What are Gross Rating Points?
A math equation that multiplies the number of times an ad is run by the percentage of the target audience that sees it, multiplied by 100. Gross rating points (GRPs) are commonly used in television ad buying to help media planners decide when and where to place their ads. Though the math is a bit too complicated for this short description, GRPs can be calculated for online ads as well. Some planners find this helpful when finding out their media mix of TV and online advertising.
Example
Let’s say a company runs a television advertising campaign for a new product aimed at young adults aged 18-24. The ad airs on a popular TV channel with a reach of 40% of the target audience. The company decided to air the ad 5 times throughout the campaign.
To calculate the GRPs for this campaign, you would multiply the reach (40%) by the frequency (5), resulting in a total of 200 GRPs. This means that the campaign achieved an exposure equivalent to 200% of the target audience, taking into account both the reach and frequency of the ad placements.