NEW YORK: Out-of-home advertising body the Traffic Audit Bureau will in March 2009 release the first data from its new Eyes On measurement system – which uses eye-tracking technology, traffic counts, surveys and circulation data to assess how many people engage with outdoor ads.

After four years of development, Eyes On will be launched in 200 markets next year, providing in-depth information on the number of consumers who actually see outdoor ads including posters, bus sides and digital screens. 

Hypes TAB's ceo, Joe Philport: "Eyes On makes us the first medium to move from people who might be seeing the medium to people who actually are.

"This is a perfect time for our medium to invest in infrastructure. We have an opportunity to grow faster than any other medium." 

Some observers argue that the shift from the "daily effective circulation" system, based on the average number of people that could potentially see an ad, will greatly change how advertisers view outdoor.

Says John Marson, Kraft Foods senior manager, media planning: "The conversation is going to change from mass tonnage to targeted communities."

"Out-of-home will be bought like magazines, but you'll still have the equal strategic footing like you did before."

Data sourced from AdAge.com; additional content by WARC staff