DOOH research: well on the way to a standardized measurement currency

While the overall advertising market started January 2025 with a decline of 6.1%, out-of-home advertising grew by 5.9%. By 2023, the Swiss Advertising Statistics Foundation had already recorded an 8% increase in sales for this category. This means that out-of-home (OOH) is maintaining its position as one of the strongest media with increasing relevance for advertisers. However, despite this positive development, there is one key challenge: the lack of a cross-provider measurement method. OOH is "en vogue" and the topic is complex. Reason enough for m&k editor Beat Hürlimann to get to the bottom of the matter in short video interviews with the various exponents.

A fragmented market with different measurement methods

The DOOH market in Switzerland is dominated by three major players: APG|SGA, Goldbach Neo and Livesystems. These providers currently use different measurement systems. The SPR+ currency, which is controlled by APG|SGA, provides planning data on the one hand. Livesystems, on the other hand, relies on mobility data from the Intervista Institute. These parallel structures make it difficult to evaluate campaigns transparently and uniformly.

Leading industry associations such as the Swiss Advertising Client Association (SWA), Leading Swiss Agencies (LSA) and IAB are therefore calling for a uniform measurement currency that allows advertisers to plan and measure the success of their campaigns more precisely. SWA Director Roland Ehrler told m&k: "As an advertising client, it is important that we have one currency and not several currencies, as is the case in other media genres."

DOOH Research Event: Voices from the industry

To get closer to this goal, iab Switzerland, IGEM and IGDOOH organized the DOOH Research Event. The event brought together all relevant stakeholders, including representatives from media agencies, research institutes and providers. The urgency of the issue was emphasized in specialist presentations and a panel discussion.

Marc Goetti from IG DOOH welcomed the specialist audience to the fully booked event, which was organized with the support of the SWA and LSA.

Beat Krebs from LSA outlined the current research landscape for OOH/DOOH and explained the industry's efforts to achieve standardization. Felix H. Mende from SPR+ presented the further development of the SPR+ Expert and emphasized the granularity of planning, especially in the programmatic area. Beat Fischer from Intervista presented the smartphone-based measurement solution that has been used to collect mobility data in Switzerland since 2018 in order to precisely analyze advertising spaces in a wide variety of environments.

Helen Seligmann from Mediaschneider sees the challenges in practical implementation: "As things stand, we have learned to live with the different systems. We try to make the best possible use of the available data and can enrich it with our own internal data in order to make cross-supply calculations."

As a media agency, Oliver Schönfeld from TWmedia looks after Coop, one of the most important advertisers in the Swiss market, and is therefore particularly committed to cross-provider research: "We need uniform reach data across all providers. An advertiser needs to know the total reach of their campaign - regardless of who they book with."

Christian Kumar-Meier from Mediatonic puts it in a nutshell: "We have to join forces, then we can solve all the other problems. We don't have to discuss the details today - small screens, large screens, yes, no - but together we need to create a solution for the Swiss market. That's what we have to do."

The challenges of a single currency

The key question remains: How can a single currency be realized? SPR+ is currently owned exclusively by APG|SGA, which makes cross-market participation difficult. However, Beat Holenstein from APG|SGA has signaled openness. He told m&k: "We are in discussions and have already held talks with LSA, SWA, Lifesystems and Goldbach Neo. We are open and ready to take the next step and enable participation from SPR+ onwards. It has been agreed to commission an independent expert to objectively assess SPR+ in order to create a sound basis for discussion."

With Intervista, Livesystems relies on a data-based system that provides mobility data. CEO Adriano Beti sees this as the future: "We want to use the knowledge of digitalization and transparently disclose the data obtained for the benefit of the advertiser."

Felix Mende from SPR+ points to the established standards, but also sees a need to catch up: "It was also a topic today that not all formats are covered and that not all environments are covered. And we are aware of these weaknesses and naturally want to rectify them in the future."

Beat Fischer from Intervista emphasizes the importance of mobility data: "If you want to understand outdoor advertising, you have to understand mobility. For example, you need to know what is happening on the streets, in the stores, where the screens, the spaces, the posters are hanging in order to see this advertising."

Two measurement systems are therefore pitted against each other: SPR+ uses established methods and a long-standing database, while Intervista relies on real-time data that is constantly adapting. Combining the two approaches could create a more comprehensive and accurate solution. Beat Holenstein aptly summarizes the goal: "The best of both worlds, which means that Intervista can certainly make a very valuable contribution as a data provider. It would be a plus for research, for the currency."

The advantages of outdoor advertising

There is a consensus that out-of-home advertising has numerous strengths as an advertising medium. Christoph Marty from Goldbach Neo, for example, says: "The population is growing, mobility is increasing - out-of-home is the logical beneficiary of this development." Urs Flückiger from IAB Switzerland also sees DOOH as part of a larger change: "The boundaries between digital out-of-home (DOOH) and online advertising are becoming increasingly blurred. DOOH is also becoming an integral part of a holistic 'Video Everywhere' strategy that extends TV and video advertising into the public space."

Outlook: Is the single currency coming?

The will to work together seems to be there, but many details are still unclear. In particular, the ownership structure of SPR+ and the financing of a joint solution remain contentious issues. While Livesystems considers its digital methodology to be the most modern solution, APG|SGA is continuing to rely on its established system for the time being. Nevertheless, there is hope: all parties involved recognize the need for a comprehensive solution. "We are at a turning point," summarizes Christoph Marty from Goldbach Neo. "There is a credible willingness to cooperate."

A common measurement currency would be a great benefit for advertisers. Until then, the pressure from SWA and LSA on providers will continue. "Now we need action instead of lip service," demands Christian Hermle from AMAG. Only time will tell whether it will be possible to combine "the best of both worlds".