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Debut of TAB Audits
Marks New Era in Out of Home Media
Measurement
Integrated market methodology
revolutionizes system in place since
1934 New York, N.Y. February
24, 2005: The Traffic Audit Bureau
for Media Measurement, the out of home
industry’s independent auditing service,
has begun rolling out its new market
level audit, providing a single unified
measurement for out of home inventory.
Four years in the making, the new
methodology integrates over 500,000
panels into a national database,
insuring consistency in measurement for
all inventory within each DMA, thus
improving the industry’s currency for
the planning and buying of out of home
media. The top 25 markets are currently
being released with all remaining
markets due out by mid year. As new
audits are released for plants in a DMA,
prior TAB audits based upon the old
currency will no longer be valid.
A new currency for out of home
advertising
The benefits of the new Audit are
significant. Historically, individual
plant audits formed the basis for DEC
information, with updates being
conducted once every three years. The
new Audit relies entirely on independent
data collection by TAB who standardizes
and centralizes the information to
insure all inventory on a given road
regardless of operator will have the
same traffic count. Such information
will be updated annually and be made
available by DMA and MSA, rather than by
PDA (Plant Defined Area), in order to
provide greater consistency and
comparability with other media. In
addition, this exhaustive new system
comprised of out of home inventory,
traffic counts and DECs provides the
foundation upon which further audience
measurement can be developed.
“The new audits are a boon for the
out of home industry, establishing a
sound and credible currency for the
medium”, cites TAB’s President, Joe
Philport. Andrea MacDonald, President of
MacDonald Media and Chair of the TAB,
adds “The new methodology establishes
accountability across all companies and
levels the playing field to allow plants
to compete on their individual merits”.
Rocky Sisson, E.V.P., Sales & Marketing
for Clear Channel Outdoor, concurs “From
the start, Clear Channel saw the long
term benefits of a market based audit.
We are in full compliance for every one
of our panels and already believe it is
making a notable difference in
increasing customer confidence."
The TAB will be unveiling details
about the new Audit via breakout
sessions at the upcoming AAAA Media
Conference and Trade Show being held
March 2-4, 2005 at the Hilton New
Orleans Riverside. In addition to these
sessions, representatives from the TAB
will be available at Booth # 515.
For further information on the new
Audit, contact Larry Hennessy at
larryhennessy@tabonline.com or by
calling 212-972-8075, ext. 202.
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About the TAB
Established in 1933, the Traffic
Audit Bureau for Media Measurement Inc.
is a non-profit organization whose
primary mission is to audit out of home
media in the United States. Run by a
tripartite board comprised of
advertisers, agencies and media
companies, the TAB acts an independent
auditor in accordance to guidelines
established by their Board of Directors.
These rules govern both how audits are
conducted as well as how circulation
figures are reported by media companies.
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