July 14, 2026
Location scouting without documentation is just walking around. The value of a scouting session is not what the scout sees in person. It is what gets captured, structured, and transmitted to the campaign team so that the intelligence collected in the field can drive installation precision, client reporting accuracy, and future campaign planning. Documentation is what converts field observation into actionable campaign intelligence.
Our team at American Guerrilla Marketing has built wheat paste poster campaigns across 50+ U.S. markets, and the documentation discipline we apply to scouted locations is the same discipline we apply to installation verification and client reporting. A location that is scouted but not documented is not available to the campaign in any meaningful operational sense. It exists only in the scout’s memory, and memory is not a campaign planning tool.
This guide covers what to document at each scouted location, how to structure that documentation for operational use, and how scouting records feed into the full campaign workflow from installation planning through client reporting.
A complete location documentation record contains five core elements: GPS coordinates, photographs, surface data, access information, and a priority classification. Each element serves a specific purpose in the downstream campaign workflow, and the absence of any element creates a gap that either slows execution or produces reporting that cannot be verified.
GPS coordinates are the anchor of the location record. They provide an unambiguous geographic identifier that guides installation crew navigation, supports map-based reporting, and creates a verifiable record linking the scouted location to the installed placement. A street address alone is insufficient for mid-block surfaces, surfaces on large buildings with multiple street-facing walls, or surfaces in areas with inconsistent addressing.
Every scouted location requires a minimum of three photographs. The first is a wide-angle shot showing the surface in its full environmental context, including the surrounding block, competing visual content, and the pedestrian approach lines. The second is a medium shot from the typical viewer approach angle, showing the surface as an active campaign poster would appear to a pedestrian. The third is a close-up of the surface condition, documenting any damage, existing material, texture variations, or installation constraints that would affect poster adhesion or visual quality.
Additional photos are warranted when access constraints, neighboring signage, building features, or surrounding activity create context that the three-shot set does not fully capture. More documentation is rarely a problem. Under-documentation consistently is.
Surface data includes the physical dimensions of the usable posting area (height and width), the surface material type (painted brick, concrete block, plywood, metal), the surface condition rating (excellent, good, fair, poor), existing posting history (clean, layered, recently cleared), and any physical constraints that affect installation approach (overhangs, lighting fixtures, pipes, cables, or adjacent obstacles).
Surface dimensions directly inform the print production specifications for the campaign. A surface documented at 4 feet wide by 6 feet tall requires a different print order than a surface documented at 8 feet wide by 10 feet tall. Getting this data in the field prevents a common and expensive error: printing posters that do not fit the available surface.
Access information documents how the surface is reached for installation: the approach route, any access restrictions by time of day or day of week, parking or vehicle staging constraints, and the property owner contact status. For surfaces with active property owner relationships, the access notes should reference the specific agreement or contact person. For surfaces without existing agreements, the notes should document what is known about the property owner and what outreach is planned.
Every scouted location should receive a priority classification before the scouting report is delivered. Priority classifications typically use a three-tier system: Primary (must-have locations that define campaign coverage and cannot be substituted), Secondary (strong options that meet campaign objectives and can substitute for primary locations if needed), and Fill (acceptable additions that expand coverage but are not essential to campaign success). Priority classification prevents installation crews from treating all locations equally when time or access constraints force prioritization decisions in the field.
Documentation quality is largely determined by the field protocols applied during the scouting session. Strong protocols produce complete, consistent records. Weak protocols produce incomplete records that require post-scouting reconstruction, which is slower, less accurate, and often impossible for specific surface details.
The most important field documentation protocol is to capture everything at the location before moving on. Notes can be reviewed and organized later. Photographs can be organized into folders after the session. GPS coordinates captured in the field cannot be re-captured from memory. The capture-first discipline means that every location visited leaves a complete raw documentation set, even if it requires post-processing to organize for report delivery.
