Successfully measuring OOH with the OMC

OOH advertising has been undervalued by media owners as a successful platform on which to advertise. The difficulties of measurement have always made brands hesitant to splash out on a billboard. But the OMC's aim is for OOH to share some of the ad pie that is being dominated by digital advertising.

Neil Eddleston from JCDecaux Oneworld stated that audience research has always been the "ticket to the game". In this case, it's the game of understanding. Media planners today are buying into their audience, not into the media.

One thing is for sure, which Eddleston stated – consistent measurement is critical in the major markets, and at the moment outdoor is undervalued.

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Jos Kuper's role in the launch of the audience measurement research played a pivotal part in gaining on the ground research. She stated the complex issues surrounding South Africa, mainly security, as people were afraid to impart personal information during travel research. Eventually they managed to interview a staggering 15,349 people and gauged their travel routes, how they travel, during which time periods and so on.

All this research was given to Daniel Cuende from Cuende Infometrics in Spain, who analysed the data along with Ask Afrika and provided intricate feedback based on traffic flows in locations where billboards are present. Cuende says that it's time for the OOH paradigm to break and access real data about OOH advertising. The amount of traffic that passes through an area where a billboard is doesn't mean there are eyes on the advertisement. There are many factors that are taken into account - the angle of the passerby to the billboard, traffic congestion or lack thereof, as well as factors such as illumination and height.

"We follow the ESOMAR global guidelines, so the main structure is similar to other countries such as the UK. The breakthrough is that we are using a very innovative technology to obtain part of the information, that is Satellite high resolution images. This allows us to process and compute traffic flows for complete areas such as Gauteng as one metropolitan area," says Cuende.

There is continuous refinement taking place in the OOH measurement sphere, but one of the main advantages is geomarketing – having a presence at a time when users aren't online.

Introducing Quantum Software

A Q&A session provided the announcement of Quantum Software (available through Telmar), a program which relays the best places for brands to advertise based on certain metrics they enter into the system. This methodology brings South Africa up to date with international software progammes, making OOH more appealing to media owners.

The software process is based on targeting, geoplanning, inventory management, optimisation and evaluation. The software is extremely impressive and is powered by the new OOH measurement currency announced by Jos Kuper – ROAD (Roadside Outdoor Audience Data).

Quantum Software will let media owners create a visibility map and also give an estimate of advertising reach based on travel routes and satellite imagery. The software allows planners to experiment with billboard location, demographic research, geomarketing and more.

The system will be available from 1 July in the Gauteng area and then spread across the country. The OMC have really done their homework when it comes to the new software, teaming up with local and international partners to bring the best measurement possibilities to SA. With the advent of digital OOH, an accurate measurement system is pivotal in boosting the OOH industry.

The OMC are working towards getting OOH partners on board and bringing media owners and planners to the forefront of the industry.

"It has been a long journey, but companies involved have always been very focused on the outcome, they have left behind any kind of politics and look for the very best of the industry. It has been amazing how many things have been done, how many agreements and commitments. All of this was almost impossible a few years ago. We are in a new age, not behind but in fact with a clear spirit to be in front of OOH," concludes Cuende.