Geopath Releasing New Real-time Metrics
Geopath is releasing two new data solutions
An Important Message from Geopath Regarding New Real-time Metrics
I hope this message finds you safe and well during these unpleasant times for our nation and the world.
Historically, Geopath impressions were used as a forecasting metric in order to predict the audience delivery of an out-of-home (OOH) campaign. They were not intended to provide insights into a campaign’s performance mid-campaign, nor did they signal the final goal and subsequent end of an OOH campaign, as often occurs in other media.
OOH advertising has been planned and bought on a variety of factors, including location, format type, and number of units over a specific contract term. Geopath impressions are another point of differentiation that provide guidance on inventory selection – but impressions are only part of the equation.
We recognize that unprecedented times require unprecedented solutions.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact traffic patterns, Geopath, our partners at Intermx, and our Insights Committee pivoted our work to focus on real-time travel data and the curation of real-time impression adjustments.
New Geopath Data Solutions
In response to the anomalous traffic patterns impacting the country, Geopath is releasing two new data solutions, a Real-Time Travel Activity Dashboard and Real-Time Impression Adjustment Metrics. Please see below for more information:
#1) Real-Time Travel Activity Dashboard
(Available Now at Geopath.org, or By Clicking Here)
In order to help the entire OOH industry, this dashboard is being made available for free, regardless of Geopath membership status.
Explanation: The data in this dashboard illustrate Daily Miles Traveled by CBSA for 2020. The benchmark for comparison is the Average Daily Miles Traveled for all of 2019. This dashboard will be updated daily until traffic pattern fluctuations due to the COVID-19 crisis return to normal.
These data are NOT intended to be used as a substitution for impression delivery. Travel distance declines should NOT be applied as a factor to the impression numbers, as distance traveled is not a perfect predictor of traffic volume. The Real-Time Travel Activity Dashboard should be used to understand travel trends by market as impacted by regulations and restrictions as well as to monitor when activity begins to return to normal levels.
Methodology: Geopath is leveraging mobile location data from multiple background SDK providers to determine the average distance traveled by a representative panel within each market. Mobile location data is analyzed across multiple days of the week and hours of the day to accurately calculate distance traveled as the population moves throughout the market. Distance traveled is reported as the median miles traveled every day, the rolling average of the median distance over 7 days, and the rolling average over 7 days as a percentage difference compared to the cumulative 2019 average daily distance traveled.
#2) Real-Time Impression Adjustment Metrics
(Pending Release 1-2 Weeks)
Explanation: Geopath is working diligently with our partners and committees to provide Real-Time Impression Adjustment Metrics. These adjustments are based on our 2020 forecast and will reflect the average impression changes (with upper and lower ranges) due to activity and travel behavior at the local level.
Average adjustment ranges will be provided:
- By market
- By media type
Impressions will not be provided at the individual display level.
Geopath has not previously provided actual, real-time actual impressions. Curating responsible, accurate, committee-vetted metrics of this scale requires a significant investment of time and resources. We will be releasing these metrics soon to Geopath members only.
Methodology: Geopath will create a report containing ranges of historically adjusted impressions for each week of 2020 by market and by media type. This will be accomplished by leveraging real-time device level activity data from mobile location services both at the market level and at OOH media sites. Roadways within the viewshed of audit inventory are geofenced to capture passing devices. Using these observed devices, Geopath will determine the population’s activity and to calculate changes in traffic volumes by measuring trip volume and frequency of trips by area type and by road type within a market.
We appreciate your patience as we work toward a solution to fill this gap. More information will be forthcoming. We will be hosting two workshops this week to discuss how to use the dashboard, and to provide guidance on use of these metrics.
To register for these sessions, please click the links below:
We will also share detailed information on the data and methodology behind the adjusted impressions. If you have immediate questions, you can reach out to our team at [email protected].
We realize that these data present new challenges for our industry, but transparency is crucial to ensure that we are being the best partners to advertisers, and that we retain our positive reputation in the advertising ecosystem.
We will come through this. We are all in this together. Stay strong, be safe, and stay well.
Always,
Kym Frank
President, Geopath