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GRP
GRP (gross rating point) expresses the overall "weight" of an advertising campaign within the target audience. It combines reach (how many people in the target group saw the ad) and frequency (how many times they saw it). The higher the GRP, the greater the intensity of the campaign's exposure.
GRP is used primarily in advertising and media planning, though it occasionally appears in the evaluation of media coverage (media relations and publicity).
alternative names
- rating points
- total rating
related metrics
units
- Score or % (ratio)
Additions, clarifications, extended definition
GRP combines two key components of media planning:
Reach means what percentage of the target audience encountered the ad at least once.
Frequency indicates how many times, on average, each person reached saw the ad.
GRP is calculated against a standard target group – the population aged 15+, which is regarded in media as the basic, purchasing population.
Interpretation
Higher GRP = greater overall reach and campaign intensity.
GRP makes it possible to compare campaigns across media and over time.
100 GRP means the target audience was exposed to an extent equivalent to the entire population once.
200 GRP can mean either 100% reach with an average frequency of 2, or 50% reach with a frequency of 4.
Watch out: limits and risks of distortion
- GRP says nothing about the quality of exposure (e.g. whether people remembered the ad or how it affected them).
- A high GRP can also indicate an over-invested campaign with excessive repetition.
- GRP should not be interpreted as "impact" – it is a metric of intensity, not effectiveness.
Where and how to measure
- Television and radio: measured via people meters and audience ratings (e.g. ATO-Nielsen in the Czech Republic).
Context
GRP belongs to the Outputs phase of the AMEC framework – it measures the target audience's exposure to a message, not their reaction or the impact on behaviour.
In practice, GRP is often used as a basic reporting metric that management understands well, because it is simple and easy to express numerically.
Formulas
GRP = reach (%) × frequency
Example from practice
A company launched a new soft drink and opted for a large-scale television campaign. The media agency planned to reach 70% of the young-adult target group with an average frequency of 4 exposures. The result was a GRP of 280. This means the overall intensity of the campaign was equivalent to 2.8 times the target population. At the same time, the GRP had to be supplemented with brand awareness research and sales data in order to evaluate the campaign's actual effect.
