EYES ON Bloggers

Since the release of EYES ON Ratings in January, I’m still struggling with the issue of perception versus reality.

EYES ON has leapfrogged over not just the old DEC measurements system but over most other measured media.  While this sounds great and I for one am proud of this achievement, does everyone get it?  I’m not so sure.  Why then aren’t we seeing more demand from advertisers for OOH on their advertising programs?

Frankly one reason is that adoption of anything new takes time and while EYES ON Ratings has taken us closer to where we belong, we’re not there yet.  We need to remember that outdoor has indisputable advantages over other media that has been long known: reaching consumers on the go, tracking them from home to point of purchase,  delivering messages that can’t be zapped or tivo-ed in ways that are often mind blowing and spectacular.  EYES ON provides accountability, underscores trust and solidifies the sale, validating the argument we’ve been making all along.

Another reason we’re not there is because we’ve not as united as we should be.  We need to be more open and accepting of other media types that reach active consumers such as mobile advertising and digital OOH.  Traditional OOH needs to work with these other OOH types to deliver an all-encompassing OOH plan that reaches the on-the-go, active consumer. As chair of TAB, I’d like to see EYES ON expanded to include more OOH media formats.

Finally, we need to be more aggressive advocates of our medium, demanding our seat at the table, rather than just passively waiting for an invitation to join in. Of course we need to support EYES ON but we need more.  Having fresh research about how consumers think and act in our space would help.

It’s a media war out there.  No more Mr. Nice Guy. We need to pull together all the artillery we have at our disposal.  I’m tired of reading articles that describe what outdoor used to be. We need to consistently and cohesively correct misconceptions about what today’s OOH is and can do. And we need to do it now.

Only then will we be able to drive more revenue into the OOH arena.

Jack Sullivan

SVP – OOH Activation Director

Starcom Worldwide

Not that long ago, I was speaking to a client who had heard about the new EYES ON ratings system and was curious to know how it was done.  After all, he mused, how DO they see who’s watching the boards? Are there little cameras perched on top? Is that why it’s called EYES ON?

While this may seem comical to those who’ve been involved with EYES ON from its inception, his confusion underscores the need for both education about, and experience with the new system.  EYES ON has been much anticipated as the official new measurement currency for OOH media.  We know the system was rigorously developed and offers robust information that solidifies our media investment decisions. We know it provides a common currency that allows easy comparison with other media.  And as those charged with justifying our recommendations, we feel it offers more meaningful measures than we’ve ever had before.

The challenge is we have to step up the pace and make EYES ON hands on! It will take commitment to the process which is not much different from learning a new language: practice, practice, practice. Planners and buyers need to see the system in action, examining comparisons between DECs and EOI in order to see how the new metrics better serve their needs.  Sellers need to communicate why a specific recommendation is right for a particular client and be fully conversant in the new currency so that they may educate their customers. Dialog between buyer and seller is key as well as a willingness to play with the system and learn through doing.

It will take more than a few webinars to get planners and buyers comfortable with these systems and familiar enough to explain the outcomes to their clients.  Agencies will need regular guidance and support, whether through vendors or the companies developing tools utilizing EYES ON data. But buyers need to do their part as well by pushing suppliers to include EOI on their proposals and insuring that it’s not just another data point or column in a grid but fully understood so that we, in turn, can educate our clients.

In net, EYES ON needs to become hands on sooner than later and it’s everyone’s responsibility to make that happen.

Let’s just do it!

Norm Chait

Norm Chait is SVP, Director of OOH Investment and Activation for Mediavest Worldwide in New York City