Product News | October 11, 2021

Arbitron Portable People Meter(TM) Technology to Audit Broadsign’s Advertising “Proof-of-Play”

Arbitron launches first electronic, content playback verification service for Digital Out-of-Home Industry using the Portable People Meter technology

Columbia, Maryland, September 16, 2009

Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) announced today that it has signed an agreement with Broadsign International, a leading worldwide provider of software solutions for managing digital out-of-home video networks, to deliver a proof-of-play advertising audit service using the Portable People Meter (PPM(TM)) technology.
Arbitron will use its PPM technology to conduct a series of annual audits capturing when encoded audio and video advertising content is displayed on networked digital screens in 50 random broadsign-run locations across the United States. The data will be compared with the Broadsign commercial schedule logs. This verification system equips digital out-of-home networks with base metrics to substantiate return-on-investment to advertisers.

“For screen audience numbers to be relevant to advertisers, you have to prove first that their ads played as scheduled and the screens were on,” says Brian Dusho, President and Chief Strategy Officer of Broadsign International. “By auditing our proof-of-play reporting system with the help of Arbitron, we are giving our client networks an added level of transparency and assurance for justifying ad rate cards and for their negotiations with advertisers.”

Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) is a highly targeted medium. DOOH networks have versatile control over which message will be played where, and whether the screens are on and displaying the right content. The ability to control and target the content creates a logistical challenge for networks’ reporting applications.

The PPM technology-based proof-of-play audit by Arbitron is the first such service in digital out-of-home industry. It replaces manual monitoring of screens with advanced technology, which simplifies the task of verifying advertising compliance and makes the verification more scalable.

“One of the barriers to large-scale media buys in digital out-of-home space has been the lack of standardized metrics,” said Alton Adams, Executive Vice President, Arbitron Inc. “The Portable People Meter technology will help establish the first tier of accountability to digital out-of-home advertisers, laying the foundation for any other measurement in this new medium. The PPM technology is well-suited to capture proof-of-play as the technology captures distinct content and the time of broadcast.”
Arbitron’s PPM technology-based audit methodology was successfully tested in October 2006 during a pilot program at broadsign-run Digital Promo Network, which operates screens in convenience stores across the United States.

About Broadsign

Broadsign International Inc. is a leading worldwide provider of Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions for managing digital out-of-home networks. Broadsign SaaS was built for digital signage networks that generate revenue from advertising sales. It resolves the challenges facing modern digital signage networks: the need for acceptance by the mainstream advertising community, time to market and the need for full campaign execution functionality, accountability and true scalability. The software enables operators to target out-of-home audiences, sell network airtime, and reliably play back scheduled content on each screen and account for campaign performance. Broadsign combines extensive expertise in digital signage software, media, advertising, and information technology and is a member of the Out-of-home Video Advertising Bureau (OVAB), OVAB Europe, OAAA, the Digital Signage Association and CODA. 230 digital signage networks in 25 countries run on Broadsign(TM) Suite platform. The company’s corporate office, Operations, Support and Development facilities are in Montreal, Canada.

For more, visit www.broadsign.com

About Arbitron

Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) is a media and marketing research firm serving the media – radio, television, cable, online radio and out-of-home – as well as advertisers and advertising agencies. Arbitron’s core businesses are measuring network and local market radio audiences across the United States; surveying the retail, media and product patterns of local market consumers; and providing application software used for analyzing media audience and marketing information data. The company has developed the Portable People Meter(TM), a new technology for media and marketing research.
Portable People Meter(TM) and PPM(TM) are marks of Arbitron Inc.

PPM ratings are based on audience estimates and are the opinion of Arbitron and should not be relied on for precise accuracy or precise representativeness of a demographic or radio market.

