AUCKLAND, Today: VAST Billboards has released new research showing nearly three in four regional New Zealanders take action after seeing a digital billboard ad, highlighting the growing performance role out-of-home is playing outside the main centres.
The findings come from VAST’s new Regional Voice study, Beyond the Big Three, an independent survey of 467 respondents across 12 regional towns.
The research also found 79% of respondents pass a digital billboard daily or several times a week, while 62% say they later looked up the brand online after seeing one.
Gary Rosewarne, Head of Growth Strategy at VAST Billboards, says the results show how naturally audiences now move between physical and digital spaces.
“What’s interesting here is how connected the behaviour is. People see a message on a digital billboard, then they reach for their phone. It’s not offline versus online, it’s one journey. In regional towns especially, those repeated daily routes mean brands stay top of mind. And when something stays top of mind, it tends to shape decisions.”
The study suggests digital billboards are deeply woven into everyday regional life, with commutes, school drop-offs and supermarket runs creating regular exposure week after week, and stronger action among those who see them more often.
It found 49% say they often notice digital billboards in their area and that they influence brand and product choices, while 57% say advertising matters most when making everyday purchasing decisions.
That figure is even higher among people who regularly notice digital billboards.
“What’s interesting here is how connected the behaviour is. People see a message on a digital billboard, then they reach for their phone.” – Gary Rosewarne, Head of Growth Strategy at VAST Billboards
“Advertising matters most in the moments that drive the bulk of spend,” says Rosewarne. “Everyday purchases, fuel stops, supermarket runs, local errands. That is where digital billboards sit in regional life. They are high-frequency by design and that frequency is what triggers follow-up action.”
The research also points to the commercial rhythm of regional towns, with 90% of respondents saying their area becomes busier, or sometimes busier, during holiday periods and local events.
Rosewarne says that gives advertisers another clear opportunity to connect when attention and activity lift.
“This tells us is that regional New Zealand doesn’t just deliver consistency, it also delivers surge. At key holiday and event moments, these towns become even more vibrant, giving advertisers the chance to show up when local activity and attention are heightened”
Created to address the lack of contemporary first-party data on regional behaviour, Regional Voice is the first release in what VAST says will be a longer-term research programme.
“This is the start of an ongoing Regional Voice programme,” says Rosewarne. “We’re building a long-term body of insight around how regional audiences think, spend and respond, so agencies and brands can plan with greater confidence.”
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