Why are Measurement and Insight so Important in Out of Home?

OOH, unlike other media, is inherently hard to measure. As an off-line channel that doesn’t have the concept of cookies, different methods are required to measure its effectiveness. Identifying and measuring exposure of a broadcast media however is no mean feat. Speed, distance, dwell time all need to be taken into consideration to quantify exposure and effectiveness.

Route, the gold standard measurement body for OOH, does this brilliantly allowing businesses to understand reach, frequency, and impacts. But how does this help advertisers understand the impact their campaigns have on consumer awareness and purchase intent, and how do these impact short- and long-term business effects of the brands?  

Talon’s Data-Driven Measurement Solutions

Talon has developed measurement options that span across the whole brand funnel, to answer those questions by providing deep levels of insight into campaign effectiveness. Campaign measurement in an off-line medium is complicated and multifaceted. It is a fine art that requires a mastery of campaign performance tracking and the amalgamation of disparate data outputs across multiple campaigns to create performance benchmarks   for the wider OOH landscape. These data points are then integrated to form a baseline related to consumer mindsets, effectiveness of certain formats and the optimum investment to drive return on investment. This ability to interpret large datasets and make sound decisions based on these derived insights is fundamental to build and craft a story to inform future OOH strategies.

Some recent insights to come from measurement studies at Talon and across the industry show that advertisers who continued to invest in Out of Home during the pandemic have benefitted from strong campaign performance with a +51% shift in ad recall and a +16% shift in purchase intent. This brilliantly demonstrates that while overall audiences may have been impacted, OOH campaign effectiveness did not reduce.

Additionally, data from large measurement studies have helped justify the effectiveness of our technology platforms. Analysis of over 40 outdoor campaigns, shows Ada optimisation is +53% more effective in driving consideration. Data driving insights to inform the future of OOH.

With media spend being scrutinized more than ever before, brands are rightly wanting more clarity on the performance of their campaigns. The ability to provide this level of detail relies on quality data and actionable insights.  With the end of the 3rd party cookie looming, measuring tangible effectiveness of online campaigns is going to become significantly more difficult. With OOH not reliant on cookies for its measurement, this will continue to provide that level of assurance in today’s evidence-based economy.

OOH is in its prime when brands are using it in smarter ways to engage on a deeper level, achieving both reach and long-term brand impacts. This could not be done without campaign measurement, using insights to inform the way campaigns are planned from the start, not just at the end. Data from campaign measurement is invaluable. Using it smartly by interpreting it, giving it context, and leveraging it in the right way to form smart insights is now more important than ever before.

Emily Alcorn, Head of Insight