What are OTS and GRP in outdoor advertising

When choosing a location for placing outdoor advertising, it is important to understand not only the physical location of the structure but also the real potential for contact with the audience. In modern conditions, digital advertising operates in a highly competitive environment, so every decision must rely on clear indicators. For this purpose, two basic metrics are used — OTS and GRP.

These indicators make it possible to convert overall pedestrian or vehicular traffic into measurable values. They help assess the scale of brand presence, the intensity of contact, and the feasibility of investments in specific digital advertising spaces. Without these indicators, media planning turns into assumptions rather than calculations.

What OTS shows

OTS (Opportunity To See) is the number of potential contacts with an advertisement over a certain period, most often per day. In fact, this is the number of possible views of an advertising message by people who walk or drive past the structure. The indicator is usually measured in thousands of contacts.

The OTS calculation is based on traffic intensity — the number of vehicles and pedestrians within the visibility zone of the advertising medium. Then an adjustment coefficient is applied, which takes into account the viewing angle, distance from the road, lighting, traffic speed, the presence of obstacles, and the format of the medium. If LED billboards are used, the screen brightness and the duration of the ad rotation are additionally evaluated.

In modern conditions, Wi-Fi audience measurement is increasingly being used. Special sensors capture anonymous smartphone signals within the placement radius of the structure. This makes it possible to more accurately assess the actual traffic volume and minimize the error that previously occurred with manual counts.

For an advertiser, OTS is important for several reasons. First, it allows comparison of different locations with each other. Second, it makes it possible to evaluate the potential scale of reach even before launching a campaign. Third, it helps distribute the budget more reasonably among media with different levels of footfall.

At the same time, a high OTS does not always mean high sales effectiveness. A location with a lower indicator may turn out to be more effective if it is located close to the target audience. That is why measuring DOOH effectiveness is not limited to the number of contacts alone but requires comprehensive analysis.

What GRP means

GRP (Gross Rating Point) is the percentage share of the adult population of a city that has potentially seen the advertisement. Unlike OTS, which demonstrates the absolute number of contacts, GRP shows the relative share of reach within a specific locality.

The calculation formula is simple: the daily OTS is divided by the number of city residents aged 18+ and multiplied by 100. In this way, it is determined what percentage of the adult population theoretically contacted the advertising message during the day. The final indicator takes into account both primary and repeated contacts, therefore the total GRP over a week or a month may exceed 100%.

GRP allows comparison of placement effectiveness in cities of different scales. For example, the same number of contacts in a metropolis and in a small city will have different “weight” from the point of view of population reach. This is especially important for national campaigns, where digital advertising spaces are used in several regions simultaneously.

In addition, GRP helps assess the intensity of brand presence in the market, calculate the cost of one rating point, and form a balanced placement strategy. In combination with data collection and analysis of customer behavior, this indicator becomes the basis for a deeper understanding of the real impact of a campaign.

GRP is particularly indicative in tourist or seasonal regions, where the actual audience changes throughout the year. In such cases, the accuracy of calculations directly depends on the relevance of statistical data and the correct determination of the size of the target group.

The role of DOOH SSP in the modern ecosystem of digital outdoor advertising

The emergence of automated platforms has fundamentally changed the logic of working with inventory in outdoor advertising. If previously placements were agreed manually, with fixed terms and static budgets, today programmatic DOOH allows impressions to be purchased in real time, taking into account the audience, time of day, and behavioral factors.

At the center of this model is an SSP for DOOH — a platform that aggregates digital media, manages inventory availability, and transfers data into the programmatic buying ecosystem. It ensures transparency, frequency control, and the possibility of flexible pricing depending on demand.

Main capabilities of an SSP platform:

– centralized management of a screen network in different regions

 automatic regulation of inventory availability depending on load

– real-time transfer of impression statistics

– optimization of media owners’ revenue through an auction-based sales model

– frequency control to avoid audience “overheating”

As a result, screen owners receive a monetization tool, and brands receive precise mechanisms for reach management. The platform acts not just as a technical intermediary, but as a strategic element of media planning.

How technologies change the approach to planning

Traditional outdoor advertising planning was built around location and projected traffic. Today, the focus is shifting to the audience and contact scenarios. It is technologies that make it possible to move from “placement location” to “quality of contact.”

Within the programmatic ecosystem, campaigns can be launched depending on weather conditions, rush hours, events in the city, or behavioral patterns. This approach creates more relevant contact with the consumer and opens opportunities for more precise segmentation.

An important role in this is played by contextual DOOH advertising. It allows creatives to be adapted to a specific situation — for example, changing messages during peak footfall hours or broadcasting different offers on weekdays and weekends. This increases the relevance of communication and reduces information overload for the audience.

The technological infrastructure also includes equipment on the media owner’s side. A stable player for digital signage ensures uninterrupted content playback, synchronization with the server, and prompt updating of creatives. Without a reliable hardware and software layer, even the most modern strategy will not be able to be implemented in practice.

In addition, automated systems make it possible to analyze results in near real time. Planning becomes a cyclical process: launch — data collection — adjustment — optimization. Such a model significantly increases budget efficiency and reduces the risks of ineffective placements.

Strategic effect for brands and retail

The integration of programmatic solutions into outdoor advertising changes not only the purchasing mechanics but also the business processes of companies. Campaigns become more flexible, the speed of response to the market increases, and analytics turns into the basis for decision-making.

For retail and service businesses, this means not only media plan optimization but also improved customer service. Thanks to adaptive messages and relevant offers, the consumer receives relevant information precisely at the moment of decision-making.

Thus, programmatic DOOH forms a new planning model that combines technologies, data, and flexible inventory management. This transforms outdoor advertising from a mass-reach tool into a controllable channel with measurable effectiveness and strategic value for the brand.

There is another important technology — DSP. If SSP operates on the inventory owner’s side, DSP functions on the advertiser’s or agency’s side. It is through this platform that advertising impressions are purchased in the programmatic environment, budgets are managed, and campaign parameters are configured. DSP makes it possible to work centrally with different channels, including Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) and video advertising, combining them into a single media strategy.

What is DSP

DSP (Demand-Side Platform) is a technological platform that enables an advertiser to automatically purchase advertising inventory across various digital channels through an auction model. It analyzes available impressions, audience parameters, placement costs, and makes decisions about participating in bidding in real time.

The main feature of a DSP is that it works with data. The platform evaluates whether a specific impression matches the defined criteria: geography, time of day, contact frequency, audience type. Based on these parameters, the system automatically determines the bid and ensures optimal budget utilization.

Key capabilities of DSP:

– centralized campaign management across different channels

– flexible configuration of audience segments

– real-time control of budgets and bids

– performance analytics and placement optimization

The role of DOOH DSP

In the DOOH segment, the importance of DSP significantly increases. The platform allows the advertiser to work not only with locations but also with specific contact scenarios: rush hours, weather conditions, audience behavioral patterns. This changes the very approach to campaign planning in the outdoor environment.

DSP for DOOH ensures the integration of digital screens into the programmatic ecosystem. The advertiser gains access to screen networks through a single interface, can quickly change campaign parameters, and reallocate the budget depending on results.

It is especially important that DSP combines DOOH with other formats within Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) and video advertising. This creates an omnichannel communication model, where the outdoor screen reinforces the online contact or vice versa. Such synergy increases brand recognition frequency and the effectiveness of the overall strategy.

How the metrics work together

OTS and GRP are not competitors, but complementary tools for evaluating effectiveness. The first answers the question “how many contacts potentially occurred,” the second — “what share of the city’s audience was reached.” Together they form a complete picture of campaign performance, especially when it comes to networked screens and programmatic buying.

In the conditions of the modern market, where software for DOOH networks is used, both metrics are integrated into a single analytical logic. On the inventory side, an SSP for DOOH collects data on slot availability, actual impressions, and placement parameters. On the advertiser’s side, a DSP for DOOH helps manage bids, contact frequency, and campaign settings so that the necessary impressions are purchased exactly when they deliver maximum effect.

Combinations of indicators can be interpreted as follows:

– High OTS + low GRP — an effective spot in a large city, but a broader network of media is needed for mass reach.

– Moderate OTS + high GRP — a strong location in a small city or in a zone of target audience concentration.

– Stable OTS + growing GRP — gradual accumulation of brand recognition due to regular contacts.

In practice, it is important to look at these metrics not in isolation, but as part of the technological infrastructure. A centralized video management system allows control over campaign execution on each screen, tracking deviations, and synchronizing content across the network. This creates a transparent chain: impression — contact — reach — analytics, which is important for both the operator and the advertiser.

A separate role is played by real-time content management. When a campaign is connected to the programmatic ecosystem, creatives can be quickly changed according to the situation: strengthening messages during peak hours, adjusting frequency during traffic decline periods, or adapting content to the location context. This increases contact relevance and improves the quality of advertising perception.

From the point of view of audience impact, an important advantage becomes the visualization of offers and promotions. Dynamic content attracts attention better, allows the benefit to be communicated quickly, and encourages action. In combination with OTS and GRP indicators, this provides not only “how many saw it,” but also an understanding of when and where the message works best.

Thus, OTS and GRP remain basic but practical metrics. And in combination with SSP for DOOH, DSP for DOOH, and technological network management systems, they turn into a tool for real effectiveness management: from planning to campaign adjustment and budget optimization by more than 50% thanks to automation and inventory purchasing through a single supply.

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!