Where once we went to school and got certified with degrees designed to last our careers, the rapid evolution of technology takes what was mainstream practice one year and renders it irrelevant the next—or sooner.

This is especially true in an industry like OOH. The evolution from static to digital, the widespread adoption of programmatic trading, and now the integration of AI has changed virtually every aspect of how inventory is traded. This is undoubtedly for the better, but it also brings some very real challenges to the market.

Rapid upskilling is needed for seasoned OOH experts to master programmatic trading, gain a broader understanding of omnichannel planning, and move away from the more 'manual' processes that have kept outdoor advertising siloed for so long.

For those coming from a digital space, where programmatic trading is the norm, this robust medium – and its many intricacies – must be understood to buy inventory effectively. Impressions mean different things in different formats, audience measurement is not an exact science, and attribution can be tricky unless you know what OOH advertising brings to your overall campaign strategy.

Yet, until three years ago, there was only one independent, global, market, or player-agnostic education platform for OOH. Static learning was not enough to keep up with an ever-evolving industry – so at doohx, we decided to make OOH learning dynamic.
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Fast-forward to 2024, and we have five certifications currently available—complete certifications in PDOOH 101, DOOH 101, and PDOOH Advanced, and specialist mini-certifications in PDOOH for Buyers and PDOOH for Publishers—and our latest course, Static OOH.
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In addition, we release short-form educational content, house case studies and platform demonstrations, and share insights from experts worldwide to create a single source of knowledge in OOH for anyone willing to learn. And it's all available in your pocket via the doohx app.

Knowledge is power, and as the industry's landscape continues to shift towards automation, in-depth data integrations, unlimited creativity, and insight-infused targeting, static education is dead. Dynamic learning is the future.

For more information on the platform, visit: https://www.doohx.io/pages/membership

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Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising has become increasingly popular in recent years, offering brands a powerful way to reach consumers in public spaces. However, to maximise the effectiveness of DOOH campaigns, it is crucial to accurately measure the audience that is being impacted. In this blog post, we will explore why DOOH audience measurement is so important and how it can benefit advertisers and media owners alike.

1. Targeted Advertising

Accurate audience measurement allows advertisers to target their campaigns more effectively. By understanding the demographics, interests, and behaviors of the people who are exposed to their DOOH ads, advertisers can create more relevant and engaging content. This leads to higher engagement rates, increased brand awareness, and ultimately, better return on investment (ROI). Although is always important to keep in mind the nature of this channel, and it’s One-To-Many approach.

2. Optimisation and Reporting

DOOH audience measurement provides valuable data that can be used to optimise campaigns in real-time. By monitoring audience metrics such as impressions, dwell time, and engagement rates, advertisers can adjust their campaigns to maximise their impact. This data is also essential for reporting purposes, allowing advertisers to demonstrate the effectiveness of their DOOH campaigns to stakeholders and clients.

3. Pricing and Revenue Generation

For media owners, accurate audience measurement is crucial for pricing DOOH inventory and generating revenue. By providing reliable data on the size and composition of their audience. Media owners can set competitive prices for their advertising space and attract more advertisers to their platforms. This data also helps media owners demonstrate the value of their DOOH network to potential advertisers. Making it easier to secure deals and generate revenue.

4. Industry Standardisation

The importance of DOOH audience measurement has led to the development of industry standards and guidelines. Organisations such as the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) have established best practices and guidelines for measuring DOOH audiences. By adhering to these standards, advertisers and media owners can ensure that their audience data is reliable, consistent, and comparable across different DOOH platforms and networks.

In conclusion, DOOH audience measurement is essential for the success of DOOH advertising campaigns. By providing accurate and actionable data on the size, composition, and behaviour of DOOH audiences, advertisers can create more targeted and effective campaigns, while media owners can generate more revenue and demonstrate the value of their DOOH networks. As the DOOH industry continues to grow and evolve, the importance of audience measurement will only increase, making it a critical component of any successful DOOH strategy.

