An Exclusive Interview with Lewaa Hamadeh

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1. What progress has Streach made in 2023-2024, and how has the market responded to adopting the research and its usability?

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There has been a noticeable increase in the adoption of Streach metrics and usage since 2022. We have measured more than 1000 campaigns in 2023 and we are witnessing an increase in measurement demand. In Q1 2024 alone, 291 campaigns were measured on Streach, marking a year-on-year increase of 31%. The top spenders in the Luxury, F&B, Telco, and Automotive verticals are now mandating post-campaign measurement on Streach. This resulted in 129 clients receiving Streach measurement reports in Q1 2024, showing a year-on-year increase of 180%. The Streach simulator remains a valuable tool both media owners and agencies use. In Q1 of 2024, over 700 campaigns were simulated on Streach for 281 clients.
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2. What are the latest developments with Streach in 2024?

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In 2024, our plans are focused on scaling up Streach and introducing new features. The research was launched recently in Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Jordan, which helped expand our reach and user base. We recently completed the migration of Streach to AWS, which has resulted in improved stability, reliability, and speed for end-users. More improvements are currently in the pipeline. We also finalised the MVP for creative assessment in Q1 and will be rolling it out in the next release. Additionally, we launched transit media measurement for scheduled and non-scheduled media covering both static and DOOH.

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3. Could you elaborate on Seventh Decimal’s partnership with BackLite and collaboration within Streach?

BackLite has been one of the early adopters of Streach. I remember presenting Streach to James Harrison on his 2nd day in Dubai in 2020, and he has believed in our vision since then and has spared no effort to support us in realising that vision. BackLite is an active member of Streach’s technical committee, contributing to discussions around impressions, methodology, DOOH, and PrDOOH. In 2022 BackLite sponsored a FFM study (Full Funnel Model) as a collaboration with Seventh Decimal and KINESSO, which for the first time included impressions on OOH as inputs to the FFM. BackLite also piloted audiences on PrDOOH with ADCB showcasing their active involvement in the space. BackLite regularly provides feedback on Streach’s usage, suggesting features and improvements, and demonstrating a solid partnership with Seventh Decimal.

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4. What are the plans for Streach from a product perspective?

We are constantly investing in developing and evolving Streach to stay at the forefront of OOH measurement in the GCC. With our commitment to innovation, we introduced an Artificial Intelligence (AI) discipline to test and develop a set of qualitative metrics that would complement the existing quantitative currency metrics. Additionally, we plan to develop a bundle of Streach APIs that will support the integration of Streach metrics into client dashboards and programmatic platforms, for both planning and reporting. We also plan to introduce additional audience datasets for comprehensive post-campaign measurement that align with industry trends and clients’ needs.

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Over the past year, Multiply Group has made substantial progress in the media sector as a result of its bullish growth strategy. Its objective is clear: it seeks to create an integrated media enterprise that offers best-in-class services and innovative solutions.

To do this, Multiply Group has been merging traditional and digital media, combining the best of both to evolve into a multi-brand powerhouse. This, it believes, will enable Multiply to remain adaptable and ahead of industry trends in an ever-changing market.

The spearhead of Multiply Group’s strategy is the consolidation of leading Out-of-Home (OOH) media providers across the UAE. Currently, the Group manages an extensive network of nearly 3,000 advertising units, with more than 75 assets situated along Sheikh Zayed Road—one of the region’s most coveted advertising locations. These assets are managed through its subsidiaries: BackLite Media, Media 247, and Viola Outdoor.

The portfolio includes a range of high-visibility digital and traditional media formats, such as unipoles, bridge banners, hoardings, lampposts, building wraps, and advertisements on public taxis and buses. This diverse range of premium media assets provides exceptional visibility, positioning Multiply Media as the leading choice for brands seeking to engage diverse and high-value audiences.