Arbitron Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this release that are not strictly historical, including the statements regarding expectations for 2009 and any other statements regarding events or developments that we believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future, may be “forward-looking” statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, among other things, the current global economic recession and the upheaval in the credit markets and financial services industry, competition, our ability to develop and successfully market new products and technologies, our ability to successfully commercialize our Portable People Meter(TM) service, the growth rates and cyclicality of markets we serve, our ability to expand our business in new markets, our ability to successfully identify, consummate and integrate appropriate acquisitions, the impact of increased costs of data collection including a trend toward increasing incidence of cell phone-only households, litigation and other contingent liabilities including intellectual property matters, our compliance with applicable laws and regulations and changes in applicable laws and regulations, our ability to achieve projected efficiencies, cost reductions, sales growth and earnings, and international economic, political, legal and business factors. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in our SEC filings, including our 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and the Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

Product News | October 11, 2021

How Québecor’s DOOH campaigns deliver 99.9% on target with the Broadsign Platform

Advertising is woven into nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Whether you’re scrolling on your phone at home or walking down the street, ads are everywhere. With audiences exposed to such a high volume of messaging, breaking through the noise has never been more critical.

At the core of every successful campaign are two key elements: personalized content that speaks directly to the audience, and a channel that effectively reaches them where they are. Tailored messaging plays a crucial role in building meaningful connections between brands and consumers. According to McKinsey’s Next in Personalization 2021 report, 71% of consumers now expect personalization, and 76% are more likely to consider purchasing from brands that deliver it.

When it comes to reaching consumers where they are, few channels do it better than out-of-home (OOH) advertising. By engaging with audiences in the real world, like during a commute, while shopping, or at a live event, the medium delivers messages where consumers can take action. When looking at the effectiveness of personalized content with OOH, Leger and COMMB’s joint research study shows that 51% of its respondents state they enjoy seeing OOH advertisements that are personalized to them.

One media owner that makes it easy for advertisers to deliver personalized content directly to their desired audiences is Québecor. With a combined inventory of over 17,000 static and digital out-of-home (DOOH) assets across all major Canadian markets, Québecor has firmly established itself as a leading force in Canada’s OOH advertising landscape. With its unmatched national reach yet strong local presence, advanced targeting capabilities, and premium inventory, Québecor makes it easy for advertisers to reach a wide variety of audiences across a broad set of points of interest.

Why advertisers love Québecor’s network

Flexible outdoor formats that provide broad reach and hyper-local impact

Québecor OOH offers advertisers a wide range of high-impact DOOH screens across both indoor and outdoor environments. Its outdoor inventory includes large-format static billboards, static and digital bus shelters, digital gas pump screens, mobile static faces on buses, mobile digital screens on taxis, and window displays in pharmacies and convenience stores.

In fact, the Canadian media owner operates the most extensive street furniture network in Quebec, where its headquarters are located. This includes 150 digital bus shelter screens across key cities like Montreal, Sherbrooke, Laval, the South Shore and Lévis, providing targeted and strategic community presence at scale.

One unique offering by Québecor is its Express Video Station network, which is available across Quebec and Ontario. This network features digital screens with audio at gas pumps, allowing advertisers to run 15- to 30-second video ads in a high dwell-time environment, an average of 4 minutes with minimal distractions. The Express Video Station creates a rare opportunity for mass visibility while fostering high-engagement, one-to-one interactions with audiences in a brand-safe, clutter-free environment.

Another distinct offering is Québecor’s fleet of 50 Mobile digital screen – taxi top. Travelling 77 000 km per week and generating over 1M impressions weekly, the double-sided LCD screens provide advertisers with an extended reach into areas with limited billboard availability. Available programmatically, this mobile inventory gives advertisers the flexibility to quickly launch contextual campaigns, bringing dynamic messaging to high-traffic zones.

Influencing decisions indoors with high-impact screens in high-traffic areas

Québecor also maintains a strong footprint in strategic indoor environments through its Shopping Destination, Fitness Destination, and Express Destination networks. These networks are designed to reach consumers at pivotal moments in their day when they’re most receptive to advertising and most likely to make purchasing decisions. Its indoor screens can be found in shopping malls, gyms, convenience stores, and drugstores.