Photo files and location notes captured in the field should follow a consistent naming convention that links them to the specific location record without requiring manual matching later. A convention as simple as [MarketCode]-[LocationNumber]-[ShotType] applied consistently throughout a session means that the raw documentation set is already partially organized by the time the scout returns from the field.
For scouts working quickly through dense location lists, voice memos recorded at each location provide a rapid capture method for access notes, surface condition observations, and property owner intelligence that would take too long to type in the field. Voice memos are transcribed and integrated into the location record during post-processing, with the audio archived against the possibility of any detail being missed in transcription.
Raw field documentation requires a post-processing step to convert it into a campaign-ready location report. This processing step should occur the same day as the field session, while the scout’s memory of specific location details remains fresh enough to supplement or clarify the raw documentation.
The first post-processing step is building the location database: a structured spreadsheet or database document with one row per scouted location, containing all core documentation elements (GPS coordinates, photo file references, surface data, access information, and priority classification). This database is the operational backbone of the location report and the primary working document for the campaign planning team.
The second step is creating a map visualization of all scouted locations. GPS coordinates loaded into a mapping tool produce a visual representation of the campaign’s geographic coverage that is immediately readable by both planning teams and clients. A map view of scouted locations allows the campaign team to assess neighborhood distribution, identify any coverage gaps, and evaluate whether the selected corridors match the campaign’s geographic objectives.
The formatted report presents the location database in a client- and crew-readable format, combining the map visualization with individual location records. Each location record in the formatted report includes the priority classification, key surface data, access notes, and the photo set. The formatted report is delivered to the campaign planning team for briefing review and to the installation crew as the primary reference document for campaign execution.
Scouting documentation and post-installation documentation share the same structure. Pre-installation scouting records document the planned location with surface conditions and access status. Post-installation records document the same location with the completed poster installation, GPS-tagged at the time of posting. Comparing scouting records against installation records gives the campaign team a precision check: did the placement run where it was planned to run?
This pre- and post-documentation structure is the foundation of the GPS-tracked campaign reports that our team delivers to every client. The ability to show a client exactly where each placement ran, with documentation linking the scouted location to the installed result, creates a level of campaign accountability that is rare in street-level advertising and that consistently drives client confidence and repeat engagement.
Location scouting documentation should capture GPS coordinates, multiple photographs, surface dimensions, surface condition assessment, surrounding visual context, property owner contact information, traffic volume observation, access notes, and a priority classification. A complete location record contains enough information for a crew member who has never visited the location to execute installation without additional guidance.
A minimum of three photos per scouted location: a wide shot showing the surface in its full environmental context, a medium shot from the typical viewer approach angle, and a close-up of the surface condition. Additional photos are warranted when access constraints or surrounding features create context that the three-shot set does not fully capture.
Post-campaign, scouting documentation becomes a reference database for future campaigns in the same market. Surface condition records help predict poster longevity. Traffic observation notes inform future placement prioritization. Property owner contact information supports relationship building for repeat access.
A standard location scouting report includes a map view of all scouted locations with numbered markers, a record for each location containing photos, GPS coordinates, surface data, access notes, and a priority classification. The report is formatted for sharing with both the campaign planning team and the installation crew.
Core documentation, GPS tagging, photo capture, and basic surface notes, should always be captured in the field at the time of scouting. Memory is unreliable when multiple sites are visited in sequence. Post-processing to organize and format the documentation should begin the same day to ensure accuracy.
Yes. For campaigns requiring documented proof of property owner permission, scouting documentation provides the location-level records that connect access agreements to specific surfaces. Scouting records establish the condition of a surface before installation, which may be relevant in any subsequent regulatory inquiry.
Scouting documentation should be retained indefinitely as part of a market location database. Location records from past campaigns inform future campaign planning in the same market, reducing scouting time and improving placement quality over multiple campaign cycles. The documentation investment pays dividends across every future campaign that benefits from the accumulated location intelligence.
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American Guerrilla Marketing — Los Angeles
Street-level campaigns in Los Angeles and nationwide. Wheatpasting, LED trucks, street teams, and more.
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