AT&T [1] is launching a new service called AT&T Data Patterns to provide more enhanced audience data for out-of-home advertisers in the U.S., initially partnering with Clear Channel Outdoor Americas [2].
According to an article in Ad Age [3], marketers using Clear Channel’s network of displays and billboards will be able to better plan their campaigns and place more relevant ads. Advertisers will learn the number of people who pass by a billboard or display, as well as statistics about that group of people, using AT&T’s network information, along with demographic information to provide advertisers with data like age range, income range, ethnicity and gender. Data will be anonymized and aggregated, but consumers can opt out of having their information aggregated and anonymized through AT&T’s website.
The AT&T service looks at the movements of mobile devices, with data updated monthly and, considering the size of AT&T’s customer base of more than 120 million wireless users, will provide a significant sample size.
With retail, AT&T will be able to provide data on how many people see an ad for, eg., a restaurant chain, and then go to a nearby location – if the retail location has AT&T wifi. AT&T Data Patterns service can also measure the percentage of the outdoor audience that passed the ad and later watched the programming promoted in the ad if the consumers are AT&T wireless subscribers and also subscribe to an AT&T TV product like U-verse.