Route, the audience measurement currency for out of home, has made a sound start since launching in 2013. So what are we learning? James Whitmore explains.
Video on the hoof; a quantitative conundrum if ever there was one. Whether it’s YouTube, on-demand and catch-up video on mobile devices, pub TV or any other manifestation of the moving image consumed when away from hearth and home; measurement of the viewing audience has long been a thorny matter.
It’s a hot topic. As yet there is no specific independent measure for mobile video in the UK. There are some independent voices such as BARB with project Dovetail. A barrage of data comes from proprietary sources such as the mobile phone companies and the owners of the delivery platforms.
In the US, comScore has just announced its intention to measure video on mobile devices. In a similar sphere, recently a consortium of European media owners announced it is to embark on a quest to produce the “first audience measurement system for digital out-of-home”.
Part of the idea behind Route’s conception way back in 2008, was that we should be able to provide audience metrics for advertisements that appear on digital signage. We are talking about anything that is present in a public space. Measuring people whether they are driving cars, waiting at stations, shopping in malls, dashing for a plane or any other form of human activity that is undertaken when out and about is the brief that we were given.
The actual probability that an advertising impact has occurred is subject to a further layer of proof.”
In essence, the answer to the question is that you must understand the direction that people are travelling and their speed. You can then calculate the time that a digital frame is in view. Eye-tracking studies will tell you the probability of seeing a digital screen. If you then input the characteristics of the advertising loop and the advertiser’s share of time – voila, you have an audience.
For Route, the aspect of “viewability” is dealt with from first principles – we call it “realistic opportunity to see” or ROTS. An opportunity to see might conceivably be afforded to anyone who passes in the vicinity of a poster.
The definition of ROTS requires that the subject be travelling towards or past the poster frame and that the ad is both within the field of vision of the viewer (a 120° cone) and that he or she is within the visibility area of the poster (which varies depending on the size and angle of the frame). When the two conditions are met, i.e. it is both visible and viewable, we may be confident that there is a realistic chance that the advertisement will be seen.
The actual probability that an advertising impact has occurred is subject to a further layer of proof. Eye-tracking research is used to convert “realistic opportunities” to “likelihoods” of seeing. It is the likelihood of seeing that is the definition of an impact for out-of-home media.
Route’s GPS travel survey and traffic models tell us how many, and what type of, people pass a site. They also state the directions of travel in relation to the poster, the speed of approach, the distance that is travelled when the frame is in view and thus the total exposure time to the object in question.
For all this, we understand the differences by time-of-day and day-of-week. And being based on an extensive survey, we have a deep understanding of demographics, lifestyles, media imperatives and retail behaviour.
A visibility algorithm is entwined with the traffic models. This informs the proportion of people that pass a poster that is likely to see it. The probability of seeing a frame will accumulate and grow as you move toward it. The extent and rate of this growth is determined by the characteristics of the frame – its size, angle of presentation, offset from the direction of travel, type of illumination and whether it is static, scrolling or digital.
Obviously, if we know the total time that the frame is in view, we can determine the probability to see each spot in a moving display.
Size matters – a big digital ad will benefit proportionately more from movement than a small one.”
What does eye tracking tell us about how moving images affect the way we see the world? Working with Birkbeck College, Route conducted three studies, each building on the previous one. Starting with more general and abstract notions, we concluded with a measure of digital and scrolling presentation.
It is the third phase that produced outputs that are used in the Route algorithms that define the likelihood to see a moving poster or bus.
What we know and can quantify, is the extra dimension that is attributable to movement. It attracts the eye above and beyond what might be the case for a static advertising sign. Thus, for digital screens, not only are more ads served to the passer-by but also, by dint of their movement, those ads are more likely to catch the eye.
The findings produce some interesting hierarchies. For example, pedestrians demonstrate a slightly greater attraction to dynamic poster displays, followed by car passengers and then drivers – which no doubt will sooth safety campaigners.
At the same time, car passengers are marginally more drawn to the sight of a bus than drivers, with pedestrians following up the rear. (Yes, we realise that buses aren’t digital but they are large things that move and therefore we ought to know how that affects the way we perceive our world.)
Size matters – a big digital ad will benefit proportionately more from movement than a small one. We found some evidence that distinct changes, such as the onset of action, have an effect.
Critically, in terms of creating a measurement system, we learned that movement means that the object is seen sooner. In other words, if it takes you ten seconds to pass a poster, your eye might be attracted in the first second if it is digital. A static display might be noticed a little later. If you see a moving image sooner, then you will have a greater opportunity to see subsequent images whilst you pass towards and beyond the poster site.
Route has made a sound start and all the above is an integral part of the currency. Increasing interest in “away from home video delivery” – whatever the platform – the disproportionate interest that it is attracting and its importance in the future means that more independent research is essential to further improve our understanding of the nature of video and other moving images in the outdoor space.
James Whitmore is managing director of Route.
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