Research
PUBLIC SPACE EVALUATION
How do you evaluate engagement in public spaces?
Ambient Commons: Towards improved measures of value for cultural programming in public and shared spaces
The STORYBOX platform is underpinned by a unique set of research methods that inform how we understand, engage and evaluate program outcomes in public and shared spaces.
These methods equip our partners with actionable data and insights on the audience experience and impact of STORYBOX programs.
Working in public and shared spaces is vital to the STORYBOX philosophy, because we celebrate shared storytelling as a way to foster stronger connections between people and places.
Measuring digital engagement in public spaces is a unique challenge. The outdoor media industry have developed unique valuation tools and metrics such as the OMA’s Measures of Outdoor Visibility and Exposure (MOVE). These track how likely consumers are to notice an advertisement, how it boosts brand awareness, and how it might influence their purchasing decisions.
STORYBOX uses different measures because we value cultural programming and digital storytelling in public spaces.
We place value on engaging with audiences primarily as citizens, not consumers.
We quantify total potential awareness & reach, and use additional survey tools to establish awareness & engagement rates for our programming.
We run regular surveys to capture public sentiment towards programming. We also focus on people’s mood and emotional responses to programming through our MoodRing survey tool.
What we don’t do
Ambient Commons provides a framework for the valuing of culture and cultural programming in shared or public spaces. It is designed to support partners better understand the impact, or potential impact, of their investment in public space media.
STORYBOX contains no advertising, and does not use demographic or personal data without consent.
Instead of valuing attention for advertising purposes, STORYBOX instead provides a platform for creative and community engagement, underpinned by measurable insights that support impact reporting by our partners.
Our program evaluation kit enables the collection of public space data in the following areas:
ACTIVITY MONITORING: Pedestrian counts and dwell time measures for reach and total potential awareness (TPA)
ENGAGEMENT MEASURES: We draw on in-depth surveys and sentiment tools to capture people’s feelings and experience of a program. These are used to report on engagement, attachment and emotion.
