Consortium Debuts Combined OOH Measure

In the Netherlands, a consortium of outdoor specialists made up of advertisers and media agencies has rolled out a system which calculates the number of people who actually look at outdoor adverts, as opposed to measuring all those who walk past them.

Developed by UK GIS mapping software specialist Beacon Dodsworth, in partnership with out-of-home (OOH) research specialist Simon Cooper Associates (SCA) and TNS NIPO, the new system is based on 'Visibility Adjusted Contact' (VAC) figures, which only count those who actually look at a panel. Traditional measures are based on Opportunity To See (OTS), which counts everybody that passes a panel regardless of whether they look at the ad.

Beacon Dodsworth uses a self-completion web survey called TripTrax, combined with traffic modelling data, GPS processing, site classification, and eye tracking studies. Handheld GPS units are also used in the methodology, to measure location and speed of travel, and determine precise co-ordinates and the method of transportation.

The EUR 3 million solution was tested among respondents in 66 Dutch cities, with the addition of demographic data, exposure to other media, shopping habits, and use of public transport, to provide an understanding of the types of people who see various poster formats.

Beacon Dodsworth Chairman Geoff Beacon comments: 'This new combination of technologies has provided the breakthrough that the media sector has been waiting for. We're delighted to have been involved in the creation of what we anticipate will become the industry standard OOH measurement throughout the world over the next few years.'

Web sites: www.beacon-dodsworth.co.uk and www.tns-nipo.com.com .