Route, the audience research body for outdoor advertising, has commissioned an expanded and renewed 6 year research project. Worth £20 million, the project will deliver audience data at a more granular level.
Since 2008, Route has used behavioural and observational studies to inform models for movement in interior spaces. From last month, multi-sensory tracking (MST) was developed to produce an even more precise picture of movement indoors and underground. Bespoke and dedicated devices will deliver second-by-second tracing of survey participant’s travels. Sample sizes will also increase from 4,300 to 7,200 per annum with each participant carrying the device for at least 14 days.
The end game for Route is to deliver a uniform second-by-second measure of screens and posters for the entire country. The project aims to give advertisers more precision about the type of person who views different outdoor formats and their viewing experiences. Specifically, more data on how long a person views the ad, what levels of viewing exist throughout the day and what viewing differences based on demographic. The first fruits of this research will show in early 2018.
All Response Media Viewpoint
There has been a trending move on the outdoor scene to digitalise formats. This change would allow even further targeting by day of week and time of day. With digital formats, advertisers can be more creative and strategic on messaging as the turnaround time to go live can occur within a few hours.
Combined with the insights from Route’s research project, agencies can apply further targeting and optimisations with outdoor advertising. This in effect makes this platform a more viable route for direct response and customer acquisition.