The Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria has thrown its weight behind ongoing efforts by outdoor advertising practitioners towards initiating a data-based audience measurement research for out-of-home advertising practice in Nigeria.
The council says it is totally in support of the initiative whose aim is to provide some authentic record of audience measurement on outdoor advertising media, a technology development which overtime had eluded practitioners in the industry.
Declaring the council’s position on the subject recently was the Acting Registrar of APCON, Ijedi Iyoha.
Speaking during a preparatory meeting towards the commencement of the outdoor data research recently in Lagos, Iyoha, who was represented by the Head of Registrations and Carrier Matters at the Council, Eugene Onuora, stated that APCON was favourably disposed to every initiative which aims at advancing the course of growth of the industry and ultimately place outdoor advertising practice in Nigeria in the proper light.
He assured that APCON would lend its support to the research effort, as far as it is professionally conducted and it is authentic.
“I think it’s a welcome development in the sense that the business of advertising and marketing communications generally is rooted strongly in data and the source of most of that data is well-conducted research.
“Outdoor advertising has been contending with other media of advertising, particularly, radio and television and in recent times the social media, all of which are taking a considerable portion of the marketing and communication budget from outdoor. The reason is that some of these other media, particularly social media, lend itself more to measurements far better than outdoor advertising is able to do.
“So, I see the purpose and essence of what OAAN is doing to be able to put some data on the table, so that those who take decisions about where media advertising budget is directed would be better informed about the deliverables available through outdoor advertising. I think it’s a welcome development,” he said.
On what manner of input the Council hopes to give to the research effort, Onuora said, “The input is to be able to see that the research is professionally conducted because, one thing is to throw up data and another thing is to interrogate the validity of the authenticity of the data. So, if we are satisfied that the process leading to this research is professional, unencumbered and objective, then we can rely on the outcome of that research and the data that would come of it. Then, as a regulator, we will be convinced and satisfied that such data is worth the while.”
The proposed audience research is the brainchild of some private outdoor advertising companies in conjunction with OAAN. The research will provide data measurement for the benefit of advertisers not only in Nigeria but also across West African sub-region.
