Outdoor Media Association To Build Automated Transaction Platform

The Outdoor Media Association (OMA) is calling for expressions of interest to build an Automated Transaction Platform (ATP) that will create a one-stop hub for the buying and selling of OOH in Australia across all formats.

Establishing an industry-wide platform is a world-first for the OOH industry and the first time any representative media organisation has united to develop a single source transaction system. The industry joined together over five years ago to launch its audience measurement system, MOVE, again the first of its kind in the Australian market.

“Five years on from MOVE we wanted to build on our success, and in listening to our clients: media agencies and advertisers, we believe automation is the next obvious step. This transaction platform will not just amalgamate the industry, it will make it easier for agencies and clients to buy outdoor media in Australia,” said the CEO of the OMA, Charmaine Moldrich.

The OMA is seeking expressions of interest from individual organisations, or consortiums, which specialise in software development, specifically those that can develop a portal hub to amalgamate the various OOH formats under one transaction platform. The platform should be accessible via a mapping interface and have the ability to pull various data sources, including consumer and geodata. It is envisaged that the platform will have four components, and those interested in tendering can bid for the entire transaction platform, or one or more of the four components.

Phase one will concentrate on automating the current processes including the integration of industry formats and inventory; selling and buying; as well a post analysis and billing. Phase one is expected to be in market in 2016.

Future expectations for subsequent roll outs of the ATP will include programmatic trading.

“The outdoor industry is the only traditional media channel experiencing record growth, and our audiences continue to grow. We know that each day nine out of 10 Australians leave home, and as a consequence of our growing audiences we are seeing OOH on more media plans. OOH revenue has grown 26 per cent in the last five years and technology makes our once static channel dynamic. It is our intention to capitalise on this growth and invest in making it easier to brief, plan and buy our signs across the full array of outdoor formats nationally,” added Moldrich.

Steve O’Connor, OMA Chairman and CEO of JCDecaux, said a key factor in the decision to create an industry-wide platform was to take ownership of the sales proposition and the data. “It’s imperative that we continue to build on our success by taking the lead in developing our own automated transactional platform, to ensure our future growth and evolve the way we work with advertisers.”

According to Grant Guesdon, general manager MOVE and chief architect for the ATP, the platform will be super-charged through integration of MOVE data and third party geodata, including the ability for users to load their own proprietary consumer geodata.

“The ultimate goal is to create a pan-industry system that’s user friendly, incorporates geographical information and is also set up for automated trading, including programmatic, in the near future,” he said.

Major industry bodies, including the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) and the Media Federation of Australia (MFA) reportedly support the project.

“One of the core pillars of the MFA is to determine more effective and efficient ways of working for our industry,” said Sophie Madden, CEO of the MFA. “We support the OMA undertaking such a significant project in order to make the outdoor medium easier for our members to transact with and look forward to seeing how this new platform develops.”

“Developing the world’s first Outdoor Automated Transaction Platform is an exciting and significant leap forward for the OOH industry,” said Peter Horgan, CEO OMD. “Up to and including MOVE, the Industry User Group has been a force of collaboration. We are pleased to see the OMA embrace automation as a priority and we believe there is a need to make buying and selling media more efficient for our clients.  I congratulate the industry in taking on this challenge, one which I know will reap benefits [for] all parties involved with the outdoor industry.”

Victor Corones, MD of MAGNAGLOBAL added: “With outdoor formats evolving at pace, a system like this will enable buyers to maximise the creativity and reach of the medium like never before. We’re looking forward to seeing this product roll out over the next year.”

OOH is the second fastest growing media in Australia and OMA members represent 90 per cent of the OOH industry accounting for $602.1 million in advertising revenue in 2014.