Rosanne Caron Adds COMB Presidency To OMAC Duties
Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
Rosanne Caron, who has served as president of the Out-of-Home Marketing Association of Canada since 2005, will take over as president of the Canadian Out-of-Home Measurement Bureau as of Jan. 1/15 while continuing to lead OMAC.
Karen Best is stepping down as president of COMB at the end of 2014 to retire from her media career. She has held the position since 2009.
“Rosanne started her career in research and spent many years learning that side of the business,” says Luc Quétel, president, Astral Out-of-Home and chair of OMAC’s Board.
“More recently, as president of OMAC, she dealt with the out-of-home industry, its efficacy and the issues it faces in the marketing of its products. I can think of no other candidate so uniquely qualified to helm both OMAC and COMB and I am confident that the futures of both organizations are in great hands.” (The two organizations already share their office space in Toronto.)
Julie Myers, president, Zenith Media and chair of COMB’s Board says, “We are looking forward to having Rosanne join COMB. Her varied and extensive research background in combination with her robust experience in out-of-home gives us great confidence that the COMB mandate to set best-in-class industry standards for measurement of OOH advertising audiences in Canada will be further advanced.”
Over her tenure, Karen Best has led COMB through an operational transformation, amplifying member services and streamlining the flow of data. She has evolved measurement methodology integrating new technology and a state-of-the art COMB Audit (launching in January) while bolstering the organization’s financial stability and readiness for measurement growth.
Under Karen’s leadership, COMB membership has grown to 19 OOH media companies and 40 advertising agencies which now enjoy desktop access to new and enhanced OOH planning tools – COMBNavigator and the COMB Data Report – and a robust training and communications program.
Michele Erskine, director of marketing, OUTFRONT Media, Canada, and a COMB Board Director says, “Karen leaves us in good shape. She has developed a knowledgeable and dedicated team that will keep us on the right track. We will miss her counsel and her progressive attitude, and we thank her for her hard work and dedication to COMB and the Canadian out-of-home industry”.
As president of OMAC since 2005, Caron has launched OOH resources to aid OOH campaign planning and execution, conducted research on the value and effectiveness of OOH, formed strategic partnerships to promote the OOH industry, and raised OOH’s profile through presentations and events.
In the early days of her career, Caron worked for Mediacom (now OUTFRONT Media) as vice-president of marketing and research and was involved in the development of the first computerized Reach and Frequency model for Outdoor. She also served as a COMB Board Director and chair of the Research Committee.
The Canadian Out-of-Home Measurement Bureau sets the industry standard for measurement of OOH advertising audiences across Canada. It publishes circulation and market data for close to 80,000 OOH advertising faces in over 280 markets. It is national, not-for-profit, and has been dedicated to unbiased, accurate and independent quantitative research since its founding in 1965. COMB’s members – OOH companies, advertising agencies and advertisers – provide guidance, funding and oversight to the measurement process.
OMAC is responsible for promoting the benefits and effectiveness of out-of-home media to advertisers and advertising agencies. OMAC seeks to develop and implement new initiatives that serve as a resource to the industry and increase understanding of out-of-home media.OMAC members include Astral Out-of-Home, Clear Channel Outdoor, Cogeco Metromedia, Lamar Transit Advertising, OUTFRONT Media, Pattison Outdoor, Quebecor Media Out-of-Home and Zoom Media. OMAC members support the communities they do business in by donating more than $15 million annually in advertising space for charities and non-profit organizations.
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