CVSC-TNS Research, a joint-venture between a subsidiary of the national broadcaster CCTV and Taylor Nelson Sofres, will operate the Geographic Information System (GIS) to track a medium whose growth has been hampered by a lack of research.
GIS will track outdoor advertising on the streets, bus stops, telephone booths, bridges, outside shopping malls, top of buildings and light boxes.
The service will start with the main urban centres, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Nanjing. CVSC-TNS Research vice-president Tian Tiao said: "The service incorporates outdoor Adex data with geographic information and allows advertisers to understand where their outdoor advertisements have been posted." By including geographic data, he said the service could offer a benchmark in evaluating the effectiveness of outdoor ads.
However, agencies were disappointed that GIS would be limited to urban centres.
"About 63 per cent of the total population live in rural areas; the purchasing potential cannot be ignored," said M&C Saatchi Greater China strategic planning director Maggie Sun. "There is no real monitoring in the villages, no evaluation on effectiveness and no rate card."