The Gas Station TV Advertising ROI: Is It Worth the Cost?

The Gas Station TV Advertising Needs a New Metric Lens

As traditional billboards face diminishing returns and online ads compete for ever-shorter attention spans, the gas station TV advertising format has emerged as a unique, high-frequency media touchpoint. But while this medium offers undeniable reach—capturing drivers during 3–5 idle minutes—the question remains:

How do we measure its ROI within a larger multichannel campaign?

Marketers are no longer satisfied with vague impression counts or CPM estimates. To justify spend, they need attribution. They need evidence. They need answers.

In this blog, we’ll explore how to quantify the true value of gas station advertising, showing how this often-overlooked format can amplify ROI across multiple channels when measured correctly.

The Gas Station TV Advertising as a Multichannel Amplifier

Why It’s More Than a Standalone Ad Format

The gas station TV advertising experience offers a rare combination in modern media:

Guaranteed dwell time: Customers are stationary and exposed for 3–5 minutes.

Repetition: Frequent drivers may visit 2–3 times per week.

Uncluttered space: With fewer competing messages, your ad stands out.

But perhaps most importantly, gas station ads work best when they complement other marketing touchpoints.

For example:

TV-to-TV continuity: A product seen on gas station TV can reinforce a national broadcast spot.

QR code bridge to digital: Users can scan from screen to phone, closing the offline-online loop.

Trigger-based email/SMS: Geofencing can trigger a mobile message once a consumer finishes fueling.

The gas station advertisement doesn’t just sit in a silo. It can pull weight across your entire marketing ecosystem.

What to Measure: ROI Metrics for Gas Station TV Ads

From Awareness to Action—KPIs That Matter

If you’re running a gas station ad, don’t rely solely on vanity metrics. Instead, align the campaign with measurable outcomes tied to your funnel stage:

Top-of-Funnel (Awareness)

Brand recall (via surveys or follow-up polls)

Cost per thousand impressions (CPM)

Lift in branded search volume

Mid-Funnel (Consideration)

Website visits from geo-tagged QR codes

Time on site from gas station-exposed audiences

Social engagement (tracked by UTM codes)

Bottom-of-Funnel (Conversion)

Coupon redemption rates (digital or printed at POS)

Store locator usage spikes during campaign dates

App downloads triggered by ad scans

The key is attribution. Every gas station advertisement should lead to an action that can be tracked—even if it’s just a website visit or brand name search.

Tracking Tools: How to Attribute Results to The Gas Station TV Advertising

Don’t Just Broadcast—Measure

Here’s how modern advertisers track gas station ads in multichannel environments:

✅ QR Codes with UTM Parameters

Each ad placement can feature a unique QR code linked to a custom URL with UTM tags, allowing you to attribute scans to a specific campaign, creative, or even region.

✅ Geofenced Audience Panels

Use mobile tracking providers like Cuebiq or Near to measure foot traffic patterns of exposed consumers. Did they enter your store or search your brand after seeing the ad?

✅ Custom Promo Codes

Provide a unique code only shown on gas station TV ads. This enables clear tracking of redemptions both online and in-store.

✅ Incrementality Testing

Run the same ad in some regions with gas station TV advertising, and not in others. Compare performance over time for metrics like sales lift, engagement, or app installs.

✅ Post-Exposure Surveys

Survey customers with a single question: “Where did you hear about us?” Over time, gas station-specific recall will emerge.

By combining these tools, advertisers can confidently measure the ROI of the gas station TV advertising and tie it directly to business impact.

Case Study: Gas Station Advertising in Action

A Beverage Brand’s Multichannel Lift

A regional energy drink brand launched a gas station ad campaign across 800 fuel pump TVs in Southern California. Alongside, they ran:

Instagram Story ads

Geo-targeted SMS campaigns

Retail coupons via their app

Execution Highlights:

QR codes drove users to a 15% off coupon

Separate QR for each region allowed localized tracking

POS system tracked redemptions by location

Results:

67% of QR code traffic came from gas station ads

34% of redemptions occurred within 2 hours of exposure

Sales lift of 18% across convenience store locations in exposed regions

This proves that gas station advertising can directly influence both online and offline behavior—when measured strategically.

The Multichannel Value of The Gas Station TV Advertising

Why It Deserves a Seat at Your Media Planning Table

Think of the gas station TV advertising format as a tactical glue in your campaign strategy:

It reinforces awareness between mobile, web, and TV efforts.

It delivers hyper-local impact with national message consistency.

It’s cost-effective and highly targeted—especially when geo-layered.

Gas station ads can also provide:

Regional market testing without full-scale TV investment

Sequential storytelling, introducing phase-based messaging each week

Brand halo: appearing in trusted, familiar settings like neighborhood gas stations

When paired with the right measurement tools, it’s not just awareness—it’s activation.

Final Thoughts: Measuring More Than Just Impressions

In 2025, “reach” without results is noise. The gas station TV advertising format offers measurable, contextual exposure at a time when other channels are struggling with clutter and mistrust.

By embedding tracking mechanisms, aligning KPIs with funnel stages, and positioning these ads as part of a multichannel ecosystem, marketers can prove ROI—and more importantly, improve it.