Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
Route, the audience research body for out-of-home advertising in the UK, today launched an evolved measurement system which offers spot level audience measurement at 15-minute levels for ads played out on each and any poster or screen.
We are told that this development will mean more scope for advertisers to plan effective and efficient campaigns and that it will ensure the measurement system is fit for purpose within an increasingly digital world.
The updated Route currency provides greater detail on travel habits than ever before, tracking movement outside, inside, above ground or underground, and better reflects the true number of ads which people will actually see. This data will become available from April 30, 2020.
It uses Multi-Sensor-Tracking (MST) devices to offer an accurate understanding of peoples’ travel habits across the UK. This is integrated with Route’s Traffic Intensity Model and detailed mapping of every outdoor site in the country, including rail and tube stations, shopping centres, supermarkets, airports, roadside and buses and taxis. Route can now better estimate the audience for every ad played out on each and any poster or screen than ever before.
Previously, digital audiences were measured by the share of time that an ad was on a screen. This did not consider the fact that different ad durations would affect the number of times an ad is broadcast and the number of impacts that it can generate. This has now changed with the introduction of spot measurement.
The introduction of spot level ratings increases the resolution of Route’s audience provision for advertisers.
Route’s measurement provision is somewhat unique. Rather than reporting audiences with an opportunity to see advertising as in other media, Route goes a step further by quantifying those who actually see them. This is informed by visual attention research.
James Whitmore, outgoing MD of Route told us “We are excited to now be able to determine, with pinpoint precision, who is exposed to advertising and crucially for how long. We recognised the rapidly changing nature of the market and have evolved to ensure our measurement system can provide greater detail on travel habits than ever before. The new currency will improve the capability to deliver audience-based planning and trading. This in turn will drive effectiveness and efficiency. These developments have been made possible by the out-of-home industry doubling its investment in our measurement system which has meant an increased sample of participants and the deployment of ground-breaking passive measurement devices.”
Justin Cochrane, Chairman of Outsmart said “Media owners are investing in new digital inventory alongside new gold-standard measurement, allowing advertisers to understand audiences at an even more granular level. The developments at Route signal a new dawn for the medium, building upon the trust advertisers place in Out of Home because of its reach, creativity, flexible planning, accountability and effectiveness.”
Route is underwritten by the industry, including specialist media agencies, Kinetic Worldwide, Mediacom Outdoor, Posterscope, Rapport Worldwide and Talon Outdoor. The media owner guarantors are Clear Channel Outdoor, JCDecaux and Global.
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