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A new study released by the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) finds that slight reallocations of existing media budgets to Out of Home (OOH) advertising can lead to substantial gains in return on ad spend (ROAS) and key brand metrics.

“These findings reveal the powerful role OOH plays in the current media mix and demonstrate that OOH has been an under-invested media channel,” said Anna Bager, President and CEO of OAAA. “OOH performs well throughout the consumer funnel, and the analysis shows how brands can leverage that power by shifting just a few percentage points of their media allocation to OOH and generate impressive returns on their investment.”

Benchmarketing, a strategic marketing effectiveness consultancy and part of the Omnicom Media Group, employed advanced econometric modeling to assess the impact of incremental OOH budget increases on ROAS and key brand metrics in three sectors: Automotive, CPG Food, and Retail Grocery.

Entitled Media Plan Optimization: Analysis of Incremental Increase to OOH Share, the report finds that, without increasing existing media plan budgets for the Automotive, CPG Food and Retail Grocery categories, marketers can significantly increase their overall ROI on ROAS and key brand metrics such as awareness, consideration, and purchase intent, by increasing budget allocation to OOH by just a few percentage points, and decreasing allocation to media channels that are overspent beyond the point of optimization, typically  TV and digital.

The research supports a measured, incremental approach to budget reallocation. By applying small, strategic increases to OOH spending, advertisers can achieve near-optimal media performance without making drastic changes to or increasing their overall budget allocations. Notably, the study found that the initial incremental increase in OOH generated the largest portion of the total media plan optimized revenue and gain in brand metric scores.

The report provides an in-depth analysis of how incremental reallocations to OOH affect campaign performance, including the below key insights.

Modeling Analysis: Budget Shifts to OOH Yield High ROAS Gains

• Automotive: An increase of OOH allocation from 1% to 2% in the Automotive vertical can lead to an overall media plan revenue gain of $52.1 million or 75% of the total optimization improvement.
• Retail Grocery: An increase of OOH allocation from 8% to 14% in the Retail Grocery vertical can lead to an overall media plan revenue gain of $16.04 million or 61% of the total optimization improvement.
• CPG Food: An increase of OOH allocation from 5% to 6% in the CPG Food vertical can lead to an overall media plan revenue gain of $2.42 million or 70% of the total optimization improvement.

As the advertising landscape continues to evolve, OOH is an increasingly critical channel for impacting consumer behavior throughout the funnel by driving increased sales, brand awareness, consideration, and purchase intent. Marketers are encouraged to leverage the insights from this study to optimize their media plans, enabling greater effectiveness and return on investment.

For more information about specific category spend, please contact Cassady Nordeen at cassady@purposenorthamerica.com.

About the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA)

The Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) is the national trade association for the entire out of home (OOH) advertising industry. OAAA represents over 850 members, including leading media companies, advertisers, agencies, ad-tech providers, and suppliers. OOH media includes billboards, street furniture, transit, place-based media, and digital formats (DOOH) across every sector of the channel. OAAA is the unifying voice for the industry, the authoritative thought leader, and the passionate advocate for advancing OOH advertising in the United States. The legislative unit of OAAA advocates for the responsible growth of OOH with federal, state, and local governments. OAAA-member media companies donate over $500 million annually in public service advertising. Founded in 1891, OAAA is headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in New York City. For more information, visit https://oaaa.org.

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In today’s media landscape, flash is king. Every day, people are exposed to an onslaught of information, but the best advertisers know how to create ads that cut through the noise.

In our digital-first world, out-of-home media is often overlooked by advertisers in favour of pursuing online marketing efforts. This represents a huge missed opportunity, as outdoor advertising is one of the most effective ways to engage with customers and inspire them to take action. Since the pandemic, more people are venturing out of their homes daily, making it more important than ever to incorporate OOH ads in your marketing efforts.

We’ve put together 6 tips to create impactful OOH ads that help you connect with your audience.

1. Let data lead

Creating a successful OOH ad campaign requires in-depth knowledge of your target audience, media channel preferences, and what drives their decision-making.

