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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryMeasurement & AttributionReach and Frequency

Measurement & Attribution

Reach and Frequency

Reach is the number of unique people exposed; frequency is how often each saw the ad.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Reach and frequency are paired media metrics: reach is the number or percentage of unique people exposed to an ad, and frequency is the average number of times each of them saw it. Planners balance the two, since broad reach builds awareness while sufficient frequency helps messages stick without causing fatigue.