• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, October 28, 2009

Eleven members of the Out-of-home Video Advertising Bureau have completed their first audience-research studies in conformity with OVAB's new audience metric guidelines, published last year. While most big DO networks have previously conducted proprietary audience studies with third-party research firms, this marks the first time that they agree on the underlying metric.

The OVAB members that completed audience-research studies using the organization's guidelines include Access 360 Media, Adspace Digital Mall Network, Buzztime, Captivate Network, CBS Outernet, Channel M, indoorDirect, Premier Retail Networks, RMG, Target Channel Red, Zoom Media & Marketing. These companies operate DO networks in an array of venues: malls, elevators in office buildings, youth-oriented retail, big-box retail, casual dining restaurants, and nightlife spots.

Suzanne La Forgia, the president of OVAB, stated: "A large group of networks made the investment to move beyond traffic measures as their media currency to data based on audience impressions." She added that the data will give "advertising decision makers the information they need to compare them with other traditional forms like television, the Internet and print."

OVAB says it is releasing the data to their "key advertising and agency partners." The results have yet to be made public.

The profusion of DO networks presented a challenge for both owners and advertisers trying to distinguish between DO networks, as well as between DO and other forms of video media -- especially television.

The OVAB metric guidelines were drawn up in 2007-2008 to enable more consistent measurement of DO audiences, and thus easier comparison of networks and media. The metric guidelines were devised in consultation with OVAB member networks and its agency advisory committee -- including representatives from OMD, MediaVest, Initiative, Horizon Media, Zenith Media, Posterscope-Hyperspace, Starcom, Starcom USA, TargetCast, MPG, ZenithOptimedia, Dentsu America, and Kinetic, among others.

OVAB has been careful to emphasize that its guidelines are just that -- suggestions for producing concrete, accurate, comparable metrics rather than prescriptions that must be followed to the letter. This gives OVAB members leeway in formulating their own proprietary approaches to measurement, allowing them to add and refine metrics in collaboration with third-party research firms.