Outdoor advertiser QMS Media says its latest data shows a 26% jump in audience numbers since their lowest ebb early in April. “The positivity in data since then has pointed to OOH audiences being on the way back." Meanwhile, the Outdoor Media Association released its annual report showing revenue for 2019 hit an all-time high of $935.5 million.
“The facts of COVID-19 are that it did have a major effect on our OOH audiences,” said QMS chief strategy officer Christian Zavecz. “At their lowest ebb (April 6th), weekly total average reach had dropped by 54% and total contacts by 67%.
“The positivity in data since then has pointed to OOH audiences being on the way back – even before restrictions have been officially relaxed. Latest data up until the 3rd May, has shown an increase in reach of 26% and contacts by 18% since we reached the floor position.”
Not all of the company’s sites have been affected equally by COVID-19 restrictions, he said.
“The CBD has been the worst hit with an average drop in total contacts of 71%, year on year for the month of April. Suburban (-41%) and Regional (-34%) sites are back but demonstrate how the way we are now moving has changed.
“There are also unique variances by market as a multitude of factors contribute to the unique data stories we are seeing. Some states such as WA (-39%) & QLD (-45%) have not been hit as hard as VIC (-58%). So, understanding how each state’s enforcement of restrictions and its effect on OOH audiences allows us to accurately forecast how they will bounce back through the recovery period.”
The company’s new audience measurement platform helped to identify these audience shifts and “allowed us to adjust pricing accordingly and ensure that our client’s cost efficiencies are not compromised," Zavecz said.
“DYNAMiQ, our measurement platform launched in January this year after 3 years of development, combines the expertise of mobility data and intelligence solution provider DSpark and audience modelling specialists WEJUGO. The result is an audience measurement platform that is robust to the highest global level, representing one of the biggest per capita sample sizes of any medium in any country. This comparative statement matters because it highlights the robustness and accuracy of the data.
“We also anticipate that as we emerge from our isolation and feel able to be out and about again enjoying our mobile lives, this will be matched by renewed attention to OOH messages - one of those things that we did not know we missed until we could no longer access it as we were used to. So, the new creative advertisers are currently thinking about is going to be exposed to a very receptive audience. Bring it on.”
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In its 2019 annual report released this week, the Outdoor Media Association (OMA) said total net media revenue increased 1.5% to an all-time high of $935.5 million, with digital Out of Home (DOOH) accounting for 55.8%.
“It makes it difficult to look back, on what is now a halcyon period, when the industry grew exponentially following the global financial crisis in 2009,” said Charmaine Moldrich, CEO, OMA. “Annual reports are meant to document a specific period time, so while COVID-19 is what is happening to us in 2020, we know that the foundation we have built over the last 80 years, alongside the guidance of our board, will serve us well as we prepare for recovery from this pandemic.”
