What does reach measure in advertising?

In advertising, reach specifically measures the number of unique individuals who are exposed to an ad over a particular period. This metric provides insight into the potential audience size that has seen the advertisement at least once, allowing marketers to understand how far their message has spread. A high reach indicates that a large number of distinct consumers have encountered the ad, which is crucial for brand awareness and establishing a broad audience base.

Understanding reach is important because it helps advertisers assess the effectiveness of their campaigns in penetrating the market and drawing in new customers. In contrast, other metrics like frequency refer to how often the same individuals see the ad, which does not directly correlate with the number of unique viewers reached. Therefore, the focus on unique individuals makes reach a vital statistic in evaluating the impact and visibility of an advertising strategy.