By gathering and analysing customer data, you can create strategic campaigns that focus on the needs of your target audience and consider how you can connect with them at each touchpoint.


2. Know your audience

The best way to design an ad that resonates with your audience is to understand who—and where—they are. Modern marketing is all about leveraging customer data to deliver a personalised experience, and OOH ads are no different.

A recent Zendesk study found that 76% of consumers expect a personalised experience. Data analytics can help you deliver that, maximising the impact of your campaign and facilitating cross-channel integration so you can offer customers a cohesive experience through OOH ads, digital advertising, and social media.


3. Make it contextual

When it comes to OOH ads, there are many formats and settings to choose from. The best campaigns are a culmination of data, technology, creativity, and context.

Tesco’s ‘Together this Ramadan’ billboard campaign used contextual targeting techniques, placing their billboards in areas with large Muslim populations and using digital technology to display both a fasting and non-fasting message, depending on the time of day. The campaign resulted in a 275% increase in mentions of Tesco and Ramadan on social media and remains a great example of how selecting the right setting is key to the success of your OOH ads.

Another tactic to consider is positioning your ad near a point of sale. Engaging with audiences effectively at or near a point of sale allows you to witness the power of OOH advertising in action, from building brand awareness to driving sales.

By placing OOH ads along the path to purchase and in proximity to certain retailers,  your OOH ads end up functioning as a last-mile sales push, transforming the customer’s intent to buy into a completed purchase. This approach not only streamlines the customer journey but also captivates audiences by offering them a digital experience in the physical world.

Through the use of data analytics, you can effectively determine the location and movement patterns of your audience, giving you greater insight into your own media placements.

4. Keep it simple

When you’re working with OOH ads, the amount of time you have to make an impression can vary depending on your choice of location.

While certain venues, like roadside billboards, tend to have a low dwell time, others, like bus stations, might have longer to make an impact. Your chosen venue and its corresponding dwell time should play a significant role in shaping the creative and messaging of your OOH ads.

For ads in places with lower dwell time, like the side of a bus, a simple, uncluttered ad with a clear message tends to make the biggest impact. In venues with higher dwell times, like train stations, people have more time to interact with ads, so you can include more visual elements as well as text and go into greater detail about the brand and its specific offering.

Colour selection should also take into consideration the placement of the ad and its surrounding environment to ensure that it will stand out and make an impact on passers-by. Colour is crucial to designing an effective ad campaign. In fact, studies show that colour has the power to increase brand awareness by 80% and influence 85% of purchase decisions.


5. Get creative

Want to optimise your business outcomes through advertising? Creativity is key to setting yourself apart from the competition and getting noticed. In fact, creativity is the main driver of marketing effectiveness, second only to the size of your brand.

While you likely can’t change the size of your brand overnight, you can place a greater emphasis on exceptional creative work, allowing it to be the driving force behind your ad creation and marketing campaigns.


6. Make it inclusive

OOH is not only one of the most effective ways to reach your audience but also one of the strongest channels to deliver inclusive messaging. With OOH ads being placed in public spaces, viewing them is a shared experience for audiences. Representation matters, and in an increasingly multicultural society, it’s key that you engage with consumers in ways that are meaningful to them, especially as OOH reaches more than 98% of the adult population.

Diversity and inclusion begin behind the scenes by hiring the right people to conceive of and create ads that speak to a diverse range of viewpoints and experiences.


7. Designing an effective OOH ad campaign

The key to a successful OOH ad campaign is to design an eye-catching ad that moves people and has a visual impact while keeping your messaging simple.

In order to unlock the benefits of OOH ads, creativity needs to be at the center of your process.

By combining creativity and data analytics to guide your decision-making, you’ll be able to create an ad that resonates with your target audience and inspires them to take action.

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In the ever-evolving landscape of retail and advertising, the Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) market has emerged as a dynamic and transformative force. As technological advancements continue to reshape consumer behavior and expectations, retailers are increasingly turning to DOOH. To create more engaging, data-driven, and personalised experiences.

