MRG One Day Conference: The Sutton Study

Speaking at the MRG conference in London last week, Neil Eddleston, managing director of JCDecaux Worldlink, introduced delegates to the latest in outdoor research – The Sutton Study.

Eddleston said that the increasingly large amount of investment in moving formats has led to the need for a measurement system that recognises new developments in the industry. He said: “Scrolling panels are only visible for a third of the time of a fixed panel and advertisers want to know they are getting value for money.”

He explained that the Sutton Study, which examined how 600 adults, in test conditions, responded to static and scrolling 46-sheet formats, showed that scrolling formats were more effective in catching and holding people’s attention.

According to Eddleston, the research revealed that 82% of adults recalled being exposed to a scrolling 46-sheet compared to 49% who recalled seeing a static poster. 69% of those who took part in the survey were found to have looked at a static site, compared to 93% who looked at a scrolling site.

Eddleston said that people looked at scrolling sites more regularly and for longer and explained that the amount of “eye-time” on a scrolling panel was double that of a static panel. He pointed out that two out every three people that are attracted to a scrolling site go on to look at the ad that follows and said: “We have proved that the scrolling medium delivers content, now its up to creatives to ensure that their message has a positive effect.”

More information about the MRG conference can be found on the MRG website: www.mrg.org.uk