As an industry we talk too much about tools, technology and trends. The cool. The new. The exciting. And while we are playing with new gadgets, marveling at modern science and romanticising about the future, our clients have real problems they need to solve - today.
We live in a fast moving world and technology is accelerating everything around us. So it’s becoming easier and easier to lose sight of why we are all here. This may seem blindingly obvious but our clients have objectives, problems to solve or opportunities to seize. We come up with solutions to meet their objectives, they pay us to do this and that’s why we’re here.
So why is it that as an industry we seem to be talking less and less about our client’s objectives and more and more about tools, technology and trends?
Here’s a case in point. I was asked to speak at a conference a few weeks ago about the state of audience measurement in the out-of-home industry; a reflection on the MOVE audience measurement system and the value created by the $10,000,000 invested in it. Instead, I decided to talk about the No. 1 responsibility of the out-of-home industry, something we actually do very poorly: defining value for our clients.
Audience measurement is not value nor does it define it, but $10,000,000 warrants excitement! Just ask our clients. Do they like it; yes, do they think it’s a step forward; yes, are they glad the industry has spent $10,000,000 developing it; yes. Does it help them solve their business problems or seize business opportunities; ummm, and is it worth $10,000,000; hmmmm.
Personally I think the MOVE system and methodology is great. In fact, it’s not only good, but world leading. I reckon it’s worth it because it quantifies audiences, helps the industry talk in a consistent way, makes audiences relevant against the clients target audience, and creates trust and ease. It’s actually something that the out-of-home industry is rightfully proud of. As a world first system that covers all formats and defines Likelihood-to-see (LTS), it nets down gross traffic with visibility and noticability to give a more accurate read of actual audience rather than potential audience.
But it goes one step further than that. It’s cleaning up an industry. Forget audience proxies, gross traffic and unfounded or inconsistent audience claims, they are rubbish, misleading, deceptive and cowboy. Any out-of-home operator not trading on likelihood to see (LTS) and actual audience needs to step up or get out. We aren’t living in the 90’s - the bar has been raised and our clients expect more from us than that.
At Inlink we have big audiences and great products in nice environments, technology and tools. But all of that just gets us to the table to have a conversation with our clients - a conversation that should be started by us listening. Where do we fit in the media mix? What role can we play in meeting our client’s objectives? Only then will our clients understand our value and only then will they value our media.
Oliver Roydhouse
Managing Director
Inlink