Geopath, the U.S. out-of-home (OOH) media industry's audience measurement provider, is moving into audio advertising measurement.
In a deal announced this morning by Montreal-based in-store audio advertising network Stingray Advertising, Geopath will begin providing audience estimates for retail-based digital audio ad impressions in the U.S.
"We are thrilled to have Stingray join Geopath and together provide the industry with another valuable measured format of OOH media," Geopath President Dylan Mabin said in a statement, adding, "Measuring a new form of media, such as AOOH, is one of many accomplishments along Geopath’s strategic vision to bring together all segments of the OOH industry and work together to build a strong and diverse OOH media ecosystem of the future."
A Geopath spokesperson confirmed that the organization already measures video place-based media with an audio component, but that the deal with Stingray is the first to measure audio place-based media on a standalone basis.
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The new retail audio audience estimates will be provided alongside Geopath's "holistic integrated approach" to out-of-home and place-based audiences, and is developing new tools to "give advertisers the ability to quantify this new retail media format as part of their media mix."
Stingray Advertising claims to be the largest in-store audio ad network in North America, with a weekly reach of about 40 million shoppers across 20,000 grocery retailers, superstores, discount stores and pharmacies.
Geopath (formerly the Traffic Audit Bureau), is best known for auditing static and video-based advertising in out-of-home locations, but recently unveiled plans to move in a more "omnichannel" direction, measuring new and emerging out-of-home media and formats, as well as comparing their audience exposure alongside other measured media.
Geopath, also is the closest thing the U.S. media measurement industry has to a joint industry committee -- or a JIC -- in which all side of he marketplace -- both buyers and sellers -- are represented.