From Washington Post, by Dina ElBoghdady:
"The device, the size of a shoe box, is tough to spot unless you make a habit of looking skyward to inspect utility poles while driving.
But in 14 locations around the Washington area, the devices are there, sensing which radio stations drivers are listening to by picking up faint electronic signals emitted from car antennas as they drive by.
Car dealers, many of whom have embraced the MobilTrak radio device, above, believe that 80 percent of their business is with customers who live or work within 10 miles of a car lot. (Mobiltrak Inc.)
The technology, owned by MobilTrak Inc. of Phoenix, was introduced in this region in May. By year-end, MobilTrak hopes to mount nine more units to monitor the listening habits of more than 1 million drivers and present the results to advertisers eager to better reach the audience in the country's eighth-largest radio market.""Jim Giddings, general manager of Lustine Toyota Scion Dodge in Woodbridge, sees that as progress.
Every month his dealership spends $90,000 on radio advertising. For years, he spent $25,000 on one talk-personality station and another $25,000 on a contemporary music station. Both were recommended by his advertising agency, which consulted ratings from Arbitron Inc.'s research team in Columbia, Md.
Car dealers, many of whom have embraced the MobilTrak radio device, above, believe that 80 percent of their business is with customers who live or work within 10 miles of a car lot. (Mobiltrak Inc.) "
Comments