Set Dynamics provides reach and frequency analysis for out-of-home advertising campaigns by measuring how many people are exposed to advertising spots (reach) and how often they see them (frequency). The product supports both roadside displays (billboards) and place-based advertising (screens in venues like shopping centers).

Data Dimensions

• Frequency On-demand analysis based on customer scenarios
• Geographic coverage United States, with support for national, DMA, metro, and county-level analysis
• Measurement types Four types of exposure measurement: Traffic, Circulation, Opportunity to See, and Likelihood to See
• Date availability Analysis periods from 7 to 28 days, with data from 2022 onwards
• Latency Results delivered within 24-48 hours of scenario submission
• Scenario flexibility Supports single spots to large multi-market campaigns

Core Methodology

Set Dynamics uses a deterministic approach to calculate reach and frequency, providing consistent and reproducible results across multiple analysis runs. The methodology incorporates several sophisticated components working together to deliver accurate out-of-home advertising measurement.

Panel Selection and Weighting

The analysis begins with identifying a persistent panel of mobile devices that demonstrate consistent activity patterns throughout the analysis period. This panel forms the foundation for all reach and frequency calculations.

Device Qualification Criteria:

• Devices must be active for more than 56 distinct hours per week during the analysis period
• Activity periods can range from 1 to 4 weeks, with proportional weighting applied based on participation duration
• Devices showing irregular patterns or insufficient data density are excluded to maintain quality

Population Weighting Process:
Panel devices are weighted to represent the broader population through a multi-step process:

• Each device is assigned to home block groups based on overnight clustering patterns
• Devices receive proportional weights if home block groups change during the analysis period
• Demographic segmentation is applied based on block group characteristics
• Devices are weighted to match census population totals

Quality Controls:

• Device weighting caps prevent individual devices from over-representing their demographic segments
• Weights are calculated separately by state to account for regional variations
• Panel composition is validated against known demographic distributions

Exposure Measurement Types

Set Dynamics measures four distinct types of exposure to advertising displays, each building upon the previous measurement to provide increasingly refined estimates of advertising effectiveness.

Traffic:
The fundamental measure representing basic presence or passage. For roadside displays, this captures vehicles passing through the viewshed. For place-based displays, this represents people visiting the venue where the display is located. Traffic forms the baseline for all subsequent calculations and represents the maximum theoretical exposure.

Circulation:
Traffic adjusted for vehicular occupancy rates and demographic composition. For roadside advertising, circulation accounts for the number of persons in vehicles rather than just vehicles themselves. The calculation incorporates:

• Average vehicle occupancy rates by time of day and location type
• Pedestrian activity in mixed-use areas
• Public transit ridership for transit-adjacent displays

Opportunity to See (OTS):
Circulation adjusted for dwell time and advertising spot duration, representing instances where a person had sufficient time and positioning to potentially view the advertisement. The calculation considers:

• Dwell time factors: How long people spend in the vicinity of the display
• Spot duration: The length of individual advertising spots (important for digital displays)
• Viewing angles: Whether people are positioned to potentially see the display

Likelihood to See (LTS):
OTS adjusted by Geopath's proprietary Visibility Adjustment Index (VAI), representing the probability that a person actually saw and registered the advertisement. VAI factors include:

• Display characteristics: Size, brightness, resolution, and contrast
• Environmental conditions: Lighting and visual obstructions
• Viewing distance: Optimal viewing ranges for different display types
• Eye-tracking research: Laboratory studies validating visibility under various conditions

Deterministic Probability Calculation

Set Dynamics employs a deterministic approach where each person's exposure is calculated as a probability value between 0 and 1, ensuring consistent results across multiple analysis runs. The process works as follows:

Probability Assignment: Each device interaction with an advertising spot receives a probability score based on the measurement type

• Traffic interactions receive a probability of 1.0 (representing confirmed presence)
• Circulation probabilities account for occupancy factors
• OTS probabilities incorporate dwell time and spot duration calculations
• LTS probabilities apply Geopath's VAI factors to determine visibility likelihood

Frequency Aggregation:

• Individual probabilities are summed across all spot interactions for each device
• Devices accumulate frequency scores throughout the analysis period
• Multiple interactions with the same spot or different spots contribute to total frequency

Binning and Classification:

• Aggregated frequency scores are rounded to discrete frequency classes
• Frequencies between 0.5 and 1.5 are classified as frequency = 1
• Frequencies between 1.5 and 2.5 are classified as frequency = 2
• This process continues across all frequency ranges up to 100+

Population Scaling:

• Device-level frequencies are weighted by population multipliers
• Results are aggregated by demographic segment and geographic market
• Final reach percentages represent the target population reached at each frequency threshold

Trip and Route Processing

For roadside advertising analysis, Set Dynamics incorporates sophisticated trip identification and routing algorithms to accurately capture device movements through advertising viewsheds.

