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PerformanceTerm

OTS

Opportunity To See · ots · number of contacts with advertising

OTS is the number of possible contacts with advertising over a period: how many times it will theoretically come into people’s field of view.

OTS - Opportunity To See, the number of opportunities to see advertising. For an outdoor structure, this is a function of pedestrian and vehicular traffic on the site; for radio, it is a function of the station’s audience and the number of video outputs.

The word “opportunity” is key here. OTS doesn't say that an ad was seen: it says how many times a person physically happened to be where the ad was. Some of these contacts will not take place - the person looked at the phone, drove in another lane, changed the station.

Practical value of OTS in comparison. Two switchboards with the same rental price and different OTS are instantly compared: the one with twice as many contacts is half the price per contact. Without this number, the choice of design comes down to which one looks more beautiful on the map.

Like GRP, OTS is taken from the design passport of the outdoor advertising operator or from the site’s media kit. An independently calculated OTS does not have the force of an argument in a conversation with the customer.

Frequently asked questions about OTS

What is OTS in advertising?+
The number of possible contacts with advertising over a period: how many times it will theoretically come to people’s attention. For a switchboard, this depends on the traffic on the site; for radio, it depends on the station’s audience and the number of outputs.
Where can I get OTS for a structure?+
In the design passport of the outdoor advertising operator. This data is requested, and not calculated independently: it is on them that the comparison of surfaces and the rationale for choice are based.
How to use OTS when choosing a site?+
Divide the placement price by OTS to get the cost of one contact. Then the sites are compared by this value, and not by price: an expensive structure with a lot of traffic often turns out to be more profitable than a cheap one on a back street.

Related terms

Where is it understood in practice?

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