Kym Frank Resigns as Geopath President

Kym Frank has resigned as President of out of home (OOH) audience measurement body Geopath. According to Mediapost, her decision relates to complaints from Board members following the launch of several industry standards by the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA).

US-based Geopath, which was formerly known as the Traffic Audit Bureau for Media Measurement, offers a system for measuring audiences who actually see advertising, and creates ratings for transit media and digital billboards. Its standards, methods and execution of its measurement system are jointly set by advertisers, agencies and media suppliers.

Frank (pictured) joined in 2015, after serving as SVP, Client Solutions at cross-platform measurement specialist Symphony Advanced Media, and insights positions at ZenithOptimedia, FTI Consulting (previously Financial Dynamics), and CBS Television Distribution. According to the article in online publication Mediapost, Frank's resignation happened during 'Future Proof: OOH Media Conference', jointly hosted by Geopath and the OAAA. Sources told the publication, that Frank decided to act when several of Geopath's Board members (many of whom are also on the OAAA's Board) expressed a 'lack of confidence' following a series of events leading up to the conference. These events included the OAAA's issuance of industry initiatives, including guidelines recommending a move toward an impressions-based measurement system, and the launch of a guide intended to standardize methods for capturing mobile advertising IDs which represent consumers exposed to digital out of home (DOOH) media.

One source described Frank's resignation as 'Coup by Anna', referring to OAAA President Anna Bager. In response to DRNO's enquiry about the resignation, a Geopath spokesperson said: 'Our Executive Committee is currently working to ensure a seamless leadership transition. Geopath's future is bright, membership is higher than it has been in years, and our commitment to continue providing our members with valuable, reliable, and transparent OOH data has never been stronger'.

Web sites: www.geopath.org and www.oaaa.org .