OOH Word on the Street Today

By now, unless you’ve been living in a cave, you are aware of the sh#t storm started by Lamar’s CEO, Sean Reilly‘s comments describing Geopath measurement data as ‘Stale, Old, and Inaccurate.’ We are receiving significant inquiries from brands, agencies and OOH Owners regarding the recent comments by Lamar’s CEO about Geopath’s measurement. They want to know…What is going on with measurement in the OOH Industry?

Reilly’s comments from the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, where Sean Reilly spoke on March 5, 2025, are at the end of this post below via links. Stay for the commentary and opinion.

Misleading geniuses— What should it cost?

Cue the OOH newbies, the rocket scientists, software developers, OOH cowpokes, financial geniuses, and all the other self-proclaimed experts who never made a sale in their lives to share and comment via misleading posts and op eds. Or the most outrageous, starting a misleading discussion of Geopath financial issues in the same context as the data issues. What a red herring! (because everyone knows if a nonprofit or any organization for that matter, shows a loss for one year, it makes the data bad). Obviously, that’s just stupid and has nothing to do with data measurement.

Meanwhile, the Mob is piling on, feeling emboldened by their perception Reilly is sentencing Geopath to the gallows. (Gallows for the organization not the people who work there. And double parenthetically, my heart goes out to the people who work at Geopath right now. That can’t be fun.) It has become an unnecessary sh#t show, which really didn’t have to happen. If only in Reilly’s Morgan Stanley comments, had he made clear his reasonable and continued support of Geopath. If indeed that is the case.

Who spends $2 million a year on bad data?

First for those who question the value of the data: Tell us what it should cost.

To Reilly’s credit, he did not say Geopath should be disbanded. He said the data was bad. Complaints we are hearing, is he should have known at the time and done something about it. AND in the same breath, at the Morgan conference, taken responsibility sharing some of the blame for the results.  Additionally, he could have added it’s bad data but we will fix it while sharing that hundreds in his sales organization uses the Geopath data daily for successful sales.

What did he say and how did he say it?

Whenever people speak, there are typically 2 or 3 outcomes recalling what was said. Outcomes could be: 1. What was said. 2. what we believe we heard. and 3. what we, as listeners or audiences, wanted to hear; in other words, make the narrative fit our beliefs and wants.

‘What is going on with measurement in the OOH Industry?’

The overwhelming OOH industry heard what they want to believe they heard, or read in this case and that was: Sean Reilly, CEO at Lamar, blasted Geopath measurement with a description as ‘stale, old, and inaccurate.‘

This has created quite a sh#t storm in the OOH industry including agencies and brands at every level of spending.  I believe that this could have been answered ‘differently’ and still allowed Reilly to convey his disdain for Geopath measurement.

To be clear OOH Today is 100% supportive of the best damn measurement and data, bar none. We just are not convinced today that the baby has to be thrown out with the bath water. We believe better (parenting) Board oversight could occur.

Before we delve into what we believe Reilly could have said or added in his comments,  let’s examine a few points bringing about the question, What is going on with measurement in the OOH Industry?

For several decades, Lamar and others of the Big 3 contributed millions to the support of Geopath arguably for the sole benefit of OOH measurement; this last year alone, over $2.2 million per organization each year to Geopath.

The Big 3 served a very enforcive role as members of the Geopath Board of Directors. Our understanding from multiple former Geopath employees and past Board members is that they often felt the reigns were so tight that they needed to phone in requests to the Board for permission to use the restroom, jokingly indicating how tightly Geopath was overseen. Mind you, a few years back, this is the same Board which required a consultant to come in for a one day ‘class’ to educate them on proper duties and behavior as a Board member.

Which begs the question: how did Geopath select data providers supplying ‘stale, old, and inaccurate‘ data without the consent of the Board?  According to those former employees and Board members who requested anonymity; every step, every objective, and every decision was approved by the Board of Directors.  So, with the Board of Directors, made up of Lamar and other Big 3 Senior Executives, how does the CEO of one of the BIG 3, namely Lamar’s Reilly, claim the assessment of the quality of measurement in OOH is a “bad job“? And yet they continually spend over $2 million annually for a poor job? While his senior representatives were part of that Board?

Who continually spends over $2 million annually for a poor job?

Many individuals have shared with us that Reilly, in his dismissal of Geopath’s measurement performance, could and should have rightfully shared some of the responsibility, for the bad data. Based on our findings of the strict oversight by the Board, managing with an iron fist means the buck stops in your hand. Unless, of course, that same hand is holding NDAs and nondisparaging agreements, then it’s kinda not in your fisted hand because there is deniability. Who’s to say? Especially if one ever wants to work in this Industry again.

It is our understanding, based on comments confidentially shared, that the organization would have never bought any data, stale or however one chooses to describe it, without the express, explicit consent from the Geopath Board of Directors and that would ultimately trickle up to the top man at Lamar Advertising, CEO Sean Reilly. Consider if the Board knew and approved, or, if they did not know and did not approve, the latter is worse in that makes the Board incompetent and perhaps replaceable. But I have to think the Board knew and this sudden revelation by Reilly of bad data, is a bit of bluster for god only knows what, motivated those specific comments sans caveats. Tough year for the stock? Q1 dismal outlook? Who is going to disagree with him and suggest an explanation?

Have his comments been taken out of context?

On the other hand, it could be said that Reilly’s intent in his comments was not to disparage Geopath but only the data Geopath provides. Boy, that’s a fine line to walk. Unfortunately, it didn’t come off that way, particularly if one reads the hyped headlines coming from others who are all too willing to pile on Geopath in every imaginable manner.

Mea culpa

Let’s say it was Reilly’s intent to only to slam the data and not the non profit Organization, then our opinion is, why didn’t Reilly speak to the following?

1. the Board’s strict oversight and shoulder some of the responsibility and, even more telling, take the opportunity in the same breath to say

2. We are working on it. We will get it fixed.

3. Reilly could have added, bad data or not, Lamar uses the Geopath data to sell every day successfully!  Hundreds of his salespeople share thousands of proposals monthly using Geopath’s poor data.

He could have added those 3 points to make his comments a little less damning and concerning to the advertising industry.

And finally, let’s not forget who is instrumental in hiring the Geopath President(s).  Mea culpas all the way around?

Agencies and Brands, as I started this post, have questions. ‘What is going on with measurement in the OOH Industry?’  I wouldn’t want to be part of the Lamar Sales team or in any OOH sales capacity with any team, having to explain this. You know they must be. Damage control.

Have Reilly’s comments been taken out of context?

Have Reilly’s comments been taken out of context?

Links to Conference comments below

Listen to the comments shared via the links below taken from the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference Sean Reilly spoke at on March 5, 2025.

The links below are recorded from the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference with Sean Reilly, CEO of Lamar Advertising.

• Link to Sean Reilly’s comments of Geopath measurement as ‘stale, old, and inaccurate.’ ⇒ https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/r9hkSZcP06slixPRAwOhy47IsM1ywMMdSvYPcTIIGAMOEL-Uz2vGqcufbp2Joy1g.wgq-nQq3P-Bm7TdP  —Recording 3 min 20 sec

• Link to the entire ‘Conference’ Sean Reilly comments here ⇒ https://event.webcasts.com/viewer/event.jsp?ei=1708096&tp_key=a633e551dd    —34+ minutes

We have more to say, but I want to get back to college basketball. For now, simmer with those thoughts and chill out. Because though Reilly didn’t say it, one has to think that in retrospect, he must wish he had made those reassurances and caveats.

Now go forth and put in the work that is necessary to assure your clients that as an industry our sh#t isn’t in that bad of shape and the data will improve.  And please watch how you say it!

We would love to hear your opinion.  Use the Comments section below or send them to me at BillBoard@OOHToday.com. If you want to remain anonymous just let us know in your email.