Setting new standards in the Digital Out of Home (DOOH) sector and driving a culture of knowledge sharing and innovation for the region's outdoor media professionals lies at the heart of the strategic outlook of Al Barq Digital, the dynamic digital media brand, owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Media Digital Out Of Home (AD Media DOOH), a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC).

"The media industry is in the midst of unprecedented transformation that demands a new outlook, an updated framework and adequate tools to address the challenges and opportunities of the market today. ADMC has a reputation for innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration and this announcement represents the first milestone in our strategic endeavors to develop the potential of digital media out of home in the UAE and regionally," said Ed Borgerding, the CEO of ADMC, during a trade event held last night, at The Arabian Court, One & Only Royal Mirage.

Ricky Ghai, Executive Director Digital Media at ADMC, echoed the same belief. "As a transformative media company, we continue to play a critical role in maximising the development of our industry in the markets we operate, and we must make sure that our brands, products, services and actions benefit and empower our partners as they interact with us."

In just a few months since its launch in July, Al Barq has managed to place itself on a solid growth trajectory and is now is planning for the future with continued investment in developing the sector and scaling the business to fulfill its mandate - leading the way in revolutionising the Digital Out of Home market in the UAE and wider region.

"We are delighted to announce our efforts and plans to create a new strategic outlook for the Digital Out of Home sector that has advocacy at its core. This will translate into necessary changes that are fundamental to advance the market, reflect the technological changes and consumer trends, all of which will ultimately deliver industry cohesion," commented Andrew Wood, General Manager of Al Barq Digital.

The announcements made by Al Barq include: commissioning an industry report, implementing a new operational framework and forming a regulatory body.

DOOH Industry Report
Al Barq will enroll the expertise of local and international key media knowledge partners to assess the current status of the Digital Out of Home market and gauge trends and growth opportunities in the region. DOOH cannot be judged only by the services that it is providing or the percentage of advertising spend allocated, ultimately it is about the impact and benefits it delivers to advertisers, brands and the consumer.

New Framework: Measurement and Standards
This is a significant step forward for both Al Barq and the industry. The initiative aims to establish a formalised standards and measurements framework, which will provide marketers with a better understanding of their ROI, and will give media companies much needed tools to prove the value of digital outdoor media to their clients and audiences. Reach alone doesn't tell the whole story and Al Barq intends to combine the ratings with effectiveness metrics to provide a complete view.

Regulatory Body
With support from OVAB Europe - the independent representative body of the European Digital Out of Home industry, Al Barq aims to mobilise the local industry with the creation of an OVAB organisation in the Mena region. Its mission will be to raise awareness and build reputation for Digital Out of Home as an independent and accepted medium within the media landscape; as well as promoting dialogue and knowledge transfer between relevant industry parties.

"The broad spectrum of initiatives showcased signals that Al Barq is firmly on the road to becoming an established player, taking on a central role in the future growth of the digital outdoor media, by investing not only in technology, but in our partners, and our industry. Expect more good news in the future," concluded Wood.

Al Barq Digital started operating in the UAE in July with the deployment of its unique, interactive digital signage network in prominent shopping malls and has plans in place for further regional roll-out and international expansion, with an estimated 300 screens to be turned on by Q1 of 2011.