ICM will carry out a “major” segmentation exercise designed to examine consumers’ attitudes and behaviour along the path to purchase, and analyse how they are affected by advertising and other media. The segmentation will identify different consumer groups and typologies who are more open to outdoor advertising.

The other side of the project will see participants use On Device Research’s mobile diary system to record their interactions with brands and advertising. The diary results will be merged with ICM’s segmentation data to help understand how consumers are influenced.

ICM research director Emily Hunt said: “This is the first time that brand behaviours and buying dynamics have been explored in such detail with regard to how outdoor advertising works within the media mix. It will be fascinating to see how outdoor affects online behaviour for certain target groups, and the results will bring a new layer of understanding for those considering how best to use the medium within larger and broader campaigns.”

Outdoor Media Centre CEO Mike Baker added: “This new initiative will help to pin down the reality of the customer journey. Hopefully we’ll find several stages where outdoor advertising nudges the prospective buyer forward, in numerous business categories.”