Arbitron Develops Best-in-Class Training for Digital Out-of-Home Industry

COLUMBIA, Md.; Feb. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) has launched a new educational series that includes insights on Out-of-home Video Advertising Bureau (OVAB) Audience Metrics Guidelines for digital out-of-home place-based media advertising affiliates.

The core curriculum is targeted to sales professionals, executives, media consultants and others who desire a better understanding of the digital place-based media industry. Led by a team of experienced media training instructors, the diploma series is interactive and engaging. The series includes insights on the agency business, best practices for advertising in traditional media and developing a digital out-of-home media selling strategy.

Captivate Network, a digital programming and advertising network with over 9,000 screens in the elevators of premier office towers across North America will leverage the training program to learn more about how media is sold and specific benefits to selling digital out-of-home.

"Digital place-based media has become a driving force in the media landscape and we must be proactive in communicating that message to the industry," said Mike DiFranza, president and general manager for Captivate Network. "The more people understand the value of place-based media networks, the more comfortable media buyers will become in adding it to their media mix."

"OVAB's members represent the best in class in digital place-based and out-of-home networks and suppliers," said Suzanne La Forgia, president, OVAB. "Arbitron developed their training program with the OVAB Audience Metrics Guidelines at their core which supports our mission of promoting and advancing the entire industry."

Participants will also learn the role of industry groups such as Outdoor Advertising Associates of America (OAAA), and the Traffic Audit Bureau (TAB), in addition to OVAB, in developing research standards.

"As an industry leader in media research, we are tapping into the brain trust of our experts with the goal of educating the marketplace on the merits of the place-based media industry and the value of their out-of-home inventory," said George Brady, Vice President of Sales with Arbitron's Out-of-Home division. "Arbitron out-of-home training consultants have extensive research knowledge, and also work closely with other Arbitron colleagues who train our radio, TV, cable, agency and advertiser clientele, allowing us to mine that knowledge foundation."

Those interested in more information should contact Sheena Lewis, Senior Manager, Training & Customer Relations at 410.794.2646 or visit www.arbitron.com.

About Captivate Network

Captivate Network is the leading media solutions company in the digital place-based advertising market. Through multiple touch points -- on-screen, on-line and on-site -- Captivate enables advertisers to engage a highly desirable and targeted audience of millions of employed, "spend-ready" consumers at a time and place when they are most inclined to make business and personal buying decisions. Captivate was founded in 1997 and acquired by Gannett in 2004. The company is headquartered in Massachusetts, with offices throughout North America. For more information visit www.captivate.com

About OVAB

Founded in 2007, the Out-of-Home Video Advertising Bureau (OVAB) represents leading out-of-home video networks and the advertising community that is actively engaged in planning, buying and evaluating the effectiveness of the medium. On behalf of its members, OVAB seeks to foster ongoing collaboration between agencies and out-of-home video advertising networks; provide standards, best practices and industry-wide research; and promote the effectiveness of out-of-home video advertising. For more information, please visit www.ovab.org.

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.

SOURCE Arbitron Inc.