59% of Americans Will Travel This Holiday Season, With Personal Vehicles & Flights Preferred for Transportation – Creating Strong Opportunities for OOH Advertising

Consumers Report Noticing Out of Home Advertising Nearly 50% More During Day-to-Day Travel & Extended Trips, According to OAAA-Harris Poll Research

WASHINGTON D.C. (September 29, 2022) – This holiday season, nearly 6 in 10 Americans (59%) plan to travel, and personal vehicles (64%) and planes (48%) are the preferred modes of transportation. These journeys hold great promise for the OOH advertising industry, with consumers saying that out of home ads are catching their attention during daily travel and special occasion trips more than just a year ago (+49% & +45%, respectively).

These are just a few of the key findings in “OOH Consumer Insights & Opportunities Q4 2022: Holiday Travel & Shopping,” the latest research report from the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA), the national trade association for the entire out of home (OOH) industry, conducted by The Harris Poll.

While a third (33%) of holiday travelers state that they will be going a longer distance than they did last year, results show that slightly more (38%) say that inflation impacted the distance they expect to travel for the holidays.

Inflation has an even greater impact on holiday shoppers, with nearly 9 in 10 (83%) stating that they plan to adjust their holiday shopping to account for the state of the economy. Almost half (46%) report they are planning to stick to a budget. In lockstep, shoppers say that seeing ads about savings would be most relevant to them (75%). Still, a third (34%) expect to spend more on gifts this year compared to last – and a third (33%) of those shoppers plan to spend a lot more.  

Additional insights:

  • 24% of holiday shoppers will be shopping earlier this year compared to last
  • 43% plan to spend up to $500 on holiday gifts
  • Clothing, toys, and technology products are the biggest ticket items on shopping lists
  • 34% of holiday shoppers plan to use online retailers more this year than last, closely followed by grocery stores (33%), big box retailers (29%), and gas stations/convenience stores (28%)

“Americans will be taking to the road and the skies this holiday season, offering opportunities for brands to capture their attention enroute,” said Anna Bager, President and CEO, OAAA. “With on-the-go consumers noticing OOH advertising more than even a year ago, marketers who invest in out of home will find their media mix ROI to be ‘merrier’ than ever.”

“Both holiday travelers and shoppers are pricing in inflation, but holiday plans are going forward with zeal,” said John Gerzema, CEO, The Harris Poll. “One third of holiday travelers intend to travel further — a third also expect to spend more on gifts this year compared to last – and another third plan to spend a lot more. And with high awareness levels shown in our data, out of home is more likely to grab the attention of consumers than just a year ago.”

“OOH Consumer Insights & Opportunities Q4 2022: Holiday Travel & Shopping” was sponsored by The Foundation for Outdoor Advertising Research and Education (FOARE), a 501 (c) (3) not for profit, charitable organization.

To review all the findings, visit https://bit.ly/3E65Zy9.

Methodology

The Harris Poll conducted the online survey from (September 2 – 6, 2022), with a representative sample of 1000 U.S. Adults 18+. Data is weighted to reflect the U.S. general public across age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, income, household size, and employment.

About the OAAA

The Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) is the national trade association for the entire out of home (OOH) advertising industry. OAAA represents over 800 members, including leading media companies, advertisers, agencies, ad-tech providers, and suppliers, which comprise over 90 percent of the industry. OOH media includes billboards, street furniture, transit, place-based media, and digital formats (DOOH) across every sector of the channel. OAAA is the unifying voice for the industry, the authoritative thought leader, and the passionate advocate for advancing OOH advertising in the United States. The legislative unit of OAAA advocates for the responsible growth of OOH with federal, state, and local governments. OAAA-member media companies donate over $500 million annually in public service advertising. Founded in 1891, OAAA is headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in New York City.

About The Harris Poll

The Harris Poll is one of the longest-running surveys in the U.S. tracking public opinion, motivations, and social sentiment since 1963 that is now part of Harris Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm that delivers social intelligence for transformational times. We work with clients in three primary areas; building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. Our mission is to provide insights and advisory to help leaders make the best decisions possible. For more information, please visit www.theharrispoll.com.