CODACAN Gaining Members, Developing Guidelines

Gail Chiasson, North American Editor

The Canadian Out-of-Home Digital Association lost six members but gained 11 new ones recently.

“Most of our membership losses were due to cost-cutting measures in the current economy, but, after launching the Association canadienne de l’affichage numérique, our Quebec chapter, our membership grew again this spring,” says Michael Girgis, CODA president and president of OneStop Media Group and Fourth Wall Media, Toronto.

CODA’s new members include: BLAST; Fokus Media Ltd.; Pixnet Inc.; Rollad Media Inc.; Metrovision; M’PACT; Neo-Traffic; ONTrack; Samsung; Sono Video; Telephoto Technologies; and VIF Communications.

To include the names CODA and ACAN, the French abbreviation of the Association canadienne de l’affichage numérique, the group now is generally referred to as CODACAN.

CODACAN’s newly structured Research Committee, co-chaired by Ed Voltan, president and CEO of PHSN-TV, and Philippe Marchessault, executive vice-president general manager, of NEWAD, has been working with fellow sub-committee members to formulate Standard Measurement Guidelines. Earlier initiatives included two highly successful ‘Round Table’ forums in 2006 and 2007, whereby CODACAN engaged a representative cross-section of media buying and planning executives.

The main message to the Digital Out-of-home (DOOH) Network operators from the agency representatives at both forums was clear:

“Continue to pursue greater standardization to make it easier to plan/buy DOOH. Short term, the industry should develop a standard rate card to enable comparisons among vehicles, and should seek advertiser input to the rate card prior to executing it (to ensure data is meaningful to planners). Over the longer term, the industry should develop standard rating measurement.”

The Standard Rating Measurement Guidelines are currently being reviewed by the CODACAN Board and await approval this fall. A Round Table III is being planned for its launch to the media planning and buying community shortly thereafter.


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