In this blog, we will explore four key trends driving the growth and evolution of DOOH in the retail sector. The rapid growth trajectory of the market, the expansion of digital inventory, the improvement of data utilisation, and the rise of interactivity and personalisation.

These trends not only highlight the increasing importance of DOOH. Also present significant opportunities for retailers to enhance their marketing strategies and connect with consumers in innovative ways.

1. Growth Trajectory of DOOH:

The Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) market has been on a rapid growth trajectory in recent years, with industry forecasts predicting a significant increase in DOOH’s share of the overall Out-of-Home (OOH) market.

This surge is driven by the rising investment of retailers and brands in digital signage and programmatic DOOH. As these stakeholders recognise the channel’s potential to deliver highly effective and targeted marketing campaigns. The popularity and impact of DOOH are set to continue rising.

Its non-block nature, the ability to insert into customer’s every day life without interrupting their activities. Its wide reach are some of the attractive features of the channel. This growth trajectory presents a golden opportunity for retailers to leverage DOOH as an integral part of their marketing strategy, enabling them to reach broader audiences and achieve greater engagement.

2. Expansion of Digital Inventory:

Retail media owners are increasingly focusing on expanding their digital OOH inventory, transitioning away from traditional assets and digitising existing sites. Screens are just easier to manage than posters.

This shift towards digital displays in high-traffic areas such as retail locations, transportation hubs, and shopping centers provides brands with new opportunities to reach consumers at the last point of influence.

The expansion of digital inventory in retail environments is fuelling the growth of DOOH as a key part of their retail media strategy. By strategically placing digital displays in areas with high footfall, retailers can effectively capture consumer attention and influence purchasing decisions.

3. Improvement of Data:

One of the most significant advantages of DOOH is the ability to harness data to optimise advertising campaigns. Retailers can utilise their own audience data, such as membership lists or e-commerce customer information, to enhance their DOOH networks. By incorporating footfall counter sensors, such as cameras, retailers can gain valuable insights into the number and type of people engaging with their content, making it one of the most reliable ways to quantify the number of Impacts delivered.

This data-driven approach enables brands to make informed decisions. About their advertising investments, ensuring that their messages reach the right type of audience and the right amount of people. This combined with the deprecation of several targeting methods in other channels, particularly online and its cookies. Contextual data is becoming a key part of digital advertising across the landscape. This is where retail is king, where shoppers are already at the point of purchase, with interest and context already included and significant amount of first party data is available for further detail. The improvement of data utilisation in DOOH is driving increased advertiser confidence and investment in retail media networks.

4. Increased Interactivity and Personalisation:

The rise of interactive and personalised DOOH experiences is another key trend transforming the industry. Retailers are leveraging advanced technologies such as touchscreens, gesture-based controls, smart content management systems and video analytics to create more engaging and tailored DOOH campaigns.

These interactive features not only capture consumer attention.  Also gather valuable data and deliver personalised messaging that resonates with the target audience. As consumers increasingly expect more interactive and personalised experiences. This trend is likely to gain further momentum in the DOOH space. Retailers who embrace these technologies can create memorable and impactful campaigns that drive consumer engagement and loyalty.

The digital out-of-home (DOOH) market is rapidly evolving, offering retailers unprecedented opportunities to connect with consumers in innovative and impactful ways.

The growth trajectory of the market, the expansion of digital inventory, the improvement of data utilisation, and the rise of interactivity and personalisation are all key trends shaping the future of DOOH in the retail sector.

By embracing these trends and integrating DOOH into their marketing strategies. Retailers can enhance their brand visibility, engage with their target audience more effectively, and drive business growth. As technology continues to advance, the potential of DOOH will only expand. Making it an essential component of the modern retail landscape.

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How does AdMobilize technology function within malls and destinations?‍

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AdMobilize’s technology has been developed to capture audience exposure to digital screens and Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) assets in the real world. Just by placing camera sensors on digital screens, our clients, such as BackLite Media, can know how many people pass by, linger on, and even view their screens, capturing detailed information about the impact of campaigns.

