ACCOUNTABILITY

EYE continues to champion the measurement of audience and effectiveness in the out-of-home sector internationally, both through industry bodies and associations as well as our own distinct initiatives.

Our world first Eye Tracking study - developed expressly for EYE and launched last year at Singapore Changi Airport - has now been rolled out into other markets and extended to other audience groups. Eye Tracking is a real-time, real-world experience of inventory, measuring how our audiences engage with out-of-home advertising media and providing valuable insights to help EYE and our clients more effectively develop and target campaigns.

The study conducted at Manchester Airport in the United Kingdom was part of a multi-country series, where built-in cameras on glasses recorded participants' eye movement and field of vision simultaneously. This was the first multi-format and multi-terminal research of its kind in out-of-home audience accountability in this market. The insights arising from the study included what influences engagement between panels and how long travellers view, as well as demonstrating a striking consistency in engagement rates between business and leisure travellers, and among departing and arriving passengers.

We also completed our Eye Tracking project at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and we are using the outcomes to market the benefits of Eye Study to advertisers seeking to engage the student market. As well as recording the rate and duration of engagement with Eye Study panels, this study provided practical insights that will help shape creative implementation - for example, students are more likely to engage with product shots on advertisements and they also engage initially during creative transitions on scrolling and digital formats.

In Australia, Eye Fly conducted research across our network of airports to deepen our understanding of audience activities, mindsets, journeys and the impact of the different formats, including how they work in unison.

In the United States, the study commissioned with specialist research firm Arbitron into the habits and preferences of teen shoppers was concluded and shed light on a range of considerations for advertisers. Audience segmentation considerations were highlighted as the study compared findings for teens and adult shoppers, with a more heightened emphasis on the entertainment experience for teens. One of the most interesting findings from the study was the differences between the buying habits of teens who are regular mall goers versus their peers. EYE mall teens were nearly five times as likely to classify themselves as the highest level of early adopters compared to a random sample of US residents aged 12 to 17.

The results of a separate adult shopper profile study conducted for EYE across seven malls in the United States yet again underpinned how influential a role Eye Shop inventory can play in tapping into shoppers' social and emotional states and, hence, their buying habits.

In ADVAL, our point-of-purchase project with K-Mart has demonstrated the positive influence of an ADVAL promotion on consumers' spending and impromptu shopping visits. Our research showed that 42 per cent of people who noticed ADVAL advertising spent more than planned, rising to 50 per cent of people for those who noticed multiple ADVAL inventory.

We have also been working successfully with the Australian out-of-home advertising industry to introduce the world-class audience measurement system, MOVE, which is set to significantly change the industry and further grow the sector. MOVE is designed to deliver more accountability to the out-of-home medium.

As EYE is the only stakeholder with significant depth and breadth of expertise across each of the roadside, transport and retail formats, our knowledge base and understanding of the system is substantial.