, these indicators can be supplemented with technologies such as Wi-Fi audience measurement, which makes the evaluation even more accurate.

The main reasons why these metrics are important:

– the marketer can compare different locations with each other based on real numbers

– the indicators help forecast the effectiveness of the campaign and optimize the budget

– OTS/GRP make it possible to evaluate the strength of the reach and the intensity of the impact on the audience

What OTS is

OTS (Opportunity To See) is a key indicator that shows how many people could potentially see the advertising message. It is displayed in thousands of contacts and shows the maximum possible amount of attention to the advertising surface.

In classic outdoor advertising, OTS is formed on the basis of traffic, the intensity of movement of people or cars, and the visibility of the structure. This indicator does not guarantee that every person actually looked at the advertisement — it only reflects the potential of the medium. It is similar to “views” in online advertising, where the possibility of contact is also taken into account, not the fact of interaction.

In modern DOOH networks this approach can be expanded through data collection and analysis of customer behavior. For example, systems can take into account peak hours, directions of people’s movement, or even the average speed of passing by the screen. Such data makes it possible to calculate actual points of contact more accurately.

Sometimes OTS is adjusted thanks to automated platforms in which high-precision software for DOOH operates. It can combine traffic statistics, sensor signals, mobile data, and other sources, creating a plausible model of contact with a billboard or screen.

Why can the OTS of different sides of the same structure differ?

In an urban environment, OTS is rarely the same on both sides of a structure. The differences are influenced by traffic flows, directions of movement, vehicle speed, and the number of people who naturally concentrate in certain areas. Because of this, one side of a billboard can consistently receive more contacts, while the other remains less effective.

Sometimes the difference is explained by behavioral patterns of people. For example, pedestrians stop at crossings or near bus stops, which increases the duration of contact exactly from a certain angle. In digital structures of DOOH networks, such non-uniformities become even more noticeable, since dynamic content is tied to real flows and peak hours.

Another factor is urban planning. The presence of road curves, complex intersections, or buildings located along the way can increase or, on the contrary, reduce the visibility of the advertising field.

What is OTS needed for?

OTS is one of the main tools for assessing potential contact with advertising. It helps build a logical media plan, find effective locations, and optimize the budget.

What main tasks does OTS solve?

1. Comparing different locations. If two structures have different visibility conditions, OTS helps understand which of them has higher advertising potential.

2. Assessing the reach of the target audience. A marketer can predict what share of potential customers will see the message during the campaign.

3. Optimizing expenses. Advertisers often choose structures with the most advantageous ratio of “contact / placement price”.

4. Building brand image. High OTS makes it possible to achieve broad reach even in situations where direct sales are not the main goal.

It is worth considering that high OTS does not guarantee sales. A campaign may reach a large audience, but quality conversions sometimes come from less “loud” locations where a narrow but target group is concentrated. This is clearly noticeable in Programmatic DOOH models, where algorithms select the most relevant time slots for displays.

How is OTS calculated?

In outdoor advertising, OTS is expressed in thousands of contacts per day and is formed on the basis of the real flow of people near the structure. The formula is simple:

OTS = Traffic × Reduction index

Traffic includes all people who pass or drive past the advertising medium in a certain period. It changes during the day, week, or season, which makes it possible to create different evaluation scenarios.

The reduction index takes into account viewing conditions: angle of visibility, installation height, lighting, audience movement speed, the presence of obstacles, and competing media.

Ten to fifteen years ago, traffic was counted manually. Today, measurement happens automatically — digital structures integrated into a central video management system can record information about audience movement using Wi-Fi tracking and synchronize it with content displays.

In modern campaigns, OTS is supplemented by systems that operate through screen software. They take into account time slots, lighting conditions, and audience behavioral patterns. In a pDOOH environment such data becomes the basis for correct distribution of impressions.

Additional indicators

During the analysis of an advertising campaign, OTS is almost always used together with auxiliary metrics that expand the picture:

– Reach. The percentage of people from the target audience who saw the advertisement at least once.