We deliver post-campaign reports to BackLite’s clients through our computer vision software, which uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to count and categorise the audience based on their physical attributes, but without identifying individuals and being able to quantify a campaign’s impact without compromising the public’s privacy. Computer vision, or allowing a computer to “see,” is one of the most advanced fields within AI and machine learning, allowing us to achieve high levels of accuracy when detecting audiences and getting the correct information for advertisers.

Al Qana in Abu Dhabi and Dubai Festival City, where this is especially difficult to quantify, having technology like this to quantify the audience is critical to driving successful campaign results. These are locations where people attend and spend significant amounts of time in them, pass by sections multiple times and have high dwell times compared to a street where they are just passing through. This is important for brands to understand as it can influence the type of content they can place and the time they have to catch the eye and communicate with their target audience.


What demographic information is collected from BackLite locations?

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In recent years, there has been remarkable progress in AI and Computer Vision. One area that has shown significant progress is AI at the edge. This refers to the software running entirely on local machines installed at each site without saving or sending images or videos to the cloud. Our software solution uses the connected camera as an optical sensor instead of a recording device. This means the camera scans the mall/destination within milliseconds, detecting the objects it has been trained to identify. The people detected before BackLite’s screen can be analysed for various physical attributes. For example, the software can determine each person’s age and facial expression by examining their face and assigning a gender based on their facial and body features. It can also measure the amount of time each person spends in the area of exposure to the screen. By analysing the angle of the face, the software can determine if the person looks towards the screen and how long they pay attention to it.

The client is provided with data to prove their ads have been seen and to add context to where they are displayed. This includes the number of people reached, the time available to grab their attention, and the duration of the message. The software collects this data anonymously by detecting people like objects.


Can we monitor traffic patterns across BackLite’s digital screen network in Al Qana and Dubai Festival City mall?‍

Indeed, you can. As the metadata or the aggregated and anonymised data gets sent to the cloud to be shown on our dashboards and permanently stored, trends start to set and work as benchmarks for each location and screen being measured. This is especially important for DOOH. In contrast with other marketing channels, such as online, where every laptop is considered similar and has one person in front, each DOOH location is a world by itself. Screens come in all shapes and sizes, and each area has very different traffic patterns. Collecting this information over time helps marketers have benchmarks for making decisions on and adapting content.
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What new technologies has AdMobilize developed to enhance clients’ campaign assessment capabilities?

Computer Vision has been around since the 1960s, so it’s a familiar technology. However, it’s still in the early stages of OOH advertising. Due to advancements in precision and computer power, this technology is becoming more widely used. As the scale of usage increases, more functionality will emerge. For example, OOH can trigger content based on previous or real-time data, making campaigns more targeted. Our proprietary technology and patented features, such as the ability to play content based on the audience in front of it, will enable marketers to design targeted campaigns.

PrDOOH is becoming the norm in the industry. Trusting the data and using it not only for reporting but also for interactivity and targeting will be essential. Our platform collects this information and helps screen owners connect that data to programmatic platforms and content management systems so that they can use that data to place the right content in the right place at the right time.

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DPAA Study Outlines Trends and Growth Opportunities for U.S. Digital Out-of-Home Market, with 96% of Marketers and Agencies Planning to Increase or Maintain Spending in the Next 12 Months

Eight in 10 Respondents to Recommend DOOH in Next Year, According to New Omnichannel Decision-Makers Study sponsored by Kochava

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DPAA, the global trade marketing association, driving the growth and digitization of out-of-home (OOH) media and its growing role in the Omnichannel mix, has today unveiled its newest study on the state of the marketplace.

