New Measurement System
Offers Audience Data To Advertisers
An
integrated audience measurement system, the first of its
kind able to report real commercial data on the number of
people likely to see a given ad, has been developed by the
Traffic Audit Bureau (TAB).
The
new system, being implemented in phases, will provide
comprehensive measures of both pedestrian and vehicular
audiences with a complete rollout scheduled by third quarter
2008.
Despite being the oldest form of media, outdoor is changing
with the times, and is one of only two media (the other
being the Internet) currently exhibiting growth at a time
when questions are being raised about the measurement of
audience delivery in other media.
Until
now, researchers have been limited to reporting on a
person's opportunity to see a certain ad, but this latest
approach employs visibility, or “eyes on,” tracking to give
advertisers a much more accurate assessment.
It may
assess how many people are likely to see their message, be
it driving by a giant billboard or walking past a transit
shelter. The system will also report on audience
demographics for outdoor advertising in over 200 markets.
“This
is a change we have actively been working on for some time,”
said TAB President & CEO Joe Philport. “We sprang into
action amidst concerns that existing outdoor measurement
methods needed upgrading to keep pace with the demand for
greater accountability. We are surpassing all other
media...with a comprehensive system that provides a solid
foundation for future measurement.”
As
part of the first phase that is now under way, the TAB has
contracted with MediaMark Research (MRI) to initiate 4,200
detailed travel surveys in five markets—Chicago,
Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas and San Francisco—using
face-to-face computer-assisted personal interviews.
MRI
will also conduct nearly 50,000 surveys to collect
information about general travel patterns in a total of 15
markets. These high-quality techniques will be used to
gather comprehensive trip information, including routes
taken, mode of transportation, and purpose of each trip.
This study will also incorporate a viable approach to
measurement of pedestrian audiences.
Following a competitive search process that included
proposals from several leading companies from around the
world, MRI, Telmar, GfK Custom Research, and Transearch were
among those selected to work with the TAB on this project.
MRI
will design and execute the travel surveys, while GfK Custom
Research North America will conduct the research, Telmar
will provide modeling and analytic expertise, and Transearch
will be responsible for conducting the pedestrian component
of the study.