When you invest in vehicle graphics for your fleet, you are hoping that they will advance your brand. From greater name recognition to increased inquiries, everyone in your business has a goal for your vehicle graphics that rely on them being seen. So, how do you track the impressions that these vehicles are bringing in?
Let’s dive into the three ways that you can measure the number of views your vehicles are receiving!
The Traditional Vehicle Graphics Impressions Tracking Method
A tried-and-true way to estimate your vehicle’s earned impressions, the traditional method provides you with an approximate number of impressions your vehicle receives on the road over a certain period of time.
This method is ideal for commercial vehicles that are traveling the same routes consistently, as the estimated number will be very close to the real number. Additionally, the traditional method is quick and easy to calculate, requiring no special GPS data or mobile geolocation.
Here’s what you’ll need to know to calculate your impressions through this method:
- Route Coverage: This is the number of hours per day that your vehicle is on a specific route, turned into a percentage of the full day. For example, if your vehicle is on the road for 12 hours, the route coverage would be 50%, because 12 hours is half of the 24 hours in a day.
- One drawback of this method of tracking is that the number of impressions is estimated based on a specific route and that routes average traffic. So, if your vehicles are traveling along multiple routes per day, your impressions may be miscalculated.
- Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT): This is the average number of vehicles passing a specific point on the road, per day. This data can be sourced from the Federal Highway Administration or your local or state Department of Transportation. For this example, we used data from Ohio’s Traffic Viewer.
- Number of Days: The number of days your vehicle is running in a month.
- Viewership Factor: A multiplier to account for the number of people per vehicle. According to the 2022 National Household Travel Survey, the average number for all vehicles is 1.5 persons.
Here’s an example calculation:
- For a truck that travels on a route with an AADT of 30,000 vehicles.
- The truck covers 6 hours per day on that route (25% of the day).
- The truck operates 25 days per month.
- The viewership factor is 1.5.
(30,000 x 25%) x 25 x1.5 = 281,250 impressions per month for this vehicle on that route.
The GPS Method for Impressions Tracking
A bit more precise than the traditional method, GPS impression tracking includes layering travel data with zone specific data based on the amount of time the vehicle spends there. This type of impression reporting is common for OOH advertising in 2024 but is harder to implement and manage as an independent fleet.
In order to use the GPS method to track the number of impressions your vehicle wrap is receiving, you will need:
- GPS data of where your target vehicle is traveling.
- Impression Zone Segments: The route your vehicle takes needs to be divided into segments or “impression zones.” Each of these zones corresponds to a specific area on the route with known traffic volumes.
- Segment AADT: The number of vehicles in each zone, per day.
- Viewership Factor: The same as the traditional method, the number of people per vehicle.
- Exposure Time: The duration for which the vehicle is visible to other drivers and pedestrians, considering speed, distance, and any obstructions.
- Days on the Route
In order to use the GPS method to track the number of impressions your vehicle wrap is receiving, you will need:
- A truck’s GPS records its route as it travels through Los Angeles, covering key zones like Hollywood, and major highways I-405 and I-10. Their respective AADT’s are 350,000 vehicles per day, 100,000 vehicles per day, and 50,000 vehicles per day.
- The truck covers 6 hours per zone, per day, or 25%.
- The truck operates 25 days per month.
- The viewership factor is 1.5.
((350,000 x 25%) + (100,000 x 25%) + (50,000 x 25%)) x 25 x 1.5 = 4,687,500 estimated impressions per month
The Mobile Geolocation + GPS Method of Impression Tracking
The final method of impression tracking is the mobile geolocation and GPS tracking method. This method takes the GPS travel data and pairs it with known mobile device location data around the vehicle at its time of travel. It is important to note that this method of tracking is tedious and is not yet standardized across agencies and providers. However, this method is growing in popularity as many advertising groups begin to offer remarketing campaigns to IP addresses in the areas where your vehicles pass through.
Because this method relies on a large amount of location and mobile device data, it cannot be calculated based on estimates. This method is typically provided through a third-party service such as StreetMetrics or Geopath, or other marketing agencies, and is meant for organizations looking to target those living and working in the areas in which their vehicle graphics travel through.
The Value of Tracking Your Vehicle Graphics Impressions
Now you know how to track the impressions your vehicles are receiving, but what’s the value of those impressions?
The value lies in the actionable data provided. You now have a clear understanding of just how many people are seeing your fleet, and you can directly correlate the visibility of your brand with other key performance indicators such as inquiries, sales, and customer engagement.
Here are just a few reasons why tracking vehicle impressions is valuable:
- Allows for informed decision-making: You now know which routes are most effective in reaching your audience, and you can decide which vehicles are on those routes to control the message they receive.
- Justifies your investment: Being able to quantify the reach of your vehicle graphics helps justify the investment in them. When you can show how many eyeballs are on your brand, it becomes easier to demonstrate a positive return on investment to stakeholders.
- Refines your marketing strategy: Tracking impressions and knowing where your vehicles generate the most interest allows you to refine your overall marketing and advertising strategy. Whether that’s rerouting vehicles to put your most important message in the most popular area or changing up your messaging on your graphics to fit the audience in the location, tracking your vehicle graphics impressions allows you to elevate your marketing.
Let's Elevate Your Fleet Graphics Impressions Tracking
If you currently have a fleet with vehicle graphics, tracking impressions can be a great tangible way to know if your investment is paying off. And if your fleet vehicles are blank or covered in out-of-date messaging, these impressions serve as a reminder of all of the advertising opportunities you’re missing out on! If that’s the case for you, connect with our team here at Advertising Vehicles, and let’s make sure that your impressions aren’t wasted.
