Australia’s fastest-growing digital out-of-home (DOOH) media business Shopper Media Group today announced the launch of a new research data division, Shopper Data Group.

Shopper Data Group will capture behavioural data and offer bespoke research capabilities through Shopper Media Group’s network of Smartlite digital panels currently installed in more than 150 shopping centres nationally.

Shopper Media Group and Shopper Data Group CEO Ben Walker said, “Our high-tech Smartlite digital panels offer HD screens, beacon technology, webcam and intelligent WiFi analytics enabling us to provide our clients with the unique opportunity to survey ‘consumers on the go’ and discover what they want.

“Shopper Data Group will focus on delivering our clients genuine consumer insights from within the retail environment.”

Smartlite panels provide free WiFi with a faster connection than 4G plus unlimited data. “Opting into the free WiFi unlocks substantial consumer data, which will be captured by Shopper Data Group, and provides the opportunity to ask specific questions to obtain a deeper understanding of consumers on their shopping journey and as they navigate product choices,” Walker added.

Shopper Data Group’s ability to capture targeted data analytics and consumer insights offers clients and advertisers the opportunity to better integrate and target their messaging and create more relevant and effective campaigns for their brands than ever before.

In the past 12 months, approximately 190,000 Australian consumers have answered survey questions asked within the retail environment. Walker said Shopper Data Group will have access to more than 60,000 unique consumers every day.

“Brands and companies want to know how and why consumers make certain purchasing decisions and Shopper Data Group will ask those questions as close to, if not during, the actual decision making process,” he said.

With Smartlites in every state and territory Shopper Data Group will provide a national perspective and, with a minimum of 6,000 consumers answering individual questions, deliver robust sample sizes. Shopper Data Group will also have the ability to cut the collected data a multitude of ways—by age, state and gender and in real time due to the immediacy of the data collection.