The “DPAA 2024 Omnichannel Decision-Makers Study” was conducted by Advertiser Perceptions, the leader in providing research-based strategic market intelligence to the complex and dynamic media, advertising, and ad tech industries, and sponsored by DPAA member Kochava (a leading omnichannel measurement provider for advertisers and publishers). This is part of the DPAA’s mission to promote and educate brands and agencies about the growing breadth of capabilities digital OOH (DOOH) offers, while sharing insights and best practices with member companies in order to drive industry growth.  DPAA Members have used this study – the previous iteration was conducted in 2021 – to form sales and marketing strategies and tactics.

According to the study, eight in 10 respondents will recommend DOOH to be part of their media plans over the next 12 months, with 96% of Marketers and Agencies Planning to Increase or Maintain Spending in the Next 12 Months

The study also found that DOOH is increasingly perceived as digital video …

• 58% see DOOH as an important part of omnichannel video campaigns.
• 41% consider DOOH to be an extension of TV/video planning.
• 49% of integrated video teams include DOOH alongside TV, mobile and online, up from 36% in 2021.
• 76% of advertisers believe DOOH has become less siloed, and an integrated part of cross-channel strategies (up from 66% in 2021).

The full study – and accompanying white paper – are available exclusively to DPAA members who receive exclusive full access to both. This includes additional analyses on sources of DOOH budgets, opportunities for future growth including dynamic advertising, data-driven interactivity, and programmatic; reasons why brands and marketers include DOOH in omnichannel plans, integration into broader media plans and many other topics.

“We are incredibly proud of the work the DPAA has done over the years to educate advertisers while building a community of DOOH evangelists that are aware of the value that comes from the increased digitization of out-of-home.  From programmatic buying and innovations like AR, VR, interactive QR codes, 3D capabilities and more, to accessing the robust data that powers addressability, contextual marketing, measurement and attribution in a brand safe environment, this study shows that the future is bright for DOOH,” said DPAA President and CEO Barry Frey.  “DOOH continues to be one of the fastest-growing areas of the overall ad ecosystem, and with increased reach, scale and full-funnel opportunities taking shape, it’s easy to be optimistic about this exciting sector, whether a brand, agency or media seller.”

“DOOH has reached an inflection point, increasingly merging with cross-channel strategies, empowered by programmatic buying and data-enabled measurement,” said Grant Simmons, VP of Kochava Foundry. “We’re thrilled to partner with DPAA to illuminate the true potential of DOOH.”

“The robust growth of DOOH advertising in the last 3 years has been a key driver – alongside CTV – of the health of the advertising economy overall,” said Sarah Bolton, EVP of Business Intelligence, Advertiser Perceptions. “The confluence of rapidly expanding data-enablement capabilities and contextually relevant and retail-adjacent screen locations, along with breakthrough creative executions, only points to continuing investment and innovation in the space.”

Advertiser Perceptions surveyed 150 US marketers and agencies involved in omni-digital advertising decision-making. To qualify for the study, which took place in February 2024, marketers and agencies had to be spending a minimum of $1M on advertising annually. Respondents were two-thirds agencies and one-third marketers. The results from this study were also analyzed in part by contrasting them with those from a survey conducted in September 2021 using a similar methodology and respondent profile.

About the DPAA:

DPAA (www.dpaaglobal.com) is the global trade marketing association, driving the growth and digitization of out-of-home (OOH) media and its growing role in the Omnichannel mix. Membership in the DPAA community brings many business acceleration benefits, including a wide array of products. DPAA offers members an extensive database of research, best practices and case studies; tools for planning, training and forecasting; social media amplification of news; insights on software and hardware solutions; further integration into the advertising ecosystem by connecting DOOH networks, brands, agencies, ad tech and others. DPAA’s 2024 Global Summit is scheduled for October 15 in New York City.

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The global Out-of-Home (OOH) industry finds itself in an interesting position: as with other mainstream media it's facing the challenge of rampant big tech but, uniquely, that is an opportunity in itself as digital OOH carves out a bigger share of the market.

Global advertising is forecasted to reach about $900bn this year, with online taking 70%. That still leaves $270bn for other media, assuming online continues its dominance (much of it from search.) $270bn is far more than the entire ad market was worth ten years ago ($187bn.)

Here are some trends:

1. Recovery from the pandemic: The OOH industry has recovered from the pandemic when it was hit harder than most media, reaching 2019 levels last year with most analysts forecasting strong growth in 2024 and beyond. Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) is the main driver by revenue although classic (static) OOH remains the biggest by volume in many parts of the world.

2. Measurement is crucial for growth and that has been a problem for OOH in many parts of the world with different countries and media owners using different systems and some no system at all. The World Out of Home Organization has been instrumental in making the case for more consistent, reliable and easy-to-use data and significant progress has been made although there is much more to do.

3. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is having a huge impact on the media industry, particularly the agency planning and buying side. Programmatic is now a fact of life and set to become even bigger, as more of the decisions made by media agencies are made by machines not humans. This means that measurement gains even more in importance - we need to give the machines what they need too. 

4. Consolidation in OOH ownership is inevitable after a post-pandemic period when there have been relatively few such deals. Private Equity, in particular, will be a major buyer.

5. OOH's opportunity to be an impactful medium: On the part of many advertisers there is a growing realisation that impact is becoming harder to achieve with so much media available, especially online. OOH has a unique opportunity to expand into this space, given its prominence in many of our cities and status as an affordable 'broadcast' medium. TV, the previous leader, is slowly but surely, losing its place as the high impact medium as its reach reduces. 

Value is not pushed hard enough, which is surprising when one analyses the low and extremely competitive Cost per Impression (CPM) being delivered by our channel.

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Beyond a dynamic, flexible, scalable, insight-focused, analytics-based, and precise targeted approach, DOOH is also revolutionising requirements for creativity, attention, and engagement. So, what’s the catch?

The drive towards DOOH (digital-out-of-home) is only getting busier by the day.

Unlike static OOH ads, the digital sibling, which promises a more dynamic, flexible, scalable, measurement-focused, analytics-based, and a precise targeted approach is gaining traction on the tarmac.

Niall Sallam, CEO of Elevision, said, “Real-time data and content updating capabilities enable brands to act on current trends and campaign performance, further refining their campaigns to capture and retain viewer attention more effectively than traditional static ads.”

Backlite Media’s COO James Harrison said, “Out-of-home ads utilise mobile device detection, sensors, and cameras to collect precise data on foot traffic and viewer engagement. This makes the data less susceptible to manipulation and provides a more accurate measure of ad performance. Advanced tools and third-party auditors ensure transparency and verification, confirming that ads are displayed in the specified locations and at the agreed-upon times.”

Beyond enhanced and impactful campaign performance through programmatic, DOOH is also squeezing the best out of marketers and advertisers by revolutionising requirements for creativity, attention, and engagement.

“The world of creative opportunities with DOOH is limitless with interactive features like QR codes, augmented reality experiences, as well as social media and brand activation integrations. These features enhance consumer interaction and experience, allowing for more immersive and engaging content,” Elevision’s Niall Sallam added.

BackLite Media’s James Harrison, echoed the sentiment saying, “Leveraging dynamic content that responds to real-time data like weather and local events, DOOH ensures advertisements are highly relevant and captivating. DOOH is setting a new standard in marketing by attracting, engaging, and leaving a lasting impression on its audience. Strategically placed in high-visibility locations, DOOH ads effortlessly capture attention. Personalising content using audience data makes these advertisements more memorable and impactful.”
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However, this creativity that captures attention comes with a rider: they must find a way to be more engaging and garner impressions without being overly distracting

Campaign Middle East spoke to Dr Abdullah Al-Shwaikh from the Outdoor Media Office, OOH Section at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, UAE, who said, “Let us talk about the biggest challenge faced by highways in dealing with digital advertisements, which is an awareness challenge related to the extent of advertisers’ commitment to and awareness of the safety conditions related to outdoor advertising.”

