Phil Eastwood: Frequency – The Silent Superpower of Out-of-Home

By Phil Eastwood, General Manager, New Zealand, JCDecaux

Despite out-of-home being the last true broadcast channel as I wrote about for Campaign Brief in July, many Kiwi media buyers still undervalue its dual power – reach and frequency.

While the declining reach of traditional TV and radio has been well documented, it’s essential that our industry doesn’t overlook the second part of the equation: frequency.

Building on my last piece about the shifting media landscape, it’s clear that frequency is out-of-home’s superpower. In these competitive and data driven times, some out-of-home operators are increasingly focusing on net reach, often at the expense of frequency.  This approach, whilst seemingly cost-efficient, undermines the true potential of our channel. Brands that plan to low frequencies in out-of-home do so at their own peril.

Frequency: Unlocking the full potential of out-of-home reach.

Reach without frequency is unrealised potential. People are creatures of habit, out-of-home advertising is uniquely positioned to influence audiences repeatedly throughout a campaign. A brief two second reminder here, another nudge towards behaviour change there, this passive, consistent exposure works and without interruption or fatigue.

The Mere Exposure Effect, a well-documented psychological phenomenon, suggests that repeated exposure to a stimulus increases people’s preference for it due to its familiarity: we like and trust the things we see more often because they are familiar. Out-of-home creates this effect naturally with frequency, keeping brands top of mind and influencing consumer choice. This is how brands work – we reach automatically and habitually for the brands we know and trust. Established brands might not need as a high a frequency, but know recency maintains this familiarity and relevance.

This is why JCDecaux’s golden metric is mental availability. More than simple awareness, mental availability is when our client’s brand comes to mind first, this is the holy grail of category ownership and share dominance.  Recency and frequency help ensure a brand remains top of mind even if it is ultimately decided against. In essence, frequency sets the stage: it’s the foundation upon which other marketing levers build to drive sales.

Anyone with a historical memory of TV reach curves knows you now need to pay more for the same reach, even at a frequency of 1. In contrast, out-of-home continues to deliver, building both reach and frequency without additional costs, making it an essential tool in any media mix. This will only increase with urbanisation in metro cities.

Finding the optimal frequency

Determining the optimal frequency for out-of-home is a complex task, influenced by factors such as brand awareness, creative quality and format. While research and industry heuristics often suggest frequencies of seven and three, these ideas, dating back to the 1930s and 1970s, have been largely disproved as rigid benchmarks.

Contemporary studies including those by Kinetic and more recently, JCDecaux UK, indicate that brands should be aiming for a frequency of around ten exposures per creative in a campaign. This comes back to the Mere Exposure Effect or principle – we like and trust the brands we are most familiar with. Likability for creative builds with every frequency up to around 10 or 12. We recommend at least these levels, given most out-of-home exposure in New Zealand are in cars where dwell times are typically lower than in pedestrian settings. A typical JCDecaux Large Format campaign might deliver a frequency, over 2 weeks, of 20 – 30. Within this we’d recommend visually aligned creative, with 2 – 3 creative executions.

In recent times we have seen established brands, such as banks and supermarkets reprioritise  share of voice and mental availability, which frequency delivers. We are also seeing a move to include static billboard sites which ensure consistent and longer-term exposure and higher frequencies.

(BNZ are investing in static billboard sites)

Time with campaign

Another consideration, especially if attempting to compare channels, is time with campaign. If television is optimised for a reach of one^[1] time with campaign is around 60 seconds. Based on JCDecaux’s typical frequency delivered^[2], and assuming an average glance time of 2 – 3 seconds, a similar time with campaign is delivered.

Time with campaign is important because studies show^[3] that it increases recall and brand intent i.e. likelihood to choose, thus creating sales. Every additional frequency keeps the brand top of mind and extends time with campaign.

Size matters. Super charging frequency.

Yes, size matters…when it comes to out-of-home.

Neuroscience studies, both in New Zealand and overseas, show that larger sites create incremental effects for creative ideas, adding ‘emotional horsepower’ to campaigns. Smaller format campaigns should, therefore, aim for higher frequencies to achieve a similar impact. Combining the scale of large, high-quality sites with optimal frequency creates a powerful multiplier effect, significantly enhancing campaign memorability and effectiveness.

Manipulating frequency with JCDecaux

When brands dominate an environment by delivering multiple frequencies within a short time frame, incremental effects are seen. JCDecaux has several roadside locations that can achieve this, whether alone, or alongside other media brands. Pitt Street, in Auckland, is a perfect example, where brands buy the entire intersection and deliver a frequency of five in one hit.

Woolworths recently leveraged this intersection for value messaging and the brand relaunch. For a typical CBD commuter from the South and West, this impactful strategy would have delivered a frequency of at least 10 over a single week period. Add in the high dwell through peak times, you can see how this is a smart way to use out-of-home.

(Woolworths dominated Pitt Street junction Auckland)

JCDecaux Airport is an obvious mechanic to deliver high frequency brand storying telling during one journey, particularly via the digital LCD network. We recommend brands don’t simply run a single creative across this, but evolve the ‘story’ as Kiwis move from arrival to plane and back again.

Another example of brands manipulating frequency is The Warehouse’s 2023 Christmas campaign launch. One December morning, The Warehouse bought all digital rotations on 486 Large Format digital billboards across 13 media suppliers, including JCDecaux, for one hour.

(The Warehouse dominated all digital rotations for a one hour burst)

Frequency: the Silent Superpower

During tough economic times, brands need every advantage to thrive. This is not the moment to reduce frequencies or for suppliers to increase digital rotation counts to cut costs. Instead, large impactful out-of-home campaigns will help brands go the distance. These campaigns work quietly (or not so quietly in some cases) and consistently, building reach and influence every moment they’re alive, ensuring that when consumers are ready to make a decision, your brand is the one they think of first.

In a world where consumer attention is increasingly fragmented, frequency in out-of-home isn’t just an advantage—it’s a necessity. It’s the silent superpower that turns fleeting glances into lasting impressions and casual awareness into brand loyalty. It’s a metric marketing managers should be paying attention to, as much as they do reach.

So, don’t just reach your audience; make sure you’re the brand they can’t forget. The stakes are high, but with the right frequency, the rewards are even higher.

[1] One plus reach, using a 30 or 60 second TVC
[2] For a standard, mid – heavy campaign, of 25 – 30 over a 2 week period
[3] Lumen, as part of JCDecaux Attention x Frequency Study