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Major OOH players shut down speculation over commitment to OMA’s MOVE 2.0

The Out-Of-Home (OOH) industry body the Outdoor Media Association (OMA) is developing a new industry standard for digital (DOOH) measurement, but its MOVE 2.0 solution won’t roll out until 2023.

In the meantime, OOH players are largely using mobility data to measure impact, but at current, cannot measure reach and frequency across DOOH in the same way that MOVE’s static measurement system can.

Speaking with Mumbrella in March, the OMA admitted that the wait is leaving a “gap”. It appears that gap has opened up possibilities for smaller disrupter businesses in outdoor like New Zealand’s Lumo Digital, which launched its LENS technology in Australia recently.

LENS technology measures number plates to count vehicles in real time, and generates information on car makes and models.

Lumo Digital co-founder and CEO Phil Clemas

Lumo Digital co-founder and CEO Phil Clemas recently suggested to Mumbrella that LENS could be the first of many new forms of measurement that would make it difficult for OOH providers to remain committed to the long wait for MOVE 2.0.

“We heard two years ago that would be in two years time, there’ll be a digital out of home measurement system developed. Two years later it’s another two years away. In another two years is it going to be another two years away?” he said.

“My question is why is it taking so long? There are solutions now that are proven, I’m sure we’re not the only one.”

But major outdoor companies have doubled-down on their commitments to the OMA, MOVE 2.0 and forthcoming interim solution MOVE 1.5

Speaking with Mumbrella, JCDecaux CEO Steve O’Connor said the timeframe provided by the OMA was perfectly reasonable. “JCDecaux is fully committed to the implementation of MOVE 1.5 and MOVE 2.0.

“To develop a robust audience measurement system that covers all formats, is nationwide including regional markets, takes into account seasonal adjustments, and includes a considered filter to ascertain the likelihood for signs to be seen, takes time.

“Given this complexity, and the need to factor in a full 12 months of mobility data, it is not feasible to do it in a shorter time frame.

“When we undertook the MOVE RFP (Request For Tender) process, all manner and types of technology were considered and the solution we settled on was and is still the best available. Our clients want accurate audience measurement; MOVE 2.0 will be the gold standard.”

Ooh Media CEO Cathy O’Connor

Ooh Media CEO Cathy O’Connor echoed the commitment, telling Mumbrella: “It is vitally important for out-of-home as a whole to have independent and standardised audience measurement, which will grow our industry by making it more transparent, credible and simpler for our customers.

“MOVE 2.0 represents a substantial industry investment that will be the best available audience measurement solution, without question. Robust and effective, it will be future-proofed and fuel new ways of buying out-of-home media like programmatic.

“Along with other industry players, we are strong supporters of MOVE 2.0 and totally committed to its success.”

One of Clemas’ assertions is that owners of outdoor owners need to consider whether it’s worth continuing to support a forthcoming technology in MOVE 2.0 that would make their current forms of measurement “redundant”.

“I think what holds up progress is that there are too many vested interests in maintaining the status quo,” he said. “Too many big industry operators who have the biggest budgets, the biggest investments in the industry, and are already invested in their own proprietary products.

“So why would they want to have something where they’ve invested lots of money and their own things to then have something that comes out that they’re also funding for the industry, which could make their own products redundant?”

JCDecaux CEO Steve O’Connor

But Steve O’Connor said that the mobility-based systems of data capture used by OOH companies at current simply aren’t up to scratch, and isn’t concerned about JCDecaux’s measurement system not being used anymore once there’s a unified solution.

“There are a number of sources of mobility data available all with different strengths and weaknesses.

“There is confusion in market with different Out-of-Home operators using different sources and furthermore capturing and reporting data differently. Mobility data on its own will not provide audience measurement i.e. campaign reach and frequency.”

He explained: “The intention of MOVE is to have one industry system that provides reliable audience measurement data as a foundation. Out-of-home operators will then be able to overlay this creditable footing with their proprietary data sets to nuance their sales approach.

“At JCDecaux for example, we are focused on important data developments such as campaign attribution, which will complement and enhance the MOVE foundation – ultimately growing our understanding of Out-of-Home performance.

He concluded: “The fact that we have had VMO and Shopper Media join the OMA and MOVE in recent months is proof that the industry is united under the need for an industry currency.”

An OMA spokesperson confirmed to Mumbrella that the industry body intends to launch MOVE 1.5 around the end of July, and is working with MFA to meet this date.

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