Billboard Terms, Made Simple.
From bulletins to POP, here’s the language of outdoor advertising in plain English.
AOR (Agency of Record)
The agency officially authorized to plan, negotiate and buy media on a brand’s behalf. Bray acts as AOR for clients who want one team managing every vendor.
Bulletin
The largest standard billboard, usually 14′ x 48′. Found on freeways and major roads for maximum reach.
Bus Bench
An ad panel on a bus stop bench at street level, great for neighborhood and walk-by visibility.
CPM (Cost Per Thousand)
The cost to reach 1,000 impressions. A simple way to compare billboards with other media.
Creative
The artwork and message on your billboard. The best billboard creative is readable in about 5 seconds.
Digital Billboard
An LED screen that rotates several advertisers in a loop. Ads can be changed quickly with no printing cost.
DMA (Designated Market Area)
A geographic region used to define a media market, such as Los Angeles or Dallas–Fort Worth.
Flight
The run dates of a campaign, from the first posting day to the last.
Four-Week Period
The standard billing unit for billboards. There are 13 four-week periods in a year.
Geopath
The industry’s audience measurement system, used to estimate how many people see a billboard.
Illuminated
A board with lights so it can be seen at night. Lit boards typically cost more than unlit ones.
Impressions
The estimated number of times people see an ad. Billboards are often measured in weekly impressions.
Junior Poster
A smaller billboard, about 6′ x 12′, usually placed on local streets and in neighborhoods.
Left-Hand Read (LHR)
A billboard on the left side of the road as you drive toward it, read across oncoming lanes.
Loop
The rotation of ads on a digital billboard. Each ad, or spot, appears for a few seconds before the next one.
Makegood
A free replacement or extension a vendor provides if your ad didn’t run as promised, such as a damaged vinyl or an unlit board.
Mobile Billboard
A truck carrying billboard panels that drives a planned route or parks at events.
OOH (Out-of-Home)
Any advertising people see outside their homes: billboards, transit, benches, airports, venues and more.
Permit
Government approval required to build or operate a billboard. Permits are a key part of billboard investing and management.
POP (Proof of Performance)
Photos or video showing your ad posted and running. Bray often includes drone photos.
Poster
A mid-size billboard, about 10′ x 22′ to 12′ x 25′, common on arterial roads.
Production
Printing and installing a static billboard vinyl. Usually a one-time charge per design.
Reach & Frequency
Reach is how many different people see your ad; frequency is how often each person sees it.
Right-Hand Read (RHR)
A billboard on the right side of the road as you drive toward it. Often easier to see and priced higher.
Rotary
A billboard program where your ad moves between locations over time to reach more of a market.
Spot
One ad slot in a digital billboard’s loop.
Static Billboard
A traditional printed billboard. The ad stays up for the whole flight.
Transit Advertising
Ads on or in buses, trains, shelters and stations.
Vanity Number
A memorable phone number, such as 1-800-WIN-CASE, that is easy to recall at highway speed.
Vinyl
The printed material stretched across a static billboard. Vinyls can sometimes be stored and reposted later.
Wallscape
A large ad painted or mounted on the side of a building, common in dense urban areas like Los Angeles and New York.
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