What is a Gross Rating Point (GRP) and how is it used in planning?

• A. GRP Equals Click-Through Rate × Cost per Impression; Used to Price Campaigns.
• B. GRP Equals Audience Size × Ad Spend; Used to Forecast Revenue.
• C. GRP Equals Creative Variance × Message Repetition; Used to Test Ad Variants.
• D. GRP Equals Reach (%) × Frequency; It Summarizes Total Audience Exposure and Is Used to Compare Plans and Ensure Targets Are Met.

Answer: (D)

Gross Rating Points capture total audience exposure in a single planning metric by combining how many people you reach with how often they see the message. Reach is the percent of the target audience that’s exposed at least once, and frequency is the average number of times those exposed individuals see the message. Multiply them to get GRPs, so if you reach 50% of the audience and they see it 3 times on average, you have 150 GRPs. This provides a common, comparable measure across media to assess and balance reach and repetition, helping planners compare different plans and ensure the exposure targets are met within the budget. GRPs aren’t about clicks, costs or budget alone, and they aren’t derived from creative variance or testing; they specifically reflect total exposures, allowing a straightforward comparison of how much total impact a plan is likely to deliver.