Large-format indoor inventory includes the Toronto Pearson Airport, featuring eight 65” screens that play in synchronization thanks to Broadsign technology, available exclusively through a programmatic private marketplace deal. Québecor also has a premium network of large-format digital screens at Montreal’s Palais des Congrès, ideal for reaching attendees during major events and conferences.

Furthermore, Québecor’s indoor screens have the same ratio as its outdoor screens, making it easy to create a seamless experience across both indoor and outdoor environments that delivers a cohesive and consistent message. Québecor is also the only pan-Canadian indoor advertising network that offers consumer content, national news, weather, and content tailored to its different environments.

Some iconic campaigns that ran on Québecor’s network

Beyond delivering results for advertisers, Québecor has also leveraged its network to showcase how OOH can drive meaningful social impact. For Earth Day on April 22, 2025, they launched an eco-conscious campaign promoting sustainable transportation. With messages like “Every public transit trip is a step towards a common future” and “The electric taxi, driving towards a common future,” the campaign appeared across digital bus shelters and mobile digital screens, raising environmental awareness while highlighting the agility of Québecor’s formats to support timely, contextually relevant messaging.

Another notable campaign was Molson’s “Sponsor the Parents”, which was a heartfelt tribute in support of Team Canada at the Olympic Games and the parents cheering on the athletes behind the scenes. Running across Québecor’s indoor networks located near the athletes’ hometowns, the campaign masterfully combined sentiment, relevance, and geographic targeting. It demonstrated not only the power of Québecor’s network reach but also how OOH can create authentic, personal connections on a national stage.

Why Québecor chose the Broadsign Platform

Increased network reliability and stability

Québecor chose to run its network with the Broadsign Platform due to the company’s longstanding experience and recognition as one of the leading out-of-home software providers in the industry. Since adopting the Broadsign Platform in June 2020, they’ve noticed greater network stability thanks to the platform’s network monitoring capabilities, which have allowed them to quickly identify and resolve system issues, reducing potential downtimes.

Some of Québecor’s favourite features include Broadsign’s campaign delivery, inventory management and reporting capabilities, which, when used together, offer real-time insights on how to maximize network performance. Additionally, Broadsign’s multi-frame feature has been especially useful for its digital bus shelters, enabling dynamic content delivery, like live transit schedules to play alongside ads.

Flexible selling tools that deliver campaigns 99.9% on target

However, the standout advantage to being on the Broadsign Platform has been its flexible selling capabilities, which they leverage for most of its large markets, like Montreal and its neighbouring areas, and for networks with 10 screens or more. Since adopting Broadsign’s flexible selling tools, Québecor has been able to open up its network to more advertisers thanks to goal-based campaigns.

For clients with smaller budgets or occasional DOOH buys, Québecor offers Play Goal campaigns as a more accessible buying option. With this campaign type, advertisers can book a DOOH campaign with a set number of ad plays based on their budget, and the Broadsign Platform will optimally distribute the plays across the selected screens throughout the campaign’s duration.

For Québecor, flexible selling gives them access to Broadsign’s optimization engine. Composed of two features, the optimization engine reallocates campaigns to maximize inventory usage and rebalances ad delivery to guarantee results to advertisers. While the flexible buying approach required an initial adjustment for both Québecor and its clients, the results quickly proved the value of flexible campaigns with ad delivery rates of 99.9%.

“Broadsign’s optimization engine has allowed us to deliver flexible campaigns 99.9% on target, and to say yes to revenue opportunities that we previously wouldn’t have been able to.”
Évannick Godbout Villeneuve, Manager, Business Solutions and Technological Development, Out-of-Home at Québecor.

What’s next for Québecor

Québecor’s dynamic team of seasoned professionals are looking to drive growth by expanding the company’s footprint across the Canadian market. They’ll be focused on developing and optimizing their existing networks while forging new partnerships that will help them deliver an even more impactful experience for advertisers.