Trip Identification:

• Devices must travel more than 0.25 miles and leave their origin to initiate a trip
• Stationary devices are filtered out to focus on active travel
• Local trips under 150 miles are prioritized for analysis
• Trip purpose is inferred based on origin, destination, and timing patterns

Network Map Matching:

• Raw GPS coordinates are processed through noise reduction algorithms
• Points with impossible speeds (>100 mph) or minimal movement (<100 meters) are filtered
• Remaining coordinates are processed through Motionwork's routing network
• Routes are matched with high confidence scores to ensure accuracy
• Arrival times at specific road segments are interpolated from trip timing data

Viewshed Integration:

• Matched routes are cross-referenced with advertising display viewsheds
• Viewshed polygons define the geographic area where displays are visible
• Device arrival times within viewsheds trigger exposure calculations
• Multiple viewshed interactions along a single trip are captured separately

Geographic and Demographic Targeting

Set Dynamics supports flexible targeting across multiple dimensions to accommodate diverse campaign analysis needs.

Geographic Targeting Options:

• National: Complete United States coverage for broad campaigns
• DMA (Designated Market Area): Market boundaries for media planning consistency
• Metropolitan Statistical Areas: Census-defined urban regions
• Counties: Individual county-level analysis for local campaigns

Demographic Segmentation:

• Age Groups: Standard broadcast demographics (18-34, 25-54, etc.)
• Income Levels: Household income brackets based on census data
• PRIZM Segments: Lifestyle and consumer behavior classifications
• Consumer Interests: Specialized segments based on shopping and activity patterns
• Custom Cohorts: Client-defined audience segments for specific campaign needs

Temporal Flexibility:

• Analysis Windows: 7, 14, 21, or 28-day periods to match campaign flights
• Seasonal Adjustment: Account for seasonal variation in travel and activity patterns
• Day-of-Week Patterns: Weekday vs. weekend exposure differences
• Time-of-Day Analysis: Hour-by-hour exposure patterns for optimization

Reach and Frequency Output

Set Dynamics delivers comprehensive metrics designed to support both strategic campaign planning and tactical optimization decisions.

Primary Metrics

Reach Percentages:
Calculated at multiple effective frequency thresholds (1+, 2+, 3+, 5+, 10+, etc.), showing what percentage of the target population was exposed to the campaign at least the specified number of times. These curves reveal the relationship between campaign intensity and population coverage.

Average Frequency:
The mean number of exposures per person reached, providing insight into message reinforcement levels. Calculated separately for each measurement type and demographic segment.

Advanced Analytics

Frequency Distribution:
Detailed breakdowns showing what percentage of the reached population falls into each frequency bucket (1x, 2x, 3x, etc.), enabling optimization of campaign balance.

Market Penetration:
Geographic analysis showing reach variation across different markets or regions within the campaign footprint.

Demographic Performance:
Comparative analysis across different audience segments to identify over- and under-delivery against target demographics.

Quality Assurance and Testing Framework

Set Dynamics incorporates an extensive quality assurance framework designed to ensure measurement accuracy, consistency, and reliability across all campaign analyses.

Quality Metrics and Validation

Replication Testing:
Extensive replication studies achieved quality scores of:

• 99.8% excellent ratings (≤5% variance) for impression and frequency metrics
• 91.5% excellent ratings for reach measurements
• Less than 2.5% of measurements showed significant variance, primarily in edge cases with limited sample sizes

Statistical Validation:

• Correlation Analysis: R² values consistently above 0.95 when comparing against established benchmarks
• Confidence Intervals: 90% confidence bounds calculated for all reach estimates based on panel sample sizes
• Sensitivity Analysis: Testing across different panel sizes and geographic configurations to ensure robust performance

Panel Quality Controls:

• Coverage Validation: Panel representation verified against census demographics at multiple geographic levels
• Bias Detection: Statistical tests for systematic bias in device selection or weighting
• Temporal Consistency: Monitoring for panel composition changes that might affect measurement stability

Ongoing Quality Assurance

Real-Time Monitoring:

• Automated quality checks during each analysis run
• Panel composition validation against expected demographic distributions
• Route matching success rates and confidence score monitoring
• Spot availability verification against current Geopath inventory

Comparative Analysis:

• Regular benchmarking against industry measurement standards
• Cross-validation with other Motionworks products (Placecast, Basecast)
• Performance tracking across different campaign types and market conditions

Continuous Improvement:

• Regular methodology reviews incorporating new research and industry developments
• Panel enhancement based on data quality improvements and coverage expansion
• Algorithm refinements based on validation study findings and customer feedback

Documentation and Transparency:

• Comprehensive methodology documentation for client review
• Quality metrics reporting for each campaign analysis
• Detailed confidence intervals and sample size reporting
• Clear identification of any data limitations or coverage gaps

Schema Documentation

The Set Dynamics workflow uses JSON-based request and response formats designed for programmatic integration and batch processing:

• Request Specifications - Input parameters and scenario definitions
• Response Schema - Output format and field definitions

Version History

Set Dynamics has evolved since its initial development. For detailed information about methodology changes, testing results, and performance comparisons:

• Set Dynamics Evolution - Complete version history and validation testing