– Frequency. The average number of displays per one person.

– Duration of contact. The time during which the advertisement remains in the audience’s field of view.

Such data makes it possible to draw more accurate conclusions about the effectiveness of the campaign. In the case of digital solutions and a player for digital signages, these indicators can be adjusted automatically, ensuring flexible optimization in real time.

GRP — what is it and why is it important in outdoor advertising?

GRP (Gross Rating Point) is an indicator that reflects the overall strength of the influence of an advertising campaign on the target audience. It measures how massively people encountered the advertising message, meaning it shows the total volume of contacts, including repeated views.

In the sphere of Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) and video advertising, GRP helps evaluate not just the potential of the structure but also the actual interaction of the audience with the content during the entire period of placement. This parameter is critically important for determining the real strength of reach and understanding how much the advertising medium influences people’s behavior.

GRP is often used on screens and modern LED billboards, where dynamic content is displayed in high cycles and the audience reach changes depending on the time of day and the intensity of movement.

What is GRP needed for in outdoor advertising?

GRP makes it possible to assess the effectiveness of a campaign in terms of the massiveness of contacts. It helps marketers understand how influential the advertising medium is in a specific location.

Main tasks of GRP:

1. Assessing the share of the target audience. The indicator makes it possible to determine what portion of people from the needed segment could see the advertisement at least once.

2. Comparing advertising media. Marketers use GRP to compare different surfaces and determine the most effective placement points.

3. Optimizing expenses. The budget is planned in such a way as to obtain the maximum GRP with minimum investments — this is an important principle of effective digital advertising.

4. Building placement strategies. The indicator helps understand where the advertisement works better and where the message needs to be strengthened or the display frequency increased.

GRP is especially important in formats where dynamic content and personalization of offers for clients are actively used, because it makes it possible to see how the reach changes depending on context and time.

How is GRP calculated?

In outdoor advertising, the GRP formula is quite simple:

GRP = (OTS / city population 18+) × 100%

OTS shows the potential number of contacts with the advertisement, and GRP converts these numbers into an understandable marketing rating that makes it possible to correctly compare different campaigns and media carriers.

This approach is especially relevant for modern systems that operate through software for LED screens, where OTS can take into account several levels of behavioral and location data simultaneously.

Who calculates OTS and GRP, and how?

During the preparation of analytics for advertising campaigns, marketers in leading Western companies such as JCDecaux, Clear Channel, oOh!media use specialized data providers. Their systems can combine mobile analytics, GPS traffic, audience behavior models, and information about the visibility of structures.

In the environment of digital screens, an important role is played by technologies based on DOOH Display Solutions, which synchronize displays based on the real demand of the audience. The data is sent to automation systems where the optimization of frequency and reach takes place.

Additionally, in programmatic ecosystems, tools such as the Supply-Side Platform operate, helping media owners manage their inventories and transmit data about displays in real time.

For large-scale networks where each advertising screen can have thousands of unique views per day, the accuracy of calculating OTS and GRP is ensured by a combination of sensors, geo-analytics, and automated platforms.

Such an approach forms the foundation for the modern DOOH market, where data and technologies have become the basis for predictable campaigns and transparent evaluations of effectiveness.

OTS shows how many potential contacts the advertisement can receive, and GRP helps understand how strongly this campaign influenced the target audience. Together these metrics provide a transparent picture of effectiveness: how many people could see the advertisement, with what intensity, and whether the investments were justified.

It is exactly on the connection OTS + GRP that modern planning of outdoor and DOOH advertising is built, when brands need not just “to run videos” but to precisely control the result.


Advision is a content management system for remote control, media planning of video and audio content broadcasting, and a supply-side platform for monetising advertising time. We also implement a Wi-Fi tracking system to measure quantitative indicators of the advertising audience.

We help Digital Signage owners and DOOH advertising operators earn money from advertising, automate work processes, and build a reliable media infrastructure using AdTech and MarTech software solutions.

Contact us if you want to increase your profits and implement the latest technologies to solve your problems!