LASAA Debuts Outdoor Audience Measure in Nigeria

A pioneering outdoor audience measurement system has kicked off in Lagos State in Nigeria, billed as the first survey in West Africa to line up outdoor with radio, TV and press ratings.

The research, by the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), will produce audience estimates for how many people see an outdoor advertising campaign in specific locations in the state, and how often, and will classify the audience by factors such as age, sex, class and lifestyle, according to www.osundefender.org .

LASAA MD George Noah (pictured) said the launch represented 'a defining moment in outdoor advertising practice in Nigeria', adding: 'Outdoor advertising markets in developed economies are flourishing because data is available for both buyers and sellers of outdoor spaces to make informed choices and careful planning. We need to embark on a scientific audience research measurement to enable the sector compete favourably with radio, TV and press'.

The new measure will use 'ROTS' (realistic opportunity to see) data using eye-tracking techniques, to generate LTS ('likelihood to see') for various displays; and will take accounts of scale, orientation, distance, movement, illumination and spatial analysis relative to competitor ads and traffic patterns' according to Noah. 'If we start with a deep knowledge of how people move about, advertisers can have the flexibility to decide what they put in their way in terms of communication opportunities... We need to encourage outdoor advertisers to consider more populated areas such as Ikorodu and Alimosho. The LASAA Outdoor Audience research we believe, will reveal the marketing potential of previously ignored areas'.

The agency is online at www.lasaa.com .