Measurement has long been one of the Asian outdoor industry’s weak points. For many years that hardly seemed to matter as spend rocketed. But as advertisers reassess their options, have there been any signs of outdoor operators making themselves more accountable?
The view from the inside...
Rahul Welde, VP media of Asia, Africa, Middle East and Turkey for Unilever:
“As people are spending more time out-of-home, outdoor plays an integral role in our media strategy and almost all our key campaigns have an outdoor element. We are witnessing a huge change in the outdoor landscape.
Firstly, it is getting more organised both with multinational operators increasing presence as well as local players getting more professional and organised. The sector continues to be driven largely by local operators but is changing. Secondly, we are witnessing innovative ideas that go beyond mere posters.”
Ron Graham, managing director of Media On The Go:
“In Asia-Pacific, especially in emerging markets, the issues of market size and fragmentation are acute, and there are real obstacles to meaningful measurement.
Measurement solutions and costs must stay relevant to local market needs, and recognise what is suitable. In many cases, it is about finding the investment to take the next step, to go up one level on the measurement ladder, to improve accountability and compete with other media. Traffic exposure data needs to be available, audited and independent.”
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The full article was originally published as part of the Outdoor Report in the 25 March 2010 issue of Media.
Industry comments...
Edward Tang, general manager at SPH Media:
"Recession or not, accountability has always been a factor behind any media buyer’s purchasing decision, perhaps more pronounced in this increasingly competitive climate.
The ultimate challenge for all media owners is to be able to demonstrate sales lift. On this score, I would say no single media, including traditional media, can lay claim to be able to deliver guaranteed results. Out-of-home media should not be singled out and held to higher standards than the rest.
Out-of-home media is structurally different from print and television. Because of its diverse and fragmented nature, arriving at a common currency is still beyond the reach of the industry."
Adam Butterworth, CEO of Clear Channel in Singapore:"The recession itself hasn’t made accountability any more necessary than during any other time. It has, however, reinforced the importance of its role in growing revenue and share.
In markets where robust audience measurement systems have been in place for some time, revenue and share have followed.
Accountability is not the only contributor to a successful outdoor campaign. It is about the quality of the media assets and the agency's ability to bring it to life with the consumer in a meaningful way. Greater accountability in outdoor will go a long way in helping this process. At the very least, it helps advertisers execute their campaigns more efficiently."
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