Beyond acquiring prime advertising locations, Multiply Group focuses on building solid partnerships with key stakeholders. These include collaborations with the Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi, the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) and the Dubai Municipality in Dubai, and prominent landlords like Al Qana, Futtaim Malls, and Al Maryah Retail Company. These strategic alliances serve to solidify Multiply Media’s market position, drive sustained growth, and enable continuous expansion and diversification of its media assets. At the very same time, the Group is actively exploring further acquisitions to enhance its media portfolio within the region.

This brings us to another crucial point: strategic investments will play a crucial role in shaping Multiply Group’s media future.

By tapping into both traditional and digital media opportunities, the Group is continuing to push innovation within the industry. To support this growth, Multiply has launched the Innovation Hub, fostering creativity across its portfolio companies and bolstering its leadership in the media space. As part of this vision, the Group integrates advanced AI technologies and data-driven strategies, merging traditional OOH formats with cutting-edge digital solutions to create immersive and impactful audience experiences.

‍Several emerging trends are redefining the media landscape, and Multiply Group is at the forefront of these changes. Programmatic Digital Out-of-Home (PrDOOH) advertising is a significant focus, with the Group leading the adoption of programmatic buying across BackLite Media and Viola Outdoor’s expansive Digital OOH (DOOH) network. This approach enables advertisers to purchase ad space in real time, using data insights to target audiences with precision and efficiency.

Multiply Group has also invested significantly in technology to boost operational efficiency, allowing for increased automation and real-time content delivery. As the media sector evolves, Multiply Group is pioneering a hybrid approach that combines the flexibility of digital advertising with the reach of OOH, allowing clients to create dynamic and innovative campaigns that leverage the strengths of both mediums.

Multiply Group remains focused on initiatives that yield both immediate impact and long-term value. The company aims to continue making value-accretive investments in the media space, with the ultimate goal of positioning Multiply Media for a potential listing on the local stock exchange, pending regulatory approvals.

With a forward-thinking approach, strategic investments, and a commitment to innovation, Multiply Group is solidifying its leadership in the media sector. As the Group continues to explore new opportunities and expand its presence, it remains committed to enhancing shareholder value and shaping the future of the media industry.

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Programmatic Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising transforms how brands reach audiences across the UAE, offering innovative ways to engage consumers through data-driven strategies. As the region continues to embrace digital transformation, here are the top trends shaping programmatic DOOH:
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• Data-Driven Targeting: Brands can now deliver personalized messages based on real-time data such as location, demographics, weather, and traffic patterns. This allows for hyper-targeted campaigns targeting specific audiences, particularly high-net-worth individuals and expats in high-traffic areas.
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• Premium Brands Leading the Way: The UAE’s luxury market embraces programmatic DOOH to capture affluent audiences. Global and local brands like YSL, BMW, Tumi, Hong Kong Tourism, ADCB, and First Abu Dhabi Bank, to name a few, have leveraged our DOOH inventory across Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Festival City Mall, and Abu Dhabi to display dynamic, eye-catching content across critical locations.

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• Real-Time Creative Optimisation: With real-time data, brands can automatically adjust their ads to align with current conditions, whether changing the message based on weather or updating content to reflect local events. This enhances relevance and increases engagement.
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• Integration with Mobile and Online Channels: Brands integrate programmatic DOOH with mobile and online ads to create a seamless omnichannel experience. This synchronization allows advertisers to engage consumers at multiple touchpoints, maximizing campaign impact.
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• Sustainability in DOOH: As the UAE moves toward its Net Zero 2050 vision, programmatic DOOH appeals to brands focused on sustainability. Digital screens reduce waste, while intelligent technology optimizes energy use, aligning with eco-friendly advertising goals.
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These trends highlight the growing potential of programmatic DOOH in the UAE, offering brands flexible, targeted, and sustainable ways to connect with their audiences.

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As DOOH continues to prove its efficiency and success, it is also taking a bigger slice of marketer’s advertising budgets. Retail businesses operate in a fast-paced industry, continually striving to outshine competitors and attract their target customers. Continued innovation in DOOH offers a game-changing opportunity for retailers to revamp their marketing strategies, utilising dynamic content, precise targeting and real-time optimisation to engage consumers at every stage of their purchasing journey.

