Road Trips are Trending: Best Marketing Strategies for OOH

Road tripping has been on the rise for the past 4 years. With social distancing remaining essential through the summer, this year we’re seeing more people than ever take to the roads for a summer escape. The OAAA shares supporting research and some anticipated behaviors: 

A Few Statistics on the Popularity of Road Trips

• 78% plan to undertaking a journey by road to reach their summer vacation destinations.
• 62% will use their personal car as their primary mode of vacation transportation, up from 36% last year.
• 54% of summer vacation journeys will be national in nature, traveling over 400 miles roundtrip — with younger demos, A18-34, planning to travel further this year versus last.

So, how can you effectively reach these road trippers through advertising?

From CPG & alcohol, to outdoor apparel and tourism destinations, advertisers can use programmatic out-of-home to tap into road tripping behaviors and get key messaging in front of their target consumers.

Before the trip:

For instance, we know that prior to a road trip, many road trippers take out cash and purchase at least one new outdoor item or emergency/car safety item. To stay top of mind and generate brand or product consideration, brands should deliver messaging on ATM screens, inside big box stores and around key outdoor retailers.

During the trip:

New York Post reports 71% of consumers enjoy eating in the car, and 66% don’t mind stopping for snacks and food. This lets food and beverage brands know they should leverage billboards and gas stations to encourage pit stops, and in-store inventory at convenience stores to influence point-of-purchase decisions. 

Vistar’s newest guide shares data and best practices for marketers across every vertical on how to reach today’s road trippers through programmatic out-of-home.