Nielsen Outdoor Gains Support in USA

Nielsen Outdoor has this week announced the support of Publicis Groupe Media for its GPS based ratings service measuring outdoor advertising in Los Angeles. Publicis includes brand communications group Starcom MediaVest and advertising giant ZenithOptimedia.

Nielsen says it is establishing an independent and accurate technology-based ratings currency for US outdoor advertising. The service was first introduced in Chicago in 2005, and Los Angeles is the second market in this nationwide expansion. The company expects to provide initial results of its Los Angeles data to clients in the autumn, and will provide final results in the first quarter of next year.

To enhance the value of its measurement, Nielsen Outdoor will also begin to measure the exposure of teenagers to outdoor advertising. The teenage audience has particular importance for advertisers in the film, fast food and soft drink industries.

'This show of support from Starcom MediaVest and Zenith (part of Publicis) confirms the value of our GPS-based ratings service to the advertising community,' enthuses Lorraine Hadfield, Managing Director, Nielsen Outdoor. 'As two of the largest and most influential forces in the advertising industry, these companies recognize the enormous potential of outdoor, and Nielsen Outdoor is fully committed to providing them, and all of our clients, with the best means to measure this medium.'

Through the patent of its technology partner RDPA LLC, Nielsen Outdoor has proprietary rights to the technology used in GPS-based outdoor ratings. The technology enables Nielsen to track the travel patterns of consumers in relation to known outdoor advertising sites, even in difficult urban canyon areas. The company also uses portable, passive and personal devices to track the movements of individuals through the media environment.

Nielsen Outdoor is a unit of VNU and is online at www.nielsenoutdoor.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.