Clear Channel launches Trace: a new approach to audience planning

Clear Channel UK has announced the launch of their new Trace tool, which reveals detailed insights into the modern day consumer purchase journey, and allows both media planners and advertisers to explore how best to engage their target audiences at the right time, in the right place, with the right message. It adds another tool to Clear Channel's smart Out of Home campaign planning suite.

Developed using syndicated data based on 10,000 journeys and 25 product categories, extensive OOH consumer research of over 2,000 respondents, and custom planning software unique to Clear Channel; Trace covers a vast range of insights within the context of the purchase journey. These include purchase planning, purchase triggers, post-purchase activities, as well as consumer needs, modes of transport, category experience and media channel exposure.

Trace identifies five common stages of the purchase journey. These are:

1. Being: This is the stage before consumers begin considering a purchase.
2. Starting: This is the stage when consumers begin thinking about a purchase.
3. Exploring: This is the stage when consumers begin looking into their purchase options.
4. Buying: This is the stage when consumers make their purchase.
5. Experiencing: This is the stage after consumers have made their purchase.

The launch of Trace brings with it a new, consumer-centric approach to Out of Home audiences and media planning. The identification of purchase journey stages, and the behaviours and needs of consumers during these stages, reveals the most suitable media channels to reach them on.

Lindsay Rapacchi, Head of Research and Insight at Clear Channel, said: “We’re delighted to be launching Trace to the Out of Home market. We know our clients are increasingly focussed on the consumer journey when it comes to media planning, and Trace reveals valuable insights into the behaviours and needs of consumers at various stages of their purchase journey, specific to product category.

Based on these findings, we are able to recommend to advertisers the best media channels to reach their target audience on, and when. This puts the consumer first, and gives brands the opportunity to build campaigns based on robust audience data, for effective and relevant advertising.”