The first thing to consider in order to drive successful results, is selecting the right location. The top DOOH screens come in various formats, offering unique opportunities to engage audiences at the right time:

- Large Format Billboards: Dominant in cityscapes and along highways, these screens offer high visibility and can reach a broad audience at scale.

- Street Furniture: Including bus shelters, kiosks, and digital stands, these are often found in urban areas and appear in close proximity to consumers.

- Place-Based Screens: Located in high-traffic venues such as gyms, elevators, office buildings and transit stations, these screens capture the attention of consumers in various daily contexts, seamlessly integrating into the customer journey.

- Points of Sale: Positioned within stores, malls, and convenience stores, these screens influence purchasing decisions in the moments that matter most.

Once the location strategy has been decided, retail brands can leverage programmatic DOOH technology to achieve a wide range of marketing objectives. Advertisers can choose to promote specific products or offers to encourage purchases both in physical stores and online, or activate a campaign to increase in-store visits. British high-street fashion brand New Look was able to drive a 73% increase in footfall traffic to their stores by leveraging programmatic DOOH’s location-based targeting to promote their new Autumn/Winter collection.

Similarly, multinational athletic apparel retailer, lululemon, chose to utilise custom audience targeting to develop ads tailored to specific customer segments in order to promote two of their core products - shorts and performance leggings - around relevant environments in Germany. Not only did this strategy result in an increase of in-store traffic, but post-measurement analysis recorded an impressive 640% increase in brand image and 208% increase in brand interest. Programmatic technology is breaking down the barriers of what is possible in the DOOH space. The opportunity to improve brand consideration and brand recall is no longer confined to the screens in our hands and in our homes, but also out in the world.

To maximise the effectiveness of DOOH campaigns, retail brands should also consider the following strategies:

1. Dynamic Creative Optimisation: Use real-time data such as stock information, seasonal sales discounts, and geographic store locations to customise ads to relevant audiences. Campaign creative can dynamically display available products and direct customers to the closest store.
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2. Predefined Audience Targeting: Utilise predefined criteria to target specific audiences such as “shopping enthusiasts” effectively, ensuring your ads reach those most likely to convert.
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3. Competitor Store Visitors: Focus on attracting customers who have recently visited competitor stores by highlighting unique selling points and offers that differentiate your brand.
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4. Retargeting: Reinforce your message by engaging with users who have interacted with your ads on other channels. This can create a cohesive brand experience and drive higher conversion rates.

By leveraging the diverse formats and advanced targeting capabilities of DOOH, brands can effectively drive sales, increase foot traffic, and build stronger connections with their audiences. As technology continues to advance, the potential for DOOH in retail marketing will only grow, making it an essential component of any comprehensive marketing plan.

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To learn more about BackLite Media's retail media marketing networks, visiti The Retail Collective

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BackLite Media, a leading out-of-home (OOH) advertising company in the UAE, is proud to announce an exciting new partnership with VIOOH, a leading premium global digital out-of-home (DOOH) supply-side platform. This partnership marks VIOOH's first entry into the Middle East's DOOH market and represents a significant milestone for both companies as they expand their regional influence.

VIOOH, with its advanced technology platform and global footprint, seamlessly connects buyers and sellers in the DOOH space, offering a streamlined programmatic advertising experience. Through this partnership, advertisers worldwide will access BackLite Media's premium inventory across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, unlocking the potential to reach residents and the UAE's ever-growing tourism population.

“This partnership is another great market addition to VIOOH’s real-time trading offering across programmatic DOOH. We know there is significant interest, both within the local market as well as overseas, for inventory in this region, and are pleased to partner with BackLite to provide opportunities for advertisers to take advantage of the flexibility and data-driven nature of programmatic DOOH,” said Gavin Wilson, Chief Customer and Revenue Officer at VIOOH.

