This spring, OAAA formed the Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) and Attribution Working Group to guide a first phase research project for developing insights on improving OOH performance measurement. The purpose of the research was to develop best practices and other educational tools to provide guidance to OAAA members, along with modelers and data providers. Because the end goal of the initiative is to increase OOH’s share of omnichannel marketing spend, the working group will continue with additional phases, including a 2022 major brand study implementing the best practices and utilizing the project learnings.
The performance measurement guidance and educational materials released and available for download from OAAA’s website in the links below, include:
- MMM and Attribution Modeling White Paper
- MMM Best Practices
- OOH Attribution Best Practices
- MMM and Attribution Modeling Glossary
- OOH Attribution Request for Information (RFI) Template
As part of the research, Sequent Partners conducted dozens of in-depth interviews with brand marketers, OOH media leaders, OOH programmatic platform executives, OOH data experts, and top modelers to share the distinct viewpoints held by each of the stakeholders. As a result, the best practices identify areas where the development of industry standards will greatly benefit performance measurement, establishing pathways and guardrails to deliver reporting that is accurate and actionable for all parties involved.
Two universal principles have been incorporated into the best practices for OOH:
- Accurate and precise data inputs enable model outputs that are accurate and precise.
- More granular inputs enable more granular models and more actionable insights.
“Through our analysis, we saw some clear basic steps that agencies and advertisers need to adopt for effective attribution in OOH. This begins with ensuring that accurate and precise data inputs are being utilized in models. More granular inputs enable more granular models and more actionable insights. But it is equally important that the marketplace outcome variable be aligned with the role of OOH in the campaign. For example, if OOH is charged with driving brand awareness, it should not be evaluated on its performance for driving short term sales.” – Alice Sylvester, partner, Sequent Partners
OAAA would like to recognize the OAAA MMM/Attribution Working Group for its contributions, especially co-chairs Mark Costa and Karin Baatsch-Deboulet. The entire working group includes: