2009
TAB Plant Inventory Attribute
Updating Manual
June 8, 2009
Your immediate attention is requested so that any revisions
regarding the classification and description of your inventory
can be added to the next release of EYES ON scheduled for this
fall.
This manual provides instructions to ensure that the process is
both quick and efficient.
2009 TAB Plant Inventory Attributes Updating Manual
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Background: Why the urgency?
As you already know, on June 1st, TAB released Eyes On audience data for all 200+ markets. You now
have demographic audiences for every panel we audit. And . . .EYES ON means that each new number
is based on people who see the ad on each panel. This makes Out of Home the first medium to report
true commercial audiences.
As we move from DECs to EYES ON, it is essential that all of the information TAB has about your
inventory is accurate. Inaccurate or missing information can affect the accuracy of your EYES ON ratings
or, in some cases, lead to a panel to not be reported.
Therefore, TAB requires that you carefully review this first release of EYES ON. This first review period
will take some time and effort. Unfortunately there is a short deadline. However, this manual outlines
procedures that will make the process as easy as possible.
Three Components of the Review:
There are three parts of the review process. The first part is required for all plants and all formats. The
second and third are only required for bulletins and posters on interstates and highways.
1. Verification of inventory attributes
a. Media type/format
b. Size
c. Illumination
d. Read: left, right, parallel
e. Facing: north, south, etc.
2. Inventory geo-codes
3. Center-reads
Your Board of Directors have reviewed EYES ON and recognized the need to use exact distance
from the road for bulletins, posters, and other inventory on interstates and highways and to
allow the opportunity for plants to classify center-read facings.1
Important: The 1st release of EYES ON is valid and of high quality. The updates in this manual
(which will be incorporated in the 2nd release) will only refine the measurements on a limited
board by board basis. Average ratings for inventory will generally remain the same as those in
the current release.
1
The 1st release uses average distances for each format based on road-type. This works well for all formats except
bulletins. In that bulletins are sold in small packages and their distances vary significantly, the use of exact
distance for each facing will be a significant enhancement. Center-read facings appear in the center of the driver’s
view (due to road curvature) and draw more eyes than an average facing.
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1. Verification of Inventory Attributes
You should find that this part of the review is straight forward and requires few, if any changes.
Most plants have provided complete and accurate attribute information. However, there is
always a possibility that some of the facts are incorrect.
You are being provided a spread sheet to facilitate this process. It lists your entire inventory
audited by TAB; along with the attributes you have provided TAB in prior audits. We are also
providing each panel’s DEC and EYES ON impressions for Adults 18+.2
You should review the spreadsheet and make changes or fill in missing or incorrect information
where appropriate. It is not necessary that you submit panel data for every panel; only for
those panels where the data is incorrect. Columns on the left side of the spreadsheet should
be used to submit the corrected data.
The following attributes should be reviewed and corrected:
Media Type: Each unit of inventory should be classified into one of the following formats:





Bulletins,
30-Sheets,
8-Sheets,
Transit Shelters, and
Phone Kiosks.
Note: The size for all 30-Sheets is 12’x25’, and all 8-Sheets are 6’x12’. Other sizes of billboards
are listed under Bulletins.
Size: This field is required for Bulletins, Transit Shelters and Phone Kiosks. Size is height x
width, expressed in feet.
Illumination: TAB lists three (3) illuminations, which represent the hours a board is visible:



12 hours for a board that is unlit,
18 hours for a board lit from dusk to midnight, and
24 hours for a board lit from dusk to dawn.
Read: Read represents the side of the road a facing appears on to a driver passing by.
Acceptable Reads are:


Left (L)
Right (R)
2
Additional EYES ON data are available to you through TAB’s web-based Audience Delivery SYSTEM (ADS). If you
find EOIs missing for some panels in your report, it is likely because those panels were missing data required to
calculate EOI. Panels where missing data have been submitted to TAB will appear in the next EOI release.
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

Parallel (P)
Center (C)
Classifying Center Reads is new to you and TAB, and will be reviewed as part of the geocode
checking process for interstates and highways in 2009.
Parallel Reads are also new to the TAB audit. Previously, parallel boards were not eligible for a
DEC. It is important to review all Parallel Reads listed for your inventory, since poor facing
descriptions can sometimes cause a board to be listed as Parallel. Parallel Reads will affect a
panel’s EOI.
You will notice that the review spreadsheet lists different columns for Primary Read, Secondary
Read, and Tertiary Read. Each read corresponds to a different count station (or road segment
from which the facing can be seen). The Primary Read is the read for drivers on the Primary
Count Station, the Secondary Read for the Secondary Count Station, and so forth. When
reviewing Read, be sure to check it for the appropriate count station. Remember, for EYES ON
audiences to be calculated, TAB needs this information for each count station.
Facing: Facing is the compass direction that a panel faces. Typically, a panel can face:

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North (N),
South (S),
East (E),
or West (W)
TAB also can accept facings of Northeast (NE), Northwest (NW), Southeast (SE), and Southwest
(SW). When reviewing a panel’s facing, it is important that it is the actual compass direction
the panel is facing, not just its orientation on a North-South or East-West street. For example,
in the illustration below, the panel is reading to a “North-South” highway, but the actual panel
Facing is West, not South. Errors will affect the EOIs a panel receives.
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2. Geocodes and Distance From The Road
Note that this and the next section of the 2009 updates only apply to bulletins, posters, and
other inventory on interstates and highways.
Many plants have supplied geocodes for their inventory. However, many of the geocodes lack
the precision required to accurately calculate a panel’s Distance from the Road (DFTR). TAB
has recently developed an efficient way for you to update your geocodes. It can be done right
in your office. However some units may still require field work.
Exact DFTR will significantly refine EYES ON ratings. If the DFTR is off by as little as 50 feet, it
will impact the number of EYES ON impressions assigned to a facing.
As previously stated, average distances are used in the 1st release (by format and road type).
The TAB Board of Directors has resolved that all inventories on interstates and major highways
be updated to use actual DFTR during this cycle and integrated into the 2nd release of EYES ON
this Fall.
Every operator will have until July 31 to update their geocodes. If an operator fails to provide
corrected geocodes, TAB will continue to use average distances for their inventory in the 2nd
EYES ON release. If operators provide incomplete and/or incorrect information of a plant’s
inventory, the entire division will revert to the current average distances.
Note: In the past, some operators may have used complete addresses including a primary
artery number to describe a board’s location. While it is possible to generate geocodes from
addresses using “address matching”, TAB has found this method to be inaccurate and operators
should not use this method.
How to update Geocodes. There are two ways to upgrade geocodes, through the use of
mapping software or a handheld GPS device.
Mapping software allows the work to be done in your office. TAB’s working (not published)
database management software, www.tabviewonline.com3 has been upgraded with satellite
imagery or aerial imagery of street maps to make your job easier. The process is almost as easy
as a few clicks on a mouse.
Tabviewonline includes directions on how you can improve your geocodes. Here is a summary
to show how easy it will be:
1. If the board already has a geocode and needs verification or correction:
3
Tabviewonline includes all of your TAB audited inventory currently and enables you to make changes, additions,
or deletions. An Operator has access to his own inventory via usernames and passwords.
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a. Click on a board in the database. If there is a geocode, it will plot the board on a
street map that includes actual images. Note: the map will also show where the
board is actually located.
b. The operator then confirms the location is correct or moves the existing plot,
(shaped like a pushpin) by using the hand tool (e.g. mouse) commonly found on all
software applications to the point on the map (computer screen) where the board
actually is seen. Note: Be careful to drag the pushpin so that it is positioned as
exactly as possible underneath the center of the board. The map should be
zoomed in as much as possible before deciding where to place the pushpin. If you
cannot find a board, there is a zoom-in and zoom-out tool available as well as the
ability to move the entire map. You can also enter in intersections or exact
addresses into a find tool also provided. These are common characteristics found on
many software applications.
c. All facings on a structure must be adjusted separately in the same manner.
d. The new geocode will be automatically saved into the TAB database.
2. If the board does not have any geocodes:
a. Click on the board to be adjusted.
b. Using the directional, find, and zoom features of the mapping software, locate the
board.
c. Place the pushpin exactly underneath the center of the board as best as possible.
d. Click “save” and the new geocodes will be automatically saved onto the TAB
database.
Again, complete instructions are provided on www.tabviewonline.com. Highway boards
requiring improved geocodes during 2009 are listed on the review spreadsheet, and their
current geocodes are highlighted for your review. Operators will have until July 31 to make
their complete submission of all inventories on the list to TAB. After July 31 no additional
changes will be accepted.
It is highly recommended that all operators make use of the www.tabviewonline.com
application. It saves time and eliminates errors.
If you have another software application you would prefer to use, it is also highly
recommended that TAB be contacted prior to use. TAB can confirm that the application is
adequate.
The use of handheld GPS devices should be limited. However, there may be instances where
the satellite and /or aerial imagery provided in www.tabviewonline.com may not work. In
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these instances it is necessary to drive to the location and take a local reading using a GPS
handheld device.4
Here are the steps for collecting the data:
a. Hold the device while standing directly under the center of the panel.
b. Make sure the WAAS capability is turned on (usually listed under the “settings” section)
c. Most devices allow the user to store the geocodes. Use this option, making sure that
the device is set to save geocodes in decimal format out to five decimal places.
d. The GPS will ask for an ID to place against each geocode reading. Use the board
number. Do not use the same board ID more than once.
e. Most devices will take multiple latitude and longitude readings and take an average to
store. Make sure you use this option as the accuracy will improve.
f. When all of the GPS readings are completed for the day, download all results onto your
computer. You may then copy/paste it onto a spreadsheet and send to TAB or type the
latitudes and longitudes into www.tabviewonline.com.
 Type in your user name and password,
 Click on the board ID, and type the geocodes into the appropriate box.
 Make sure to include a negative sign for all longitude measures, and that
geocodes are reported in decimal format out to five decimal places.
Remember: The use of the mapping software is preferred. It is easier and more efficient
than the field collection using handheld GPS units.
3. How to Claim Center Reads
The Board of Directors also instructed TAB to refine EYES ON to include consideration of a unit
as a Center Read. TAB has never before required that center reads be submitted. This is about
to change. Center Read displays appear in the center of a driver’s field of view as he
approaches. A center read will attract a larger EYES ON audience than a similar non-center
read.
You are being asked to submit photo sheets for units on interstates and highway you believe
would quality as Center Reads. While you are updating your geocodes, also consider which
units should be Center Reads. Center Reads are defined by TAB as boards appearing in the
center of the windshield within a maximum distance of the driver as follows. Many of you
should already know which pieces of inventory are considered center reads in your market:
4
GPS handheld devices are readily available online and in electronics stores. There are many different kinds with
varying degrees of accuracy and of course price. Operators should expect to spend between $100 and $400 for a
device. See the Appendix for guidelines and recommendations for purchasing a device.
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Maximum Distances for Center Reads
Board Size
Maximum Distance
20x60
1650 Feet
14x48
1300 Feet
12.5x36
975 Feet
30-sheet
725 Feet
8-Sheet
350 Feet
Odd-sized boards are also considered and should fall within the same range as for the closest
sized board listed. The submission process is simple from the operator’s standpoint:
Here is how you request a Center Read:
a. Indentify which boards are center reads,
b. Make sure that it falls within the Maximum Distance identified above,
c. Send Photo Sheets to TAB via e-mail.
Remember: Center reads either appear above the driver; or are on his left or right and
become Center Reads due to the curvature of the road.
TAB does all of the verification. The deadline for center reads is the same as for the geocodes
correction: July 31.
How TAB Verifies Submissions:
TAB will audit a percentage of each division’s geocode submissions for accuracy.

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
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If the geocode is within 30 feet of the board, TAB passes that geocode.
If more than 10% or five total, whichever is larger, of a plant’s division are inaccurate
the entire list of submissions is not accepted.
If operators return corrected geocodes prior to the deadline, they will be re-audited by
TAB. All plants passing the audits will have actual DFTR and Center Reads in the 2 nd
release of EYES ON.
Plants that fail the audit and do not meet the deadline will have to wait until the
following year. In these cases, TAB will continue to use average distances in the 2nd
release of EYES ON.
Note: Each Center Read submission is reviewed by TAB and will either pass or fail. In these
cases, TAB will employ aerial imagery software and GIS mapping systems to confirm that there
is a straight line from the approach traffic to the board.
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Buyers and sellers are encouraged to ride the boards and notify TAB if any units are misclassified as Center Reads.
Timing:
Data Review Deadline: All submissions for this first data review must be delivered to TAB by
July 31. Any submissions received after this date will not be reflected in the second Eyes On
release, scheduled for this fall.
Costs:
TAB is charging $1.00 per face for corrected geocodes. If a center read is claimed, there is an
additional $2.00 per face charge for that read. These charges are to cover auditing of the
submissions.
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Appendix: Guidelines for Purchasing GPS Devices
Operators must pay close attention to the specifications before making a purchase decision. Of
utmost importance is that the device be equipped with WAAS technology. WAAS stands for
Wide Area Augmentation System. Without WAAS your coordinates may not be accurate
enough to pass the TAB audit. Garmin eTrex units are recommended (Legend, Venture, Vista,
and Summit) as long as they have the ‘H’ after the model name. This indicates that the unit
uses a ‘high-sensitivity receiver’ and is WAAS compatible. The ‘C’ indicates a color screen, and is
a nice feature which improves readability of the screen for a moderate price increase. Some
details on Garmin and other widely available WAAS-equipped devices are as follows:

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

Garmin’s Etrex Legend H or HC series – $150 estimate for the Legend H. The HC has a
color map display which is much easier to read. This runs an extra $100 or so over the
Legend H. It is not necessary to read the map so much if you know where the boards
are. If the board’s location is in doubt, the device color map helps.
Garmin’s Etrex Summit or Vista series – this device is an upgrade over the Legend series
in that it also provides compass directions while the user is standing still. Vista in
particular is useful if facings need to be verified. Many times operators derive facing
directions from which direction the road “says” it is going. If the road is Route 35 North,
than the facing is either “N” or “S”. Problems arise when Route 35 North happens to be
going East or West at the time. When this happens facings are considered parallel in the
TAB system. If the operator is making a trip to the board, it makes sense to also check
the facing (“bearing”). Expect to pay $200-$350 for these series.
Garmin’s Venture HC – Also with a color map display, this can be bought for around
$150-$200. This is not equipped with the compass feature.
Magellan, DeLorme, and Lowrance are also WAAS-enabled and provide similar services
to Garmin.
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