In a game-changing move for the outdoor industry, CBS Outdoor is the first company to add the outdoor industry’s Eyes On ratings to its proof-of-performance report powered by Ayuda Media Systems, a software system for out-of-home media.
It’s the first time outdoor ratings will be delivered to buyers via an independent source, allowing advertisers to validate audience reach of outdoor campaigns alongside proof that the campaign ran.
The announcement comes on the eve of this year’s GO! 2010 Traffic Audit Bureau and Outdoor Advertising Association media conference opening this Sunday (May 2) in Phoenix.
Until now, advertisers and agencies have relied on media companies to provide Eyes On ratings, introduced by the Traffic Audit Bureau about a year ago to replace the archaic “daily effective circulation” numbers. As the industry transitions to the new metrics, getting the ratings into third party software systems to more efficiently manage outdoor campaigns was the next logical step.
“This provides a stamp of authenticity to the numbers and that gives clients and agency planners more comfort with the ratings,” said Jack Sullivan, svp of out-of-home for Starcom.
Though CBS’ industry-leading move covers about 30 percent of outdoor inventory, the hope is that other media companies will move quickly to integrate ratings into their systems.
“We have these new metrics, it’s an important new currency and unless we make it part of our DNA, it isn’t real,” said Jodi Senese, evp of marketing for CBS Outdoor.