Billboards in San Francisco

*All metrics are based on a 4-week advertising campaign

In the iconic city of San Francisco, outdoor advertising finds a perfect stage amidst its famous landmarks, diverse neighborhoods, and innovative tech scene. As a hub for tourism and a melting pot of cultures, San Francisco provides advertisers with a unique opportunity to engage with a wide audience. Billboards in this vibrant city not only promote products but also foster connections between communities, brands, and individuals, creating impactful narratives that leave a lasting impression.

What to look for when picking billboards

When selecting the perfect billboard for your advertising campaign, there are several factors to consider, ensuring that your message reaches the right audience and creates the desired impact. With 3726 billboards to choose from, here are four key factors to keep in mind:

• Demographics: Understand your target audience's age, gender, education, relationship status, and income level to determine the optimal location for your billboard. For example, if your target demographic is college-educated adults with above-average incomes, placing the billboard along a busy interstate frequently congested with commuters might be a good choice.
• Visibility: Choose a billboard that is easily visible and hard to ignore. Large billboards, such as bulletins, are typically found along busy roads like highways, freeways, and interstates, targeting drivers, commuters, and long-distance travelers. Smaller billboards, like posters and junior posters, are positioned along primary and secondary arterial roadways and smaller roads, targeting local audiences.
• Duration: Consider the length of your advertising campaign. While there is no specific rule, billboard advertisements typically stay up for at least four weeks, with most campaigns lasting several months. Branding campaigns may last six to twelve months, while campaigns promoting specific events or products may utilize billboards for a shorter period, such as a month before the event.
• Cost-effectiveness: Billboard advertising offers a high return on investment compared to other forms of advertisement. The benefits include constant exposure, location-specific targeting, increased brand awareness, minimal effort, increased audience reach, unavoidable visibility, complete control over advertisements, low cost compared to other media, large size, and the incorporation of new technology in digital billboards and spectaculars.

Billboards price breakdown

Billboard pricing in San Francisco varies greatly, with options available for different budgets and campaign goals. Here's a breakdown of the average, median, and lowest prices:

• Average Price: The average price for a billboard in San Francisco is $11,840.52, which can provide a good estimate of the overall market rates for outdoor advertising in the city.
• Median Price: With a median price of $2,012.50, this value represents the middle point in the range of billboard prices, offering a more accurate representation of typical costs for advertisers.
• Lowest Price: The lowest price for a billboard in San Francisco is $0, indicating that there may be opportunities for advertisers to secure free or heavily discounted billboard space under certain circumstances or through special promotions.

Billboards Impression and CPM Metrics

In San Francisco, the impressions and CPM metrics for billboards provide valuable insights into the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of outdoor advertising campaigns in the city:

• Total Impressions: With a total of 5,833,497,000 impressions, San Francisco's billboards offer a vast reach for advertisers to connect with their target audience.
• Average Impressions: The average number of impressions per billboard in San Francisco is 1,619,516, showcasing the potential for significant exposure for each advertisement.
• Median Impressions: The median number of impressions for billboards in the city is 287,000, indicating that a typical billboard can still generate substantial visibility for an advertising campaign.
• Average CPM: The average cost per thousand impressions (CPM) for billboards in San Francisco is $304.92, providing a cost-effective solution for advertisers seeking to maximize their return on investment.
• Median CPM: With a median CPM of $7.13, San Francisco's billboards offer an even more affordable option for advertisers looking to optimize their advertising budget.

Some of the top billboard providers in San Francisco

San Francisco is home to several top billboard providers, each offering unique advertising opportunities and services:

• Clear Channel Outdoor is a company that offers advertising opportunities in multiple markets and airports, providing impactful and innovative solutions to their partners.
• Lamar Advertising Company specializes in billboard, digital, transit, and airport advertising.
• OUTFRONT Media Inc. is a leading out-of-home advertising company that utilizes location, creative, and smart audience data to connect brands with audiences in the real world.
• Bulletin Displays is one of the largest independent locally-owned billboard companies in Los Angeles, California, with a focus on high impact/freeway locations and expertise in 3-D special effects.
• True Impact Media is an Out-of-Home (OOH) media buying advertising platform that offers quick availability and pricing, increased impressions for ad dollars, and the ability to review millions of ad spaces in one proposal.

Other formats for advertising in San Francisco

A closer look at the data reveals the depth and breadth of the other opportunities available in San Francisco:

• Digital Billboards: In San Francisco, digital billboards receive 50,000 impressions with an average CPM of $933.42. This modern and dynamic medium allows for real-time updates and eye-catching visuals, making it a popular choice for advertisers.
• Street Furniture: Street furniture in San Francisco garners 204,649 impressions and an average CPM of $50.22. This versatile advertising option includes bus shelters, benches, and kiosks, providing ample opportunities for brands to engage with pedestrians and commuters.
• Wheat Pastings: Wheat pastings in San Francisco generate 2,800,000 impressions and an average CPM of $156.55. This creative and cost-effective medium allows for artistic expression and can be found in urban areas, attracting attention from both locals and tourists.
• Wallscapes: Wallscapes in San Francisco receive 752,098 impressions with an average CPM of $38.17. These large-scale advertisements make a bold statement on building exteriors, capturing the attention of passersby and creating a memorable impression.
• Airport: Airport advertising in San Francisco achieves 4,651,844 impressions and an average CPM of $24.59. With a captive audience of travelers, airport advertisements offer a unique opportunity to reach a diverse and affluent demographic.
• Retail Venues: Retail venue advertising in San Francisco garners 43,245 impressions and an average CPM of $35.99. This targeted approach allows brands to connect with consumers in shopping centers and malls, creating a direct link between advertisement and purchase.
• Transit: Transit advertising in San Francisco receives 282,841 impressions with an average CPM of $3,296.75. This medium includes ads on buses, trains, and transit shelters, providing constant exposure to commuters and city dwellers.
• Bus: Bus advertising in San Francisco generates 4,060,000 impressions and an average CPM of $3.18. This mobile medium offers high visibility and the ability to reach a wide audience as buses travel throughout the city.
• Taxi: Taxi advertising in San Francisco achieves 10,416,667 impressions with an average CPM of $4.71. This on-the-go advertising option targets both passengers and pedestrians, offering a unique opportunity to reach a captive audience.
• Everything Else: Other advertising opportunities in San Francisco receive 43,200 impressions and an average CPM of $2,550.48. This category includes a variety of unique and innovative advertising options, allowing brands to think outside the box and create memorable campaigns.

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