"We are excited to partner with VIOOH and bring their expertise in programmatic DOOH to the Middle East," Sean Gadsby, Head of Programmatic at BackLite Media. "This collaboration will open new doors for global advertisers looking to tap into the dynamic UAE market through our high-quality digital screens across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. At BackLite, we are thrilled to capitalise on VIOOH's extensive global reach, allowing us to position our premium inventory on a larger scale."

This strategic partnership empowers global advertisers to plan and purchase BackLite Media's extensive Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) inventory, featuring over 300 digital screens across the UAE. BackLite Media boasts prime locations along Dubai's busiest road, Sheikh Zayed Road, and a vast indoor and outdoor screen network in prominent malls and destinations across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This provides advertisers with highly targeted audience options, reaching commuters, global tourists, residents, and shoppers.
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Through programmatic buying, advertisers can benefit from enhanced flexibility, precision targeting, and improved efficiency, ensuring maximum impact and engagement.

As the UAE continues to evolve as a leading destination for tourists and business travellers, this partnership comes at an opportune moment, providing brands with the opportunity to engage with a diverse and affluent audience.

Through this collaboration, BackLite Media and VIOOH are poised to transform the DOOH landscape in the Middle East, providing brands with powerful new ways to connect with consumers in a rapidly growing market.

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With third-party cookies disappearing, Dayna Lang, Content Writer at illumin, shares how to use first-party data for stronger targeting strategies in a post-cookie world.

‍Third-party cookies are being phased out by major browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, leaving many marketers at a loss. How can marketers pivot and build stronger, more resilient targeting strategies in a post-cookie world? In finding their footing, marketers need to lean on first-party data to understand customers and effectively target audiences.

Marketers have known about Google’s goodbye plans for third-party cookies since 2018 when GDPR was enacted in the European Union. Marketers have spent the years since building out new strategies. First-party data is a critical part of those strategies.

Procrastination is easy when developing post-cookie strategies, especially since Google continues to delay its cookie deadlines. While the extension is appreciated, giving marketers and industry regulators more time to provide feedback solutions doesn’t prevent the inevitable.

Marketers should be moving full-speed ahead on their post-cookie plans. First-party cookies provide a critical tool for marketers looking to provide privacy-compliant media in a post-cookie era.

First-party data refers to data collected directly from customers. Unlike third-party cookies, first-party data relies on users’ consent. This data is held in high esteem for a good reason. Since data is collected firstly from users, it is reliable and easy to manage. It is also cost-effective and highly accurate.

This data can also be used to effectively target audiences in the real world through out-of-home advertising. Advancements in OOH technology let brands easily create effective, targeted campaigns using first-party data.

One way brands can do this is by using first-party data to understand where and when users shop (ie: audiences’ shopping at a certain time of year). Brands can then plan their media around this time frame and location to effectively target and engage their audience.

In a post-cookie world, first-party data will be the gold standard. It fills a necessary data gap while respecting user consent and privacy. It’s no wonder why Advertiser Perceptions lists it as the number one type of data used for transactions.

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Customers are happy to share their data with you – for a price

Collecting first-party data requires trust, privacy, and customer value. According to a study by BCG, 90% of consumers will share personal information given a valuable incentive. This can look like tailored discounts, streamlined processes, downloadable content, or personalised experiences. So long as marketers provide something of value, gathering first-party data is relatively easy.

Something marketers need to maintain to leverage first-party data is trust. The basis of the cookie issue has always been customer privacy. This makes consumer consent a primary concern for all data use going forward.

Google’s decision to eliminate third-party cookies was the culmination of years of effort to advocate for user consent and privacy. The goal isn’t to inconvenience marketers but to empower consumers to control where and when their information is gathered, shared, and used. By prioritising consent and data security at all times, marketers can ensure their strategies will outlast any future privacy protection measures.

That’s why first-party data fits so perfectly within a post-cookie strategy. First-party data hinges on user trust and consent. As the digital world adapts to the loss of third-party cookies, first-party information fills a gap and gives marketers tools to target users and tailor content to reach customers where it matters most.

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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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