New Director of Research for OOH Body Route

In the UK, OOH audience data organisation Route has appointed Ruth Chalisey in the new role of Director of Research. She joins from WPP's EssenceMediacom UK, where she was Insight Director for five years, and assumes responsibilities from Euan Mackay, previously Route's Chief Strategy Officer and now its CEO.

Route was the new name for Postar in 2013, and serves as the Joint Industry Currency for OOH (out-of-home) audience data in Great Britain, measuring viewing of around 400,000 posters and screens by people aged 15+. Its research is published quarterly, and overseen by outdoor IPA members, ISBA and Outsmart vendors. The body recently awarded a seven-year contract to Ipsos and Adwanted UK to collect, process and output audience data, starting this month, and will switch to a new methodology in 2027.

Chalisey spent a total of eleven years at EssenceMediacom, developing the Insight team and presiding over innovations including research to explore how brands can grasp the intricacies of media consumption within diverse audiences; and the development of a new agile agency product to address insight gaps. She was also the agency representative on the PAMCo Technical Group for five years. Prior to EssenceMediacom, she spent thirteen years at TNS, either side of its acquisition by WPP.

Mackay became Chief Strategy Officer in March 2024 and his promotion to CEO was announced a year later. He succeeds Denise Turner, who joins the IPA as Media Research Director in June. Mackay says of the new arrival: 'We had an exceptionally high calibre of applicants, but Ruth's diligence, passion and experience stood out. She has first-class research and planning skills and wide experience of using Route and other JIC data in senior agency roles. She will play a valuable part in delivering the new solution and introducing it to our stakeholders.'

Web site: www.route.org.uk .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.