TAB Developments Slated to Move Industry Ahead

By Andrea Catsicas

In the past four years the Traffic Audit Bureau Out of Home Ratings (TAB), have become the accepted currency in out-of-home media buys, providing the first comprehensive picture of who is viewing billboards, bulletins, posters and other types of outdoor media.

A non-for profit organization, members include out-of-home media companies, advertising agencies, and major advertisers. TAB ratings are scalable and may be compared to the ratings of other local media, accurately profile the demographics of audiences who actually see advertising, and are projectable to standard media markets of interest to advertisers.

Recent activity indicates there are new developments on the horizon at the TAB.

“The major changes upcoming in TAB Out of Home Ratings include the incorporation of transit and digital out of home advertising, as well as a major system update that incorporates new census data into the ratings system,” said Nick Guercio, TAB Marketing Specialist.

These are expected to provoke new changes that will infuse big data and an accurate, full-scale rating system, which will allow buyers and sellers to trade in these terms giving out of home more consideration in a media plan and fill in major holes. It will provide more accurate and credible ratings while highlighting the strengths of the medium. New changes will also allow all Out of Home the ability to be expressed in real media terms.

As expected, the industry has responded positively to the new progress from the TAB.

“Since the TAB is now encompassing mobile transit media into all the counting aspects, planners and buyers will now have the justifiable numbers to calculate a solid GRP correctly,” said Frank Yon, NMB Media, Managing Partner. “In previous years, we were merely considered a filler media since there were no true audited numbers available. Now with this new TAB innovative counting methodology, we can be placed in the main media plans, thus allowing mobile media a greater share in the outdoor advertising arena.”

The new changes to the TAB will be filling a huge void and will project the industry forward. Entire media plans will be able to be rated now. Most importantly, TAB Out of Home Ratings will provide a new level of accountability that will generate more confidence and use among both local and national advertisers. The future for the TAB is to continue to grow into additional markets and add more data.

Andrea Catsicas is CEO and President of Peak Interest a Full Marketing and Media Solution where she delivers results that draw on her experience from Coca-Cola North America,  Crispin Porter + Bogusky and Zimmerman Advertising (Omnicom).  Follow her on Twitter at @AndreaCatsicas.