OOH to launch currency survey

(Image: Wikimedia Commons)

OHMSA is the trade association for the Out of Home (OOH) media industry in this country. One of the biggest hurdles OOH media has faced has been finding a suitable audience measurement system.

Earlier this year Lyn Jones, marketing manager Continental Outdoor Media and Terry Murphy, Executive, Primedia Outdoor Marketing / Marketing Services, were nominated by the OOH industry to investigate and evaluate outdoor audience research options for 2014 and beyond. After several months of investigation and analysis, they presented an outdoor measurement solution to the industry at the recently held OHMSA AGM.

According to Jones, marketing manager Continental Outdoor Media, testing of the system is currently underway, and it will be piloted in November this year.

Murphy explains that the nature and methodology of the proposed research is an industry-first, worldwide. "The concept was formulated by Cuende Infometrics, a Spain-based OOH research company which is considered one of the leaders in OOH audience measurement in Europe."

Multiple benefits

She says there are multiple benefits in the new methodology. "Cost being primary, but we believe that the value delivered through the new methodology is far greater than the traditional research models available to the OOH Industry."

The solution also requires a local research partner to handle the fieldwork component. "For this we recommended a Joint Venture (JV) between Cuende Infometrics and TGI/Ask Afrika. "Partnering with TGI offers multiple benefits on its own, as TGI is an established and credible industry-wide research survey. This study provides a good basis for the new 0utdoor currency measure in addition to providing a rich and trendable data source for all consumer media and brands," said Murphy.

The OOH industry has developed its own OOH JIC (Joint Industry Committee) who is in the process of developing a turnkey media measurement survey through Cuende and Ask Afrika. Once an Establishment Survey is developed to replace the current AMPS it will provide the demographic and top-line media statistics into which media type research would hook into, including that of OACS.

In essence, the project will draw on three data sets:

• Outdoor inventory - media owners
• How people move (TomTom data and satellite imagery) - Cuende
• Demographics, psychographics, etc - TGI

OOH is seen as a minnow relative to TV, print and radio, and despite certain OOH companies monthly contribution to AMPS, the medium has little to show for their current investment. This impacts on OOH's ability to compete with other media on an equal footing.

Until a reliable OOH currency is delivered to the market, it will play second fiddle to other media. Jones said the industry needs a currency, like RAMS and TAMS that:
• Delivers Reach, Frequency, GRPs, duplication factors, impacts, CPM etc.
• Is comparable to other media;
• Provides audience figures per day per site (replaces traffic counts);
• Allows for the building and evaluation of networks;
• Will be linked into the branded data to facilitate sales to advertisers for subscribing clients.

Levelling the playing field

It is hoped that the OACS will include as many outdoor advertising companies as possible. "Primedia Outdoor and Continental Outdoor have presented this to the OOH industry with the view to make it as inclusionary as possible. We cannot confirm the participants as yet, however we hope to include as many of the Outdoor Advertising companies as possible in order to make it representative of the industry," said Jones.

She added that this system would mean OOH would now be "just like any other media". She also said it was one of the most groundbreaking things to happen to OOH. "OOH is evolving and it needs a currency that is credible and comparable to other mediums."

"We believe that an Outdoor Industry currency measure will boost OOH sector market share as it has done in many parts of the world," said Murphy.