The Effectiveness of Billboard Advertising on Brand Recall Among Commuters in Kano Metropolis

This study investigates the effectiveness of billboard advertising on brand recall among daily commuters in Kano Metropolis, North West Nigeria. Outdoor advertising, particularly billboards positioned along major commercial and transport corridors, remains one of the most widely used media platforms by Nigerian brands targeting mass audiences. Despite the significant financial investment involved, empirical evidence on the actual brand recall effectiveness of billboard advertising in the Kano context is limited. The research adopts a descriptive survey design with 280 commuters selected through systematic random sampling at five high-traffic transit points in Kano. A structured questionnaire assesses commuter exposure patterns, attention levels, message retention, and brand recall rates for billboard advertisements. Analysis uses descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. The study also examines whether commute duration and travel frequency moderate recall effectiveness. Preliminary findings suggest that billboard advertisements featuring bright colours, minimal text, and culturally relevant imagery generate significantly higher recall among Kano commuters. Recall is found to be stronger among commuters who travel past the same billboard multiple times daily, supporting frequency as a key driver of message retention. Recommendations are directed at advertisers, outdoor media agencies, and brand managers in northern Nigeria on optimising billboard design and placement for maximum recall impact. This study contributes to the Nigerian outdoor advertising effectiveness literature with local empirical evidence. Keywords: billboard advertising, brand recall, outdoor advertising, Kano, commuter behaviour