White Paper: Audience Measurement: Taking Digital Signage To The Next Level

Shadowing the momentous growth of the digital signage industry has been the demand for metrics and audience measurement. All stakeholders involved—users and providers alike—are pushing hard to get standards and the necessary technology established. Advertisers and marketers want credible ROI numbers and measurements— essentially, they want proof of effectiveness.

Big strides are being made to fulfill this demand, generating some significant developments. Industry associations are at the brink of developing standards. In fact, the Out-of-home Video Advertising Bureau (OVAB) recently released its 82-page report titled, "Audience Metrics Guidelines." Emerging technology capable of determining everything from how many people view a sign to their demographic makeup is being showcased, tested and even implemented in some cases.

The industry push toward having the appropriate technology and implementation approach has been strong. But it's important for end users to understand why metrics are needed in order to determine which, if any, of these new applications are necessary for their particular project. But the idea behind this approach goes beyond providing accountability to media buyers. Measurement also assures that viewers are receiving relevant messages at opportune times.