Ocean Outdoor Study Finds 88% Stronger Brand Fitness Signals For High-Profile OoH Displays

Ocean Outdoor, a British outdoor advertising company, has released research suggesting that where a brand advertises can influence how consumers perceive it, as reported by invidis.com. The study found that high-profile out-of-home locations generated 88% stronger brand fitness signals than standard outdoor formats.

The research, carried out by Everyday People, examined how advertising environments shape perceptions of a brand's financial strength, product quality and confidence. Researchers recruited 2,426 participants during the first quarter of 2026 and tested eight outdoor advertising locations using a fictional brand, TIXE. Participants were shown a location and told TIXE planned to advertise exclusively there for three months, then asked about the brand's perceived financial strength, product quality, confidence and potential commercial success. Using a fictional brand allowed perceptions tied to the environment to be measured rather than an established brand's reputation.

The study separated two kinds of signals: fitness signals, covering perceived financial strength, product quality and confidence, and social signals, covering expectations of recognition, popularity and commercial success. Against standard out-of-home, large-format full-motion displays produced 50% stronger fitness signals, while iconic locations delivered an 88% increase. Social-signal gains were smaller, at 23% for large-format full-motion and 37% for iconic locations.

Iconic sites such as London's Piccadilly Lights and BFI IMAX fared well. According to the study, they outperformed television on five of six brand perception measures, while premium large-format displays beat television on two. Ocean's premium locations also drew comparisons with social media: a 71% rise in perceived brand quality, a 91% rise in perceived financial strength and a 21% rise in confidence in the advertised brand.

Steve Bernard, Ocean Outdoor UK's head of insight, said the results show why advertisers should look beyond audience reach when choosing locations. "The findings tell us that advertisers should consider how significantly different premium and iconic large formats are in powering positive brand effects. Consideration should be given to nuances in effectiveness – reach is very important, but attention and signal strength power brand perception and trust," he said.

Ocean commissioned the research to extend earlier signaling studies Everyday People conducted for Thinkbox in 2020 and WPP Essencemediacom in 2024, and intends to use the findings alongside attention measurements to help advertisers assess how outdoor environments might affect consumer relationships. The results measure perceptions of a hypothetical campaign, not actual purchasing behavior or the commercial performance of campaigns at the locations tested.