He explained, “On highways, where speeds typically exceed 120 km per hour, the technical conditions related to the size of the text, the colours used, and the speed of the advertisement display change. This is something that those working in the field need to pay attention to. There is no objection to the existence of digital billboards, but they must comply with the specifications to avoid causing any distraction to drivers and road users.”

That said, DOOH still makes its own case in terms of ROI and brand values.

While initial investments in digital infrastructure are higher, the long-term cost efficiency is significant. DOOH reduces the need for physical materials and labour associated with installing and rotating traditional billboards, resulting in lower operational costs.

In tandem, the shift to DOOH supports sustainability goals by reducing the carbon footprint of advertisements. Digital ads eliminate the need for printing and transportation of physical materials and offer quicker and more eco-friendly ways to update content.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Shwaikh added, “This includes less printing, fewer papers, reduced presence of equipment and machinery for billboard replacement, faster maintenance, among other benefits. I believe that with the decrease in the prices of digital billboards to less than $1,500 per square metre, more than 70 per cent of our billboards will be converted to digital billboards by the end of 2025.”

Clearly, OOH is transitioning towards DOOH, so much so that digital is set to capture 75 per cent of the OOH advertising market by 2027, according to IAB Compass findings.

Bill Fordyce, Chief Operating Officer – Media, ELAN Group, said, “The trends in OOH with launching new creative and dynamic campaigns has been positive over the past several years, with banks, QSRs, retail and automotive being the biggest users of dynamic campaigns. Digital now makes up more than 50 per cent of Elan Media’s overall revenue and continues to grow as we install new signs in the market and get new advertisers to spend on OOH.”

Elevision’s Niall Sallam, added, “This summer has been our busiest one yet across all networks, with a 30 per cent year-on-year growth from June last year, highlighting the significant growth of DOOH advertising in 2024. Advancements in programmatic buying and enhanced data analytics are driving more targeted and effective campaigns, further contributing to this upward trend.”
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So, what could possibly deter this acceleration towards DOOH? While the medium is not as vulnerable to bots, it’s not completely free of malicious attacks either.

Dr Abdullah Al-Shwaikh cautioned, “A few days before this interview, there was a particular incident in Egypt that was covered by the media, where a group successfully took control of several billboards and displayed some ideas that opposed the official direction, much like the film ‘The Hunger Games’.”

He added, “Yes, we know that with every new technology, there are those who exploit the ‘immaturity’ of the system, so to speak. However, over time, matters, legislations, systems, and the security of systems develop to avoid negatives and risks. I believe there will be more secure systems in the future who will play a role in monitoring and maintaining the security of outdoor billboards, overseeing them, and setting up appropriate protective regulations for them. In the end, security is indivisible, and we should be grateful that we live in the safest country in the world on all levels.”

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To take the conversation forward, Campaign Middle East also asked leaders about DOOH was addressing ad fraud – the act of delivering fake ad impressions, which seems to have skyrocketed over the past few years.

Elevision’s Niall Sallam said, “DOOH is combating ad fraud through the use of sophisticated technologies and transparent reporting systems. From attending various conferences this year, it is evident that collaborations between advertisers and tech companies are increasingly fostering a more secure and trustworthy advertising environment, significantly reducing the prevalence of fake ad impressions and other key metrics.”

Backlite Media’s James Harrison added, “DOOH programmatic platforms implement strict protocols and security measures to prevent fraud. These measures ensure that the ad inventory is genuine and that all transactions are transparent and traceable, enhancing the reliability and effectiveness of the advertising medium.”

Beyond preventing ad fraud, which digital ads are also working on, digital out-of-home has claimed bragging rights due to the lack of a ‘third party cookie on-off option’, as well as not being susceptible to skippable ads, ad blockers, or consumers simply scrolling past the digital ads … but we’ll get into the DOOH versus digital conversation another day.

All things considered, the future of DOOH still seem bright. Offering novel opportunities for creative storytelling informed by hard data, highly targeted advertising, while also creating avenues for climate-conscious, contextual, and purpose-driven advertising with real-time engagement, it is now setting new standards within a